# read_file

Source: https://modulify.ai/docs/mcp/code/read-file

Reads one text file from a site's source code by its exact path.

- Title: Read one source file
- Scope: `code:read`
- Access: Read only

Like `list_files`, it reads the preview branch of the site repository rather than the running container, so just after a generation the content can still be the version from before the agent edited it. Take the path from `list_files`, and the answer carries the file's `path`, `size` and `content`.

Binary files and files larger than 200 KB are refused rather than truncated, so read a narrower file instead. A read that fails on GitHub's side returns an error, never empty content, and a path that is not in the site answers `That file was not found in this site!` See [Read a file](https://modulify.ai/docs/editor/files-and-code#read-a-file).

## Inputs

| Input | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `projectId` | string | Yes | The site id. |
| `path` | string | Yes | The exact file path, for example `app/page.tsx`. A leading slash is ignored. |