# gt-node: General Translation Node.js SDK: decodeMsg
URL: https://generaltranslation.com/en-GB/docs/node/reference/functions/decode-msg.mdx
---

title: decodeMsg
description: Recover the original message string from a General Translation-encoded message. API reference for decodeMsg.

---

Extracts the original interpolated message string from a value encoded by [`msg`](/docs/node/reference/functions/msg). Use it when you need the human-readable content of an encoded message rather than its translation.

## Overview [#overview]

Call `decodeMsg` with an encoded message. It returns the content before the encoded options (everything up to the last colon). If the input has no colon separator, it is returned unchanged.

```ts
import { msg, decodeMsg } from 'gt-node';

const encoded = msg('Hello, {name}!', { name: 'Brian' });
console.log(decodeMsg(encoded)); // 'Hello, Brian!'
```

Signature:

```ts
decodeMsg(encodedMsg: string): string;
decodeMsg<T extends null | undefined>(encodedMsg: T): T;
```

## How it works [#how-it-works]

* **Separator split.** An encoded message has the form `interpolatedContent:encodedOptions`. `decodeMsg` returns the content before the last colon.
* **Passthrough.** When the value has no colon, or is `null`/`undefined`, it is returned unchanged.

## Parameters [#parameters]

| Parameter                    | Description                    | Type                          | Optional | Default |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------ | ----------------------------- | -------- | ------- |
| [`encodedMsg`](#encoded-msg) | The encoded message to decode. | `string \| null \| undefined` | No       | —       |

### `encodedMsg` [#encoded-msg]

**Type** `string | null | undefined` · **Required**

The message to decode, typically a value returned by [`msg`](/docs/node/reference/functions/msg).

## Returns [#returns]

**Type** `string | null | undefined`

The decoded message content, or the input unchanged when it cannot be decoded.

## Examples [#examples]

```ts
import { msg, decodeMsg } from 'gt-node';

const encoded = msg('Welcome, {name}!', { name: 'Alice' });
console.log(decodeMsg(encoded)); // 'Welcome, Alice!'

console.log(decodeMsg('Plain text')); // 'Plain text' (no options to strip)
```

## Notes [#notes]

* `decodeMsg` returns source content, not a translation. Use [`getMessages`](/docs/node/reference/functions/get-messages) to resolve the translation.
* To read the encoded options rather than the content, use [`decodeOptions`](/docs/node/reference/functions/decode-options).