read-file

name	read_file
description	Read text files through the gateway with line-numbered output, allowed-directory enforcement, binary-file rejection, and bounded line windows. Use this before editing files with multi_edit_file. First read the complete builtin://read_file/SKILL.md to get skillToken; this SKILL.md read does not require skillToken. Calls without the correct skillToken will fail and must be retried.
metadata	{"bundled":true,"tool":"read_file","category":"filesystem"}

Read File

Use this bundled skill to read text files from configured allowed directories. Prefer it over terminal commands such as cat, Get-Content, type, sed, or head when you need file contents for code understanding or manual edits.

The gateway returns stable, line-numbered text and records the exact path being read before any content is returned. This makes file reads easier to audit and safer to combine with multi_edit_file.

Input

{
  "path": "src/example.rs",
  "cwd": "D:/path/to/workspace",
  "offset": 1,
  "limit": 200,
  "skillToken": "..."
}

• path is the file to read. Relative paths resolve from cwd. Absolute paths are allowed only when they remain inside configured allowed directories.
• cwd is required when more than one allowed directory is configured.
• offset is the 1-based starting line. Omit it to start at line 1.
• limit is the number of lines to return. Omit it to read up to 2000 lines. The maximum is 2000.
• skillToken is required for normal file reads. The documentation read for this SKILL.md is the only call that does not require it.

Output

Returned text uses:

line_number<TAB>content

Example:

41	fn handle_request() {
42	    route();
43	}

Do not include the line-number prefix or tab when copying old_string into multi_edit_file. The prefix is only for orientation and startLine hints.

The structured result includes:

• path
• startLine
• endLine
• numLines
• totalLines
• truncated
• lineTruncated
• content

Rules

1. Use read_file before manually editing an existing file unless the exact current content is already in the conversation.
2. Read only the focused region you need. For large files, use offset and limit instead of reading the whole file repeatedly.
3. Use offset values from search results or compiler diagnostics to inspect nearby context.
4. If multi_edit_file reports an ambiguous or missing old_string, re-read the relevant region with read_file and copy the current text exactly.
5. Do not use terminal commands for ordinary text file reads unless read_file is disabled, unavailable, or unsuitable for the file type.
6. Use terminal commands for directory listings, generated command output, test/build output, and project tools. read_file reads files, not directories.

Limits

• Text only. Binary files are rejected.
• UTF-8 text only. Files that cannot be decoded as UTF-8 are rejected.
• Maximum file size is 10 MiB.
• Maximum returned lines per call is 2000.
• Very long individual lines are truncated in output.