> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nika.sh/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# decode

> Contract, placement, related fields and source examples for this Nika YAML field.

[Language reference](/reference/language/overview) / `decode`

## Meaning and placement

### exec

How the captured string becomes a value · `text` (default) · `json` · `jsonl` · `bytes`. Illegal with `capture: structured`, which already IS an object (NIKA-PARSE-025) · a non-parsing stream settles the task `failure` inside `on_error:` scope (spec 09 §decode).

| Property        | Declaration                         |
| --------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Requirement     | Optional in this object             |
| Schema location | `/$defs/exec/properties/decode`     |
| type            | "string"                            |
| enum            | \["text", "json", "jsonl", "bytes"] |

**In the same object:** [capture](/reference/language/words/capture) · [command](/reference/language/words/command) · [cwd](/reference/language/words/cwd) · [env](/reference/language/words/env) · [shell](/reference/language/words/shell) · [stdin](/reference/language/words/stdin)

[Schema source (use the pointer above)](https://github.com/supernovae-st/nika-spec/blob/c5ebbb7b862b68bc6cf7235efba61173b844afc6/schemas/workflow.schema.json)

## Examples

No matching source-template occurrence is recorded in this projection. [Write a workflow](/guides/templates) or consult the schema declaration above.

## Contract and implementation

This page projects the named specification revision. Check [released engine status](/reference/status) and [the validation workflow](/guides/agent-authoring) before running a file. An optional field is not evidence that every engine supports every value.

Canonical identity: `language:word:decode`. Spec revision: [`c5ebbb7b862b`](https://github.com/supernovae-st/nika-spec/tree/c5ebbb7b862b68bc6cf7235efba61173b844afc6).

[How documentation stays connected](/reference/knowledge-system).