How to Use Get-ChildItem in PowerShell: Syntax and Examples

Use the Get-ChildItem cmdlet in PowerShell to list files and directories in a specified location. You can specify a path and use parameters like -Recurse to include subfolders or -Filter to narrow results.

Syntax

The basic syntax of Get-ChildItem is:

• Get-ChildItem [-Path] <string>: Specifies the folder to list.
• -Recurse: Lists items in all subfolders.
• -Filter <string>: Filters items by name or pattern.
• -File: Shows only files.
• -Directory: Shows only directories.

powershell

Get-ChildItem [-Path] <string> [-Recurse] [-Filter <string>] [-File] [-Directory]

Example

This example lists all files and folders in the current directory and its subdirectories, showing only files with the .txt extension.

powershell

Get-ChildItem -Path . -Recurse -Filter *.txt -File

Output

    Directory: C:\Users\User\Documents

Mode                 LastWriteTime         Length Name
----                 -------------         ------ ----
-a----         2024-06-01     10:00           1234 notes.txt
-a----         2024-06-02     11:15           5678 todo.txt

Common Pitfalls

One common mistake is forgetting to use -Recurse when you want to list files in subfolders. Another is using -Filter incorrectly; it only accepts simple wildcard patterns, not full regular expressions. Also, mixing -File and -Directory without understanding their effect can lead to empty results.

powershell

Get-ChildItem -Path C:\Folder -Filter *.txt

# This lists only files and folders in C:\Folder, not subfolders.

Get-ChildItem -Path C:\Folder -Recurse -Filter *.txt

# Correct: includes subfolders.

Get-ChildItem -Path C:\Folder -Filter "^.*\.txt$"

# Incorrect: -Filter does not support regex, so no results.

Get-ChildItem -Path C:\Folder -File -Directory

# Incorrect: these parameters cannot be combined; results will be empty.

Quick Reference

Parameter	Description
-Path	Specifies the folder or drive to list items from.
-Recurse	Includes all items in subfolders recursively.
-Filter	Filters items by simple wildcard pattern (e.g., *.txt).
-File	Shows only files, excluding folders.
-Directory	Shows only directories, excluding files.

Key Takeaways

Use Get-ChildItem to list files and folders in a directory.

Add -Recurse to include all subfolders in the listing.

Use -Filter with simple wildcards to narrow down results.

Use -File or -Directory to show only files or folders respectively.

Avoid combining incompatible parameters like -File and -Directory together.