1. Docs
2. /
3. Tool reference
4. /
5. Files & Drive
6. /
7. readFile

Files & Drive

readFile

Read File

Read what is INSIDE a Cloud File: a CSV/TXT/MD/DOCX document, a PDF's text layer, an audio or video transcript, or an IMAGE (a vision description of what it shows plus any legible text, in…

read

Ask Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any AI connected to The Cloud "read that file", and it calls readFile.

Example call

The MCP tools/call params, with the required arguments only.

{
  "arguments": {
    "fileId": "<fileId>"
  },
  "name": "readFile"
}

Arguments

• fileIdstringrequiredThe Cloud File id from listFiles or searchFiles
• limitnumberoptionalMax characters to return for text / transcripts
• offsetnumberoptionalCharacter offset for paging long text / transcripts
• pageRangestringoptionalPDF page range, e.g. "1-5" or "3". Defaults to the first pages.

Returns

The registry does not declare a return shape.

Ask for it

The Cloud routes these requests to this verb.

• read that file
• what's in that CSV
• open the spreadsheet
• what does this document say
• what's in that screenshot

Pair it with

The verbs that finish the job.

• listFiles
• searchFiles
• readPageFile

Questions

• What does readFile do?

  Read what is INSIDE a Cloud File: a CSV/TXT/MD/DOCX document, a PDF's text layer, an audio or video transcript, or an IMAGE (a vision description of what it shows plus any legible text, in… It is one of the tools The Cloud MCP server gives every connected AI.

• How do I use readFile from Claude or ChatGPT?

  Connect your AI to The Cloud at https://mcp.thecloud.so/mcp and sign in once. Then ask Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any AI connected to The Cloud "read that file", and it calls readFile.

• Is readFile safe to let an AI call?

  readFile is read-only: it changes nothing.

Connect

One endpoint gives your AI this tool and every other one: connect Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or Gemini, read what The Cloud is, or see pricing.