To append text to a file in PowerShell without replacing what is already there, use Add-Content:
Add-Content -Path .file.txt -Value 'text to append'The command also creates the file if it does not exist. The details that matter most are how paths and newlines are handled, and which encoding your PowerShell version uses.
How do you append text to a file in PowerShell?
Pass the destination to -Path and the content to -Value. For example, this adds a line to notes.txt while retaining its existing content:
Add-Content -Path .notes.txt -Value 'Build completed'If the target file does not exist, Add-Content creates it. For a date, pass the date value directly:
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Add-Content -Path .run.log -Value (Get-Date)By default, the cmdlet does not write the appended content to the command pipeline. Add -PassThru to return it, for example when you also want to display the value:
Add-Content -Path .run.log -Value (Get-Date) -PassThruHow do you append output from another command?
Pipe command output to Add-Content to append it to another file:
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Get-Content -Path .source.txt | Add-Content -Path .archive.txtPiped objects are converted to strings when appended. The resulting text depends on each object’s string representation, which may differ from the way PowerShell formats that object for display. If exact formatting matters, decide how to convert or format the objects before appending them.
How do paths, wildcards, and newlines work?
Choose -Path or -LiteralPath
-Path supports wildcard matching, so it can target multiple matching files. Use -LiteralPath when the path must be treated literally, including when it contains characters that PowerShell could interpret as wildcards.
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Control the trailing newline
By default, appended content is followed by a newline. Use -NoNewline when you need the added text to end without one:
Add-Content -Path .notes.txt -Value 'continued' -NoNewlineWith -NoNewline, multiple object string representations are concatenated without spaces or line breaks between them.
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Preview changes and handle read-only files
Use -WhatIf to preview the operation without performing it:
Add-Content -Path .notes.txt -Value 'Build completed' -WhatIf-Force can override a file’s read-only attribute, but it does not change file permissions. The cmdlet’s -Credential parameter is not supported by installed providers; Microsoft points to Invoke-Command for impersonation or elevation scenarios.
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Which encoding does Add-Content use?
Encoding depends on both the PowerShell version and the target file. Do not assume one default applies to every file. Microsoft documents that Add-Content detects the encoding of an existing file and uses it when -Encoding is omitted. If an existing file has no BOM, Windows PowerShell 5.1 uses the active system locale’s ANSI legacy code page as its documented fallback. For an empty or nonexistent file, Windows PowerShell 5.1 uses Default; PowerShell 6 and later use UTF-8 for an empty or nonexistent target. Microsoft’s encoding guidance explains these version differences.
The PowerShell 7.6 Add-Content reference lists utf8NoBOM as the default and provides options such as utf8, utf8BOM, and unicode. It also notes that ansi was added in PowerShell 7.4 and that code page IDs or names have been accepted since PowerShell 6.2.
You can specify an encoding explicitly when needed:
Add-Content -Path .notes.txt -Value 'Résumé updated' -Encoding utf8Choose an encoding appropriate for the file and the software that will read it. Specifying an encoding does not, by itself, ensure that existing bytes written in a different encoding can be safely combined. When compatibility matters, verify the file’s actual encoding before appending.
Should you use Add-Content, Out-File, or >>?
| Method | Best fit | Encoding behavior |
|---|---|---|
Add-Content |
Appending content supplied with -Value or through the pipeline; supports path and newline options. |
Microsoft documents existing-file encoding detection when -Encoding is omitted; behavior for new targets varies by PowerShell version. |
Out-File -Append |
Appending command output as file output, with an -Encoding parameter. |
Does not automatically match the existing target file’s encoding. |
>> |
Concise append redirection for command output. | Does not automatically match the existing target file’s encoding. |
Microsoft’s encoding guidance warns that Out-File -Append and >> do not attempt to match the encoding of an existing target. For Out-File details, see the Microsoft reference. Choose among these methods based on the input, whether you need the appended value returned to the pipeline, and whether the file’s encoding must be preserved. The documented behaviors do not establish that one method is universally faster.
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