Set-Content

SYNOPSIS

Writes new content or replaces existing content in a file.

SYNTAX

Path (Default)

Set-Content [-Path] <string[]> [-Value] <Object[]> [-PassThru] [-Filter <string>]
 [-Include <string[]>] [-Exclude <string[]>] [-Force] [-Credential <pscredential>] [-WhatIf]
 [-Confirm] [-UseTransaction] [-NoNewline] [-Encoding <FileSystemCmdletProviderEncoding>]
 [-Stream <string>] [<CommonParameters>]

LiteralPath

Set-Content [-Value] <Object[]> -LiteralPath <string[]> [-PassThru] [-Filter <string>]
 [-Include <string[]>] [-Exclude <string[]>] [-Force] [-Credential <pscredential>] [-WhatIf]
 [-Confirm] [-UseTransaction] [-NoNewline] [-Encoding <FileSystemCmdletProviderEncoding>]
 [-Stream <string>] [<CommonParameters>]

DESCRIPTION

Set-Content is a string-processing cmdlet that writes new content or replaces the content in a
file. Set-Content replaces the existing content and differs from the Add-Content cmdlet that
appends content to a file. To send content to Set-Content you can use the Value parameter on
the command line or send content through the pipeline.

If you need to create files or directories for the following examples, see New-Item.

EXAMPLES

Example 1: Replace the contents of multiple files in a directory

This example replaces the content for multiple files in the current directory.

Get-ChildItem -Path .\Test*.txt

Test1.txt
Test2.txt
Test3.txt

Set-Content -Path .\Test*.txt -Value 'Hello, World'
Get-Content -Path .\Test*.txt

Hello, World
Hello, World
Hello, World

The Get-ChildItem cmdlet uses the Path parameter to list .txt files that begin with
Test* in the current directory. The Set-Content cmdlet uses the Path parameter to specify
the Test*.txt files. The Value parameter provides the text string Hello, World that
replaces the existing content in each file. The Get-Content cmdlet uses the Path parameter to
specify the Test*.txt files and displays each file's content in the PowerShell console.

Example 2: Create a new file and write content

This example creates a new file and writes the current date and time to the file.

Set-Content -Path .\DateTime.txt -Value (Get-Date)
Get-Content -Path .\DateTime.txt

1/30/2019 09:55:08

Set-Content uses the Path and Value parameters to create a new file named DateTime.txt
in the current directory. The Value parameter uses Get-Date to get the current date and time.
Set-Content writes the DateTime object to the file as a string. The Get-Content cmdlet uses
the Path parameter to display the content of DateTime.txt in the PowerShell console.

Example 3: Replace text in a file

This command replaces all instances of word within an existing file.

Get-Content -Path .\Notice.txt

Warning
Replace Warning with a new word.
The word Warning was replaced.

(Get-Content -Path .\Notice.txt) |
    ForEach-Object {$_ -Replace 'Warning', 'Caution'} |
        Set-Content -Path .\Notice.txt
Get-Content -Path .\Notice.txt

Caution
Replace Caution with a new word.
The word Caution was replaced.

The Get-Content cmdlet uses the Path parameter to specify the Notice.txt file in the
current directory. The Get-Content command is wrapped with parentheses so that the command
finishes before being sent down the pipeline.

The contents of the Notice.txt file are sent down the pipeline to the ForEach-Object cmdlet.
ForEach-Object uses the automatic variable $_ and replaces each occurrence of Warning with
Caution. The objects are sent down the pipeline to the Set-Content cmdlet. Set-Content uses
the Path parameter to specify the Notice.txt file and writes the updated content to the
file.

The last Get-Content cmdlet displays the updated file content in the PowerShell console.

Example 4: Use Filters with Set-Content

You can specify a filter to the Set-Content cmdlet. When using filters to qualify the Path
parameter, you need to include a trailing asterisk (*) to indicate the contents of the
path.

The following command set the content all *.txt files in the C:\Temp
directory to the Value empty.

Set-Content -Path C:\Temp\* -Filter *.txt -Value "Empty"

PARAMETERS

-Credential

[!NOTE]
This parameter is not supported by any providers installed with PowerShell.
To impersonate another user, or elevate your credentials when running this cmdlet,
use Invoke-Command.

Type: System.Management.Automation.PSCredential
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: True (ByPropertyName)
Accept wildcard characters: False

-Encoding

Specifies the type of encoding for the target file. The default value is Default.

Encoding is a dynamic parameter that the FileSystem provider adds to Set-Content. This parameter
works only in file system drives.

The acceptable values for this parameter are as follows:

• Ascii Uses ASCII (7-bit) character set.
• BigEndianUnicode Uses UTF-16 with the big-endian byte order.
• BigEndianUTF32 Uses UTF-32 with the big-endian byte order.
• Byte Encodes a set of characters into a sequence of bytes.
• Default Uses the encoding that corresponds to the system's active code page (usually ANSI).
• Oem Uses the encoding that corresponds to the system's current OEM code page.
• String Same as Unicode.
• Unicode Uses UTF-16 with the little-endian byte order.
• Unknown Same as Unicode.
• UTF7 Uses UTF-7.
• UTF8 Uses UTF-8.
• UTF32 Uses UTF-32 with the little-endian byte order.

Encoding is a dynamic parameter that the FileSystem provider adds to Set-Content. This parameter
works only in file system drives.

Type: Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.FileSystemCmdletProviderEncoding
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Accepted values: ASCII, BigEndianUnicode, BigEndianUTF32, Byte, Default, OEM, String, Unicode, Unknown, UTF7, UTF8, UTF32

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: Default
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

-Exclude

Specifies, as a string array, an item or items that this cmdlet excludes in the operation. The value
of this parameter qualifies the Path parameter. Enter a path element or pattern, such as
*.txt. Wildcard characters are permitted. The Exclude parameter is effective only when the
command includes the contents of an item, such as C:\Windows\*, where the wildcard character
specifies the contents of the C:\Windows directory.

Type: System.String[]
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: True

-Filter

Specifies a filter to qualify the Path parameter. The FileSystem provider is the only installed PowerShell provider that supports the use of filters.
Filters are more efficient than other parameters, because the provider applies them when the cmdlet
gets the objects rather than having PowerShell filter the objects after they are retrieved.

Type: System.String
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: True

-Force

Forces the cmdlet to set the contents of a file, even if the file is read-only. Implementation
varies from provider to provider.
The Force parameter does not override security restrictions.

Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

-Include

Specifies, as a string array, an item or items that this cmdlet includes in the operation. The value
of this parameter qualifies the Path parameter. Enter a path element or pattern, such as
"*.txt". Wildcard characters are permitted. The Include parameter is effective only when the
command includes the contents of an item, such as C:\Windows\*, where the wildcard character
specifies the contents of the C:\Windows directory.

Type: System.String[]
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: True

-LiteralPath

Specifies a path to one or more locations. The value of LiteralPath is used exactly as it is
typed. No characters are interpreted as wildcards. If the path includes escape characters, enclose
it in single quotation marks. Single quotation marks tell PowerShell not to interpret any characters
as escape sequences.

Type: System.String[]
Parameter Sets: LiteralPath
Aliases: PSPath

Required: True
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: True (ByPropertyName)
Accept wildcard characters: False

-NoNewline

The string representations of the input objects are concatenated to form the output. No spaces or
newlines are inserted between the output strings. No newline is added after the last output string.

Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

-PassThru

Returns an object that represents the content. By default, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

-Path

Specifies the path of the item that receives the content.
Wildcard characters are permitted.

Type: System.String[]
Parameter Sets: Path
Aliases:

Required: True
Position: 0
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: True (ByPropertyName)
Accept wildcard characters: True

-Stream

Specifies an alternative data stream for content. If the stream does not exist, this cmdlet creates
it. Wildcard characters are not supported.

Stream is a dynamic parameter that the FileSystem provider adds to Set-Content. This
parameter works only in file system drives.

You can use the Set-Content cmdlet to change the content of the Zone.Identifier alternate data
stream. However, we do not recommend this as a way to eliminate security checks that block files
that are downloaded from the Internet. If you verify that a downloaded file is safe, use the
Unblock-File cmdlet.

This parameter was introduced in PowerShell 3.0.

Type: System.String
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

-UseTransaction

Includes the command in the active transaction. This parameter is valid only when a transaction is
in progress.

Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases: usetx

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: False
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

-Value

Specifies the new content for the item.

Type: System.Object[]
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: True
Position: 1
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: True (ByPropertyName, ByValue)
Accept wildcard characters: False

-Confirm

Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet.

Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases: cf

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: False
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

-WhatIf

Shows what would happen if the cmdlet runs. The cmdlet is not run.

Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases: wi

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: False
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

CommonParameters

This cmdlet supports the common parameters: -Debug, -ErrorAction, -ErrorVariable,
-InformationAction, -InformationVariable, -OutVariable, -OutBuffer, -PipelineVariable,
-Verbose, -WarningAction, and -WarningVariable.

INPUTS

System.Object

You can pipe an object that contains the new value for the item to Set-Content.

OUTPUTS

None or System.String

When you use the PassThru parameter, Set-Content generates a System.String object that
represents the content. Otherwise, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

NOTES

• You can also refer to Set-Content by its built-in alias, sc.
• Set-Content is designed for string processing. If you pipe non-string objects to Set-Content,
  it converts the object to a string before writing it. To write objects to files, use Out-File.
• The Set-Content cmdlet is designed to work with the data exposed by any provider. To list the
  providers available in your session, type Get-PsProvider.