About this tool
What does it build?
The Authorization: Basic <base64(user:password)> header value used by HTTP Basic authentication — still common for staging sites, routers, webhooks and quick API tests.
How to use it
- Enter username and password separately — the tool joins and encodes them.
- Copy the full header into curl, Postman or fetch.
- Prefer tokens or OAuth for anything beyond testing.
Examples
curl -H "Authorization: Basic dXNlcjpwYXNz"against a staging API.- Unlocking a password-protected staging deploy.
- Testing webhook endpoints that expect Basic credentials.
Important limitations
- Base64 is reversible encoding, not protection: Basic Auth is plaintext-equivalent without HTTPS.
- Credentials ride along on every request — leaks via logs are routine; rotate often.
- No sessions, no expiry, no MFA: acceptable for tests, poor for products.
Privacy
Encoded locally. Credentials pasted here never leave your browser — still, use test accounts, never production passwords.
Frequently asked questions
Is Basic Auth secure?
Only over HTTPS, and only barely — it is convenience auth, not security architecture.
Why 401 with correct credentials?
Usual suspects: special characters needing exact bytes, or the server expecting Digest/Bearer instead.
How do I log out?
Browsers cache Basic credentials aggressively; closing the browser (or a deliberate 401 trick) clears them.