# read_storage_file

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

Returns the contents of one stored file, base64 encoded.

- Title: Read a stored file
- Scope: `data:read`
- Access: Read only

The bytes arrive base64 encoded in a `content` field alongside the content type and size, so decode them before use. Pass the full key exactly as `list_storage_files` returned it.

Files over 5 MB are refused with a `413`, but the practical limit is far lower. A tool result is cut off at 60,000 characters and base64 inflates by a third, so any file larger than about three quarters of that many bytes comes back truncated and will not decode. Use it for small text, JSON, CSV and SVG files, and `get_storage_file_url` for anything bigger.

It reads the `CMS` folder at the top level like any other folder, and keeps working while a storage backup is being restored. See [The CMS folder](https://modulify.ai/docs/data/storage#the-cms-folder).

## Inputs

| Input | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `projectId` | string | Yes | The site id. |
| `key` | string | Yes | The full key of the file, from `list_storage_files`. |