diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index 13b14ae..073f579 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ inputs:
     description: 'Time in seconds, after which token expires'
     required: false
     default: 3600
+  secretEncodingType:
+    description: 'The encoding type of the secret to decode. If not specified, the secret will not be decoded. Supported values: base64, hex, utf8'
+    required: false
 runs:
   using: 'node16'
   main: 'dist/index.js'
diff --git a/src/action.js b/src/action.js
index b52bba3..b898005 100644
--- a/src/action.js
+++ b/src/action.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const jsonata = require('jsonata');
 const { auth: { retrieveToken }, secrets: { getSecrets } } = require('./index');
 
 const AUTH_METHODS = ['approle', 'token', 'github', 'jwt', 'kubernetes'];
+const ENCODING_TYPES = ['base64', 'hex', 'utf8'];
 
 async function exportSecrets() {
     const vaultUrl = core.getInput('url', { required: true });
@@ -17,6 +18,8 @@ async function exportSecrets() {
     const secretsInput = core.getInput('secrets', { required: false });
     const secretRequests = parseSecretsInput(secretsInput);
 
+    const secretEncodingType = core.getInput('secretEncodingType', { required: false });
+
     const vaultMethod = (core.getInput('method', { required: false }) || 'token').toLowerCase();
     const authPayload = core.getInput('authPayload', { required: false });
     if (!AUTH_METHODS.includes(vaultMethod) && !authPayload) {
@@ -81,11 +84,23 @@ async function exportSecrets() {
 
     const results = await getSecrets(requests, client);
 
+
     for (const result of results) {
-        const { value, request, cachedResponse } = result;
+        // Output the result
+
+        var value = result.value;
+        const request = result.request;
+        const cachedResponse = result.cachedResponse;
+
         if (cachedResponse) {
             core.debug('ℹ using cached response');
         }
+
+        // if a secret is encoded, decode it
+        if (ENCODING_TYPES.includes(secretEncodingType)) {
+            value = Buffer.from(value, secretEncodingType).toString();
+        }
+
         for (const line of value.replace(/\r/g, '').split('\n')) {
             if (line.length > 0) {
                 command.issue('add-mask', line);
@@ -99,7 +114,7 @@ async function exportSecrets() {
     }
 };
 
-/** @typedef {Object} SecretRequest 
+/** @typedef {Object} SecretRequest
  * @property {string} path
  * @property {string} envVarName
  * @property {string} outputVarName
diff --git a/src/action.test.js b/src/action.test.js
index 79cb655..45899bd 100644
--- a/src/action.test.js
+++ b/src/action.test.js
@@ -184,6 +184,12 @@ describe('exportSecrets', () => {
             .mockReturnValueOnce(doExport);
     }
 
+    function mockEncodeType(doEncode) {
+        when(core.getInput)
+            .calledWith('secretEncodingType', expect.anything())
+            .mockReturnValueOnce(doEncode);
+    }
+
     it('simple secret retrieval', async () => {
         mockInput('test key');
         mockVaultData({
@@ -196,6 +202,19 @@ describe('exportSecrets', () => {
         expect(core.setOutput).toBeCalledWith('key', '1');
     });
 
+    it('encoded secret retrieval', async () => {
+        mockInput('test key');
+        mockVaultData({
+            key: 'MQ=='
+        });
+        mockEncodeType('base64');
+
+        await exportSecrets();
+
+        expect(core.exportVariable).toBeCalledWith('KEY', '1');
+        expect(core.setOutput).toBeCalledWith('key', '1');
+    });
+
     it('intl secret retrieval', async () => {
         mockInput('测试 测试');
         mockVaultData({