## Syntax
```mermaid
%%{init: {
'theme': 'base',
'flowchart': { 'padding': '7', 'nodeSpacing': '20', 'rankSpacing': '20' },
'themeVariables': {
'fontSize': '11px',
'fontFamily': 'Arial'
}
}}%%
flowchart LR
Start((START)) --> BASE64_ENCODE[BASE64_ENCODE]:::quoted
BASE64_ENCODE --> FUNCPARS1["("]:::quoted
FUNCPARS1 --> FUNCPARS2[parameters]
FUNCPARS2 --> FUNCPARS3[")"]:::quoted
FUNCPARS3 --> End((END))
```
## Purpose
The `BASE64_ENCODE` SQL function converts a binary object (`blob`) to base64 encoded characters as defined on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base64). See also [[BASE64_DECODE]].
Parameters:
- Input: value to convert to base64 characters.
Returns: the binary input encoded to base64 characters.
## Examples
`BASE64_ENCODE` maps the text `hi` first as ASCII 7-bit to a binary object, and then to the base64 representation:
```sql
select base64_encode(ascii_to_blob('hi'))
--------
aGk=
```