When files (like images, fonts, or other media) are embedded as Data URLs, the browser doesn’t need to make separate server calls for these resources. This can significantly speed up the loading time of a web page, especially in scenarios where multiple small files are involved.
For applications that require offline capabilities, Data URLs can be quite beneficial. By including all necessary files within the app, users can access content without relying on an internet connection, which is particularly useful for Progressive Web Applications (PWAs).
When you rely on external resources for images or data within your emails, you run the risk of broken links or images not being displayed. Data URLs eliminate this dependency entirely as the information is contained within the email itself, ensuring that your recipients will always see what you intended them to see.
Yes, you can use a Data URL directly within a HTML 5 video elements source attribute, they can also be used for a HTML 5 videos poster image using the poster attribute of the <video> element. But remember the file size of such video should be only a few mega byte at most. You can create a small video clip at https://webmconverter.app or https://mp4converter.app directly within the web browser. You can also use the HTML 5 video player generator at https://webmconverter.app/html5-video-player-embed-code-generator and enter the Data URL directly within the interface.
There is no preference in which image format you should choose. But i recommend using an image format where the file size is around a few hundred kilo bytes. You can use an online tool such as https://avifconverter.app or https://webpconverter.app to create such images. Depending on your target audience WebP maybe more desirable as AVIF still has some compatibility problems.
Data URLs are particularly useful for small images, such as icons or thumbnails, that are used throughout your website. By embedding these images directly into your HTML or CSS, it will reduce the number of HTTP requests. They can also be used for small CSS and JavaScript files which are only included on a single page.