Introduction. The relevance of the psychological examination of polycode texts is substantiated by the lack of holistic scientific views and the active use of these types of texts for illegal purposes. Policode texts are noted to differ from monocode ones in the simplicity of perception, duration of information imprinting and influence on behaviour. The lack of a unified approach to analysing polycoded texts makes their forensic investigation difficult in cases when they are used to disseminate extremist ideas. The article deals with the methodology of content analysis based on the study of psychological patterns of perception of its semantics. The structure of a polycoded text is considered first, followed by the functional organisation of its elements. Methods. The research methods are general scientific methods of cognition used to analyse theoretical provisions of linguistic and psychological methods of content analysis of polycoded texts, synthesis of their content in relation to two models of polycoded text analysis - logical-semantic model and layer-by-layer one, as well as the method of generalisation used to extract the main results of the analysis and their consistent presentation in the final part of the article. Results. The result of the research is a description of two methods of content analysis of polycoded texts, applicable to the study of their content with regard to unlawfulness. Each of the described methods of analysis (logical-semantic and layer-by-layer) is characterised, its procedure is disclosed, and limitations in its application, formulated on the basis of known empirical data, are presented. The conclusion discusses the theoretical and methodological development of the results obtained in the article. The results are applicable in theoretical studies of polycode texts and as theoretical bases for the development of methods of forensic psychological examination of polycode texts of unlawful orientation.