HTTP Basic Auth Header Generator

Generate or decode HTTP Basic Authentication headers. Get the Authorization header, cURL command, and ready-to-use code snippets.

Last reviewed: April 2026
Reviewed by , software engineer · last updated April 2026

New to this tool? Click here for instructions

Authorization Header 

            


            

              

                cURL Command
                
              

              

            

          


          
          

          
          

          
          

            Enter a username and password to generate the Authorization header.
          

        


        
        
                                                        

          
How to Use the Basic Auth Header Generator

          
To use the HTTP Basic Auth Header Generator, follow these steps:

          
1. Enter your username and password in the respective fields.

          
2. Click the 'Generate' button to create the Authorization header, cURL command, and encoded value.

          
3. To decode a Basic Auth header, paste the header value in the 'Decode' mode and click 'Decode'.

          
4. For code snippets, switch to the 'Code Snippets' mode and select the language you need (JavaScript, Python, or cURL).

          
When to Use the Tool in Real Workflows

          
Use the HTTP Basic Auth Header Generator when you need to authenticate to a server that requires Basic Auth. This includes internal APIs, microservices, CI/CD pipelines, legacy SOAP and REST APIs, and static site access control. This tool is particularly useful for developers who need to quickly generate or decode Basic Auth headers for testing or debugging purposes.

          
How It Works

          
The HTTP Basic Auth Header Generator works by taking your username and password, concatenating them with a colon, and then Base64-encoding the result. The encoded value is then prefixed with 'Basic ' to form the Authorization header. For decoding, the tool reverses the Base64 encoding and splits the result to retrieve the original username and password.

          
Tips, Edge Cases, or Limitations

          
Always use Basic Auth over HTTPS/TLS to ensure the security of your credentials. Never use Basic Auth over plain HTTP in production. Basic Auth is not suitable for public-facing APIs with external users. Prefer Bearer tokens (JWT), API keys, or OAuth 2.0 for such scenarios. The tool supports UTF-8 encoded credentials, but not all servers implement this. If you use non-ASCII characters, ensure your server supports the charset=UTF-8 parameter.

        


        

          
Frequently Asked Questions

          

            
            
HTTP Basic Authentication is the simplest and oldest authentication mechanism defined in the HTTP specification (RFC 7617). It involves encoding the username and password as a Base64 string and sending it in the Authorization header.

          

          

            
            
No, Basic Auth is not secure when used over plain HTTP. Anyone who intercepts the header can decode the credentials in seconds. Always use Basic Auth over HTTPS/TLS.

          

          

            
            
The Basic Auth header is constructed by concatenating the username and password with a colon, Base64-encoding the result, and prefixing it with 'Basic '.

          

          

            
            
Yes, if you use Basic Auth over plain HTTP, your password will be visible to any network observer. Always use HTTPS/TLS to protect your credentials.

          

          

            
            
Yes, you can use Basic Auth in a cURL command by including the username and password in the URL or using the -u flag.

          

        



        

        

          
Example walk-through

          


Worked example: step-by-step


Step 1. Gather username and password credentials (e.g., "user1" and "pass123").


Step 2. Concatenate the credentials with a colon: "user1:pass123".


Step 3. Encode the concatenated string using Base64: "dXNlcjE6cGFzczEyMw==".


Step 4. Format the Authorization header with "Basic " prefix: "Authorization: Basic dXNlcjE6cGFzczEyMw==".


Sample input:
Username: user1
Password: pass123



Expected output:
Authorization: Basic dXNlcjE6cGFzczEyMw==




        


        

          
Quick reference

          

  HTTP Basic Auth Header Generator Quick Reference
  
    

      Parameter
      Description
      Example
    

  
  
    

      Header Field
      Authorization
      Authorization
    

    

      Value Format
      Basic [base64-encoded string]
      Basic dXNlcm5hbWU6cGFzc3dvcmQ=
    

    

      Encoding Method
      Base64 (username:password)
      dXNlcm5hbWU6cGFzc3dvcmQ=
    

    

      Username
      Required, string
      username
    

    

      Password
      Required, string
      password
    

    

      Security Note
      Use with HTTPS; not secure for sensitive data
      HTTPS required