# Decode text

Decodes text from the chosen character encoding. Decode text lives in the **Data format** category of the `fx` menu.

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type   | Required | Default         | Description                                                                                                                                  |
| --------- | ------ | -------- | --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Input     | string | yes      | —               | Value to transform. Previous step output or a literal.                                                                                       |
| Encoding  | string | no       | `UTF-8 (65001)` | Choose one of: `UTF-8 (65001)`, `UTF-7 (65000)`, `UTF-16LE (1200)`, `UTF-16BE (1201)`, `UTF-32LE (12000)`, `UTF-32BE (12001)`, and 146 more. |

`Input` is the primary value (previous step output or a literal).

## Returned value

| Type     | Description                               |
| -------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| `string` | Result of the Decode text transformation. |

## Limitations

- This operation treats Input as raw bytes (binary-capable). Non-text payloads may display differently after decoding.
- Not every charset can represent every Unicode character; unsupported characters may be substituted or cause errors depending on the encoding.

## Example

<details>
<summary>Decode bytes with a charset</summary>

Decode bytes from a chosen character encoding back into text.

1. Set **Input** to the encoded bytes from a previous step.

2. Set **Encoding** to the charset that produced the bytes (for example `UTF-8 (65001)`).

3. Confirm **Output value** is the decoded text.

</details>