diff --git a/packages/powersync/README.md b/packages/powersync/README.md
index 55b444df..611a54a8 100644
--- a/packages/powersync/README.md
+++ b/packages/powersync/README.md
@@ -11,48 +11,141 @@
 * No need for client-side database migrations - these are handled automatically.
 * Subscribe to queries for live updates.
 
+## Examples
+
+For complete app examples, see our [example app gallery](https://docs.powersync.com/resources/demo-apps-example-projects#flutter)
+
+For examples of some common patterns, see our [example snippets](./example/README.md)
+
 ## Getting started
 
+You'll need to create a PowerSync account and set up a PowerSync instance. You can do this at [https://www.powersync.com/](https://www.powersync.com/).
+
+### Install the package
+
+`flutter pub add powersync`
+
+### Implement a backend connector and initialize the PowerSync database
+
 ```dart
 import 'package:powersync/powersync.dart';
 import 'package:path_provider/path_provider.dart';
 import 'package:path/path.dart';
 
+// Define the schema for the local SQLite database.
+// You can automatically generate this schema based on your sync rules:
+// In the PowerSync dashboard, right-click on your PowerSync instance and then click "Generate client-side schema"
 const schema = Schema([
   Table('customers', [Column.text('name'), Column.text('email')])
 ]);
 
 late PowerSyncDatabase db;
 
-// Setup connector to backend if you would like to sync data.
-class BackendConnector extends PowerSyncBackendConnector {
+// You must implement a backend connector to define how PowerSync communicates with your backend.
+class MyBackendConnector extends PowerSyncBackendConnector {
   PowerSyncDatabase db;
 
-  BackendConnector(this.db);
+  MyBackendConnector(this.db);
   @override
   Future<PowerSyncCredentials?> fetchCredentials() async {
-    // implement fetchCredentials
+    // implement fetchCredentials to obtain a JWT from your authentication service
+    // see https://docs.powersync.com/usage/installation/authentication-setup
   }
   @override
   Future<void> uploadData(PowerSyncDatabase database) async {
-    // implement uploadData
+    // Implement uploadData to send local changes to your backend service
+    // You can omit this method if you only want to sync data from the server to the client
+    // see https://docs.powersync.com/usage/installation/upload-data
   }
 }
 
 openDatabase() async {
   final dir = await getApplicationSupportDirectory();
   final path = join(dir.path, 'powersync-dart.db');
+
   // Setup the database.
   db = PowerSyncDatabase(schema: schema, path: path);
   await db.initialize();
 
-  // Run local statements.
-  await db.execute(
+  // Connect to backend
+  db.connect(connector: MyBackendConnector(db));
+}
+```
+
+### Subscribe to changes in data
+
+```dart
+StreamBuilder(
+  // you can watch any SQL query
+  stream: return db.watch('SELECT * FROM customers order by id asc'),
+  builder: (context, snapshot) {
+    if (snapshot.hasData) {
+      // TODO: implement your own UI here based on the result set
+      return ...;
+    } else {
+      return const Center(child: CircularProgressIndicator());
+    }
+  },
+)
+```
+
+### Insert, update, and delete data in the SQLite database as you would normally
+
+```dart
+FloatingActionButton(
+  onPressed: () async {
+    await db.execute(
       'INSERT INTO customers(id, name, email) VALUES(uuid(), ?, ?)',
-      ['Fred', 'fred@example.org']);
+      ['Fred', 'fred@example.org'],
+    );
+  },
+  tooltip: '+',
+  child: const Icon(Icons.add),
+);
+```
 
+### Send changes in local data to your backend service
 
-  // Connect to backend
-  db.connect(connector: BackendConnector(db));
+```dart
+// Implement the uploadData method in your backend connector
+@override
+Future<void> uploadData(PowerSyncDatabase database) async {
+  final batch = await database.getCrudBatch();
+  if (batch == null) return;
+  for (var op in batch.crud) {
+    switch (op.op) {
+      case UpdateType.put:
+        // Send the data to your backend service
+        // replace `_myApi` with your own API client or service
+        await _myApi.put(op.table, op.opData!);
+        break;
+      default:
+        // TODO: implement the other operations (patch, delete)
+        break;
+    }
+  }
+  await batch.complete();
 }
 ```
+
+### Logging
+
+You can enable logging to see what's happening under the hood
+or to debug connection/authentication/sync issues.
+
+```dart
+Logger.root.level = Level.INFO;
+Logger.root.onRecord.listen((record) {
+  if (kDebugMode) {
+    print('[${record.loggerName}] ${record.level.name}: ${record.time}: ${record.message}');
+
+    if (record.error != null) {
+      print(record.error);
+    }
+    if (record.stackTrace != null) {
+      print(record.stackTrace);
+    }
+  }
+});
+```
+
diff --git a/packages/powersync/lib/src/connector.dart b/packages/powersync/lib/src/connector.dart
index 75b9e7a3..2d4ec38b 100644
--- a/packages/powersync/lib/src/connector.dart
+++ b/packages/powersync/lib/src/connector.dart
@@ -113,7 +113,8 @@ class PowerSyncCredentials {
     try {
       List<String> parts = token.split('.');
       if (parts.length == 3) {
-        final rawData = base64Decode(parts[1]);
+        // dart:convert doesn't like missing padding
+        final rawData = base64Url.decode(base64.normalize(parts[1]));
         final text = Utf8Decoder().convert(rawData);
         Map<String, dynamic> payload = jsonDecode(text);
         if (payload.containsKey('exp') && payload['exp'] is int) {
diff --git a/packages/powersync/test/credentials_test.dart b/packages/powersync/test/credentials_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fcdb2551
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/powersync/test/credentials_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import 'package:powersync/powersync.dart';
+import 'package:test/test.dart';
+
+void main() {
+  group('PowerSyncCredentials', () {
+    test('getExpiryDate', () async {
+      // Specifically test a token with a "-" character and missing padding
+      final token =
+          'eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ9Pn0-YWIiLCJpYXQiOjE3MDc3Mzk0MDAsImV4cCI6MTcwNzczOTUwMH0=.IVoAtpJ7jfwLbqlyJGYHPCvljLis_fHj2Qvdqlj8AQU';
+      expect(PowerSyncCredentials.getExpiryDate(token)?.toUtc(),
+          equals(DateTime.parse('2024-02-12T12:05:00Z')));
+    });
+  });
+}