--- title: "PowerShell Get-Content a PowerShell Tail Equivalent" description: "Use PowerShell Get-Content to powerfully read file data and PowerShell streams to manipulate the content like a PowerShell tail equivalent!" canonical: "https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-get-content/" --- # PowerShell Get-Content a PowerShell Tail Equivalent > Use PowerShell Get-Content to powerfully read file data and PowerShell streams to manipulate the content like a PowerShell tail equivalent! Source: https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-get-content/ --- ATA Learning Tap to hide [ ATA Learning ](/) * [Home](/) * [Tutorials](/tutorials/) * [Instructors](/author/) * [Advertising](/advertising/) * [Recommended Resources](/resources/) * [About Adam](/about-adam/) Search for: * [](https://twitter.com/adbertram) * [](https://github.com/Adam-the-Automator) * [](https://www.linkedin.com/company/adam-the-automator-llc) * [](/feed/) ![PowerShell Get-Content a PowerShell Tail Equivalent](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Get-Content_-Reading-Text-Files-like-a-Boss-in-PowerShell.jpg) # PowerShell Get-Content a PowerShell Tail Equivalent [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9a14f10ff1b1ec7d790d34f5b559e4d3de2d31b172e6ef266dfd8b479174d97b?s=192&d=mm&r=g)June Castillote](https://adamtheautomator.com/author/june/)2 December 20218 min. read Categories: [IT Ops](/category/it-ops/) Tags:[PowerShell](/tag/powershell/) Table of Contents * [Prerequisites](#h-prerequisites) * [Reading a Text File and Returning the Result as a String Array](#h-reading-a-text-file-and-returning-the-result-as-a-string-array) * [Returning a Specific Line From a Text File](#h-returning-a-specific-line-from-a-text-file) * [Limiting the Number of Top Results Returned by Get-Content](#h-limiting-the-number-of-top-results-returned-by-get-content) * [Use the PowerShell Tail Parameter to Return Results From the End of a File](#h-use-the-tail-parameter-to-return-results-from-the-end-of-a-file) * [Returning the Results as a Single String](#h-returning-the-results-as-a-single-string) * [Read Content Only from Files that Matched a Filter](#h-read-content-only-from-files-that-matched-a-filter) * [Reading the Alternate Data Stream of a File](#h-reading-the-alternate-data-stream-of-a-file) * [Next Steps With PowerShell Get-Content](#h-next-steps-with-powershell-get-content) With automation, reading data from a text file is a common scenario. Most programming languages have at least one way of reading text files, and PowerShell is no exception. The PowerShell `[_Get-Content_](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.management/get-content?view=powershell-7.2&viewFallbackFrom=powershell-7.1#parameters)` cmdlet, a PowerShell tail equivalent, reads a text file’s contents and imports the data into a PowerShell session. The PowerShell `Get-Content` cmdlet is an indispensable tool when you need to use text files as input for your script. Perhaps your PowerShell script needs to read a computer list to monitor or import an email template to send to your users. PowerShell `Get-Content` easily supports these scenarios! How about following a log file in real-time? Yes, the PowerShell `Get-Content` can do that, too!. Continue reading this article, and you will learn how to use the `Get-Content` cmdlet to read text files in PowerShell. ## Prerequisites If you’re interested in following the examples in this tutorial, you will need the following requirements. * You’ll need a computer that is running on Windows 10. This tutorial uses Windows 10 version 20H2. But don’t worry, you’ll be okay with the Windows 10 version that you have. * You should have at least Windows PowerShell 5.1, or [_PowerShell 7.1_](https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-7-upgrade/) installed on your computer. Here PowerShell 7.1 is used, but either will version will work! * You’ll be writing and testing commands, so you’ll need a code editor. The recommended editors are _Windows PowerShell ISE_, built-in to Windows, and _[Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/) (VSCode)_. This article uses VSCode. * It will also help if you create a working directory on your computer. The working folder can be anywhere you want. However, you’ll notice that the examples in this tutorial reside in the _C:\\demo_ folder. * To get started, you need some content! Create a file, in your working directory, with the name _fruits.txt_ that includes ten different fruits for simplicity. You will be using this text file in all the examples. ```powershell cherry berry apricot papaya raspberry melon peach tangerine cantaloupe orange ``` > _Don’t know which PowerShell version you have? Visit the article [How to Check your PowerShell Version (All the Ways!)](https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-version/)._ ## Reading a Text File and Returning the Result as a String Array The `Get-Content` cmdlet reads content from a file, and by default, returns each line of a text file as a string object. As a result, the collection of PowerShell objects becomes an array of string objects. The below code reads the contents of the _fruits.txt_ file and displays the result on the PowerShell console as seen in the below screenshot. ```powershell Get-Content .\fruits.txt ``` ![Retrieving the text file content using PowerShell Get-Content.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Untitled-2021-02-08T172751.725.png) Retrieving the text file content using PowerShell `Get-Content`. `Get-Content` reads and stores the content as an array, but how do you know that for sure? First, save the content to a PowerShell object which you can then examine to determine the type. ```powershell Save the content into to a object $fruits = Get-Content .\fruits.txt Display the type of the object $fruits.GetType() Retrieve the count of items within the object $fruits.Count Output the contents of the object to the console $fruits ``` Looking at the screenshot below, the `$fruits` variable is an array that contains ten objects. Each object represents a single line of text. ![Confirming that the text file content is stored as an array.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Untitled-2021-02-08T172841.614.png) Confirming that the text file content is stored as an array. ## Returning a Specific Line From a Text File In the previous example, you’ve learned that the default `Get-Content` result is an array or a collection of objects. Each item in a collection corresponds to an index number, and PowerShell indexes typically start at zero. The screenshot below shows that there are ten items in the string array. The array indexed the ten items from zero to nine. ![Showing that the indexed items in the string array start at zero index.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Untitled-2021-02-08T172904.098.png) Showing that the indexed items in the string array start at zero index. To only display the fifth line of content, you’ll need to specify the index number `4`, enclosed in square brackets (known as array notation). ```powershell (Get-Content .\fruits.txt)[4] ``` > _You may notice that the `Get-Content` command is enclosed in a parenthesis. This notation tells PowerShell to run the command enclosed in the parenthesis first before other operations._ In the screenshot below, you’ll see that the only returned result is `raspberry`, which is the item at index `4` and corresponds to the fifth line in the text file. ![Returning a specific line from Get-Content results.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Untitled-2021-02-08T173006.670.png) Returning a specific line from `Get-Content` results. What if you need to get the content in the last line? Thankfully, you do not need to know the total number of lines. Instead, use `[-1]` as the index, and `Get-Content` will display only the last line of the file. ```powershell (Get-Content .\fruits.txt)[-1] ``` ## Limiting the Number of Top Results Returned by `Get-Content` Use the `TotalCount` parameter of `Get-Content` to retrieve a specified number of lines from a text file. The `TotalCount` parameter accepts a _long_ value which means a _[maximum value of 9,223,372,036,854,775,807](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/scripting/understanding-numbers-in-powershell/)_. For example, the command below reads the content and limits the result to three items. ```powershell Get-Content .\fruits.txt -TotalCount 3 ``` As you would expect, the result below displays only the top three lines from the beginning of the text file. ![Reading the top three results using the Get-Content command and the TotalCount parameter.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Untitled-2021-02-08T173059.664.png) Reading the top three results using the `Get-Content` command and the `TotalCount` parameter. ## Use the PowerShell Tail Parameter to Return Results From the End of a File In the previous example, you used the PowerShell `Get-Content` cmdlet to read a text file and limit the top results. It is also possible to achieve the opposite with PowerShell `Get-Content`. Use the PowerShell `Tail` parameter to read a specified number of lines from the end of a file. The example code below reads the text file and displays the content of the bottom four lines. ```powershell Get-Content .\fruits.txt -Tail 4 ``` After running the PowerShell `tail` command, the expected outcome will be limited to the last four lines of content, as shown in the image below. ![Getting the results from the end of a file using the Get-Content Tail parameter.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Untitled-2021-02-08T173143.907.png) Getting the results from the end of a file using the `Get-Content` `Tail` parameter. The `Tail` parameter is often used together with the `Wait` parameter. Using the `Wait` parameter keeps the file open and checks for new content once every second. The demonstration below shows the `Tail` and `Wait` parameters in action. To exit `Wait`, use the key combination of `CTRL+C`. ```powershell Get-Content -Path .\fruits.txt -Tail 1 -Wait ``` ![Using the wait and Tail parameters with Get-Content.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/get-content_wait.gif) Using the `wait` and `Tail` parameters with `Get-Content`. ## Returning the Results as a Single String You may have noticed in previous examples that you’ve been dealing with string arrays as the PowerShell `Get-Content` output. And as you’ve learned so far, the nature of arrays allows you to operate on the content one item at a time. Arrays often work great but can make replacing strings more difficult. The `Raw` parameter of `Get-Content` reads a file’s entire content into a single string object. Although the code below is the same as used within the first example, the `Raw` parameter stores the file content as a single string. ```powershell Save the content into to a object $fruits = Get-Content .\fruits.txt -Raw Display the type of the object $fruits.GetType() Retrieve the count of items within the object $fruits.Count Output the contents of the object to the console $fruits ``` The screenshot below demonstrates that adding the `Raw` parameter to `Get-Content` results in treating the content as a single string and not an array of objects. ![Confirming that the Raw parameter of Get-Content reads the file content as a single string object.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Untitled-2021-02-08T173314.427.png) Confirming that the `Raw` parameter of `Get-Content` reads the file content as a single string object. Once you have the contents of a file in a single string using the `Raw` parameter, what can you do with it? Perhaps you need to find and replace a string inside of that file’s content. In the example below, `Get-Content` reads the content of a file as a single string. Then, using the `replace` operator, replace a specific word with another. **Related:** [_Finding and Replacing Strings_](https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-strings/#Finding_and_Replacing_Strings) ```powershell # Get the raw content of the text file $fruits = Get-Content .\fruits.txt -Raw # Display the content $fruits # Find and replace the word 'apricot' with 'mango' $fruits -replace 'apricot','mango' ``` ![Reading the content of a text file as a single string and replacing a word using the replace operator.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Untitled-2021-02-08T173357.981.png) Reading the content of a text file as a single string and replacing a word using the `replace` operator. ## Read Content Only from Files that Matched a Filter Do you have a folder full of files but need to read the content of a select few? With PowerShell `Get-Content`, you do not have to filter the files separately before reading the files’ contents. The `Filter` parameter of `Get-Content` limits which files the cmdlet reads. To demonstrate reading the content of only select files, first, create a couple of files to read. As shown below, create the files in your working folder using [`Add-Content`](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.management/add-content?view=powershell-7.2&viewFallbackFrom=powershell-7.1). ```powershell # Add-Content creates the log1.log and log2.log file if they don't exist already and adds the given value Add-Content -Value "This is the content in Log1.log" -Path C:\demo\Log1.log Add-Content -Value "This is the content in Log2.log" -Path C:\demo\Log2.log # Verify that the files have been created Get-ChildItem C:\demo ``` ![Creating test .log files using Add-Content.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Untitled-2021-02-08T173509.215.png) Creating test `.log` files using `Add-Content`. With your test files created, use the `Filter` and `Path` parameters to only read `.log` files in the root directory. The asterisk used in the filter definition indicates to `Get-Content` to read any file ending with `.log`. The ending asterisk of the path parameter limits the reading of files to only the root directory. ```powershell Get-Content -Path C:\demo* -Filter *.log ``` As shown in the below output, only the content from the `.log` files is displayed. ![Using the Filter parameter with PowerShell Get-Content to limit the read files.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Untitled-2021-02-08T173559.592.png) Using the `Filter` parameter with PowerShell `Get-Content` to limit the read files. **_Related: [Get-ChildItem: Listing Files, Registry, Certificates, and More as One](https://adamtheautomator.com/get-childitem/)_** ## Reading the Alternate Data Stream of a File Until now, you have been working exclusively with text files, but `Get-Content` can read data from the alternate data stream (ADS) of a file. Feel free to [read more about streams](https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2015/07/introduction-to-alternate-data-streams), but you can think of a stream as another data attribute stored alongside the typical file contents. > _Alternate data streams are a feature of the Windows NTFS file system, therefore this does not apply to `Get-Content` when used with non-Windows operating systems._ You can see alternate data streams by running `Get-Item` with the `Stream` parameter. When referencing a file using the `Stream` parameter, `Get-Item` returns a property called `Stream` as shown below. This default file content stream is represented with `:$DATA`. To demonstrate the default `:$DATA` stream, use the [`Get-Item`](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.management/get-item?view=powershell-7.2&viewFallbackFrom=powershell-7.1) cmdlet to display all available streams in the file _fruits.txt_. As shown below, `Get-Item` displays a single stream. ```powershell Get-Item -Path .\fruits.txt -Stream * ``` ![Listing all available streams in a file using Get-Item.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Untitled-2021-02-08T173718.271.png) Listing all available streams in a file using `Get-Item`. The `Stream` parameter of `Get-Content` explicitly reads the content of the default `:$DATA` stream as shown below. The returned content is the same as the default `Get-Content` output as the `:$DATA` stream is read by default. ```powershell Get-Content -Path .\fruits.txt -Stream ':$DATA' ``` ![Explicitly reading the :$DATA stream using Get-Content.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Untitled-2021-02-08T173745.552.png) Explicitly reading the `:$DATA` stream using `Get-Content`. To demonstrate retrieving an alternate data stream using `Get-Content`, modify a file using `Add-Content` to add the new stream. Use `Get-Item` to show the new stream alongside the default `:$DATA` stream, as seen in the below example. ```powershell # Add a new ADS named Secret to the fruits.txt file Add-Content -Path .\fruits.txt -Stream Secret -Value 'This is a secret. No one should find this.' Get-Item -Path .\fruits.txt -Stream * ``` ![Adding the Secret alternate data stream using Add-Content and displaying the new stream with Get-Item.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Untitled-2021-02-08T173819.380.png) Adding the Secret alternate data stream using Add-Content and displaying the new stream with Get-Item. As only the `:$DATA` stream is read by default, use the `Stream` parameter of `Get-Content` to retrieve the new `Secret` stream content. As shown below, the `Secret` stream content is displayed instead of the default file content. ```powershell Get-Content -Path .\fruits.txt -Stream secret ``` ![Using Get-Content to read the Secret alternate data stream content.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Untitled-2021-02-08T173842.862.png) Using `Get-Content` to read the `Secret` alternate data stream content. ## Next Steps With PowerShell `Get-Content` In this article, you’ve learned many ways to use `Get-Content` to read and manipulate content. You’ve even learned that `Get-Content` is flexible enough to read content from alternate data streams! With what you’ve learned in this article, what other ways can you use `Get-Content` in your work? Perhaps you can use `Get-Content` to determine if a backup file is outdated and trigger an automatic call to run a backup job? Share this article [Share on X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fadamtheautomator.com%2Fpowershell-get-content%2F&text=PowerShell%20Get-Content%20a%20PowerShell%20Tail%20Equivalent)[Share on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fadamtheautomator.com%2Fpowershell-get-content%2F)[Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fadamtheautomator.com%2Fpowershell-get-content%2F) ## Related Posts ![](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/26995-troubleshoot-dns-issues-powershell-codex.webp) ### [Troubleshoot DNS Issues with PowerShell](/troubleshoot-dns-issues-powershell/) Troubleshoot DNS issues with PowerShell by testing name resolution, DNS client settings, cache entries, and network connectivity in a repeatable workflow. ![](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image_2025-10-24_095322075.png) ### [Migrating from PowerShell 6 to 7.5: Breaking Changes/New Features](/migrating-powershell-6-to-7-5/) Migrate from PowerShell Core 6 to 7.5: breaking changes, features, and testing tips. ![](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/featured-image-6.png) ### [How to Add Timeouts to Pester Tests with PowerShell Runspaces](/pester-test-timeout-runspaces/) Prevent Pester tests from hanging indefinitely using PowerShell runspaces. Learn to handle variable scoping, module loading, TestDrive access, and stream capture challenges with timeout protection. ## Categories * [IT Ops](/category/it-ops/) * [Cloud](/category/cloud/) * [DevOps](/category/devops/) * [Home Ops](/category/home-ops/) * [Information Security](/category/infosec/) * [Software Development](/category/software-development/) ## Site * [Home](/) * [Tutorials](/tutorials/) * [Instructors](/author/) * [Advertising](/advertising/) * [Recommended Resources](/resources/) * [About Adam](/about-adam/) Copyright 2026© ATA Learning | [Privacy Policy](/privacy/)