The Read a File action allows you to take the contents of a text or image file and put them on the system clipboard, a named clipboard or in a variable.

Click the File Chooser button to the right of the action to select an existing file on disk. Option-click on the File Chooser button to show the currently selected file in the Finder (assuming it exists already).

Select the destination from the pop-up:
  *to clipboard
  *to named clipboard
  *to variable 

If you select //named clipboard// then a pop-up allows you to choose which clipboard to write to.

Specify the variable to save the data to in the //to variable// text area, either by entering a variable name or choosing one from the arrow at the right-hand end of the text area.

===== See Also =====

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=== Actions ===

* [[action:Append Text to a File|Append Text to a File]]
* [[action:Delete a File|Delete a File]]
* [[action:Write to a File|Write to a File]]
* [[:Actions|See all Actions]]

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==== Forum ====

- [[https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/search?q=Read%20File|Keyboard Maestro Forum topics about Read a File action]]