Read File

In SkillFlaw version 1.7.0, this component was renamed from File to Read File.

The Read File component loads and parses files, converts the content into a Data, DataFrame, or Message object. It supports multiple file types and provides parameters for parallel processing and error handling. Docling-based local advanced parsing is no longer exposed by this component; use the Docling bundle when you need Docling conversion, DoclingDocument outputs, or Docling-only file formats.

You can add files to the Read File component in the visual editor or at runtime, and you can upload multiple files at once. For more information about uploading files and working with files in flows, see File management and Create a chatbot that can ingest files.

The Read File component can read files from SkillFlaw-managed file storage, AWS S3, or Google Drive. For more information, see Configure file storage.

File type and size limits

By default, the maximum file size is 1024 MB. To modify this value, change the SKILLFLAW_MAX_FILE_SIZE_UPLOAD environment variable.

Supported file types

The following file types are supported by the Read File component. Use archive and compressed formats to bundle multiple files together, or use the Directory component to load all files in a directory.

• .bz2
• .csv
• .docx
• .gz
• .htm
• .html
• .json
• .js
• .md
• .mdx
• .pdf
• .py
• .sh
• .sql
• .tar
• .tgz
• .ts
• .tsx
• .txt
• .xml
• .yaml
• .yml
• .zip

If you need to load an unsupported file type, you must use a different component that supports that file type and, potentially, parses it outside SkillFlaw, or you must convert it to a supported type before uploading it.

Image files and other Docling-only formats are no longer parsed by Read File in current releases; route them through the Docling bundle instead.

For images, see Upload images.

For videos, see the Twelve Labs and YouTube Bundles.

File parameters

Some parameters are hidden by default in the visual editor. You can modify all parameters through the Controls in the component's header menu.

Name	Display Name	Info
path	Files	Input parameter. The path to files to load. Can be local or in SkillFlaw file management. Supports individual files and bundled archives.
file_path	Server File Path	Input parameter. A Data object with a file_path property pointing to a file in SkillFlaw file management or a Message object with a path to the file. Supersedes Files (path) but supports the same file types.
separator	Separator	Input parameter. The separator to use between multiple outputs in Message format.
silent_errors	Silent Errors	Input parameter. If true, errors in the component don't raise an exception. Default: Disabled (false).
delete_server_file_after_processing	Delete Server File After Processing	Input parameter. If true (default), the Server File Path (file_path) is deleted after processing.
ignore_unsupported_extensions	Ignore Unsupported Extensions	Input parameter. If enabled (true), files with unsupported extensions are accepted but not processed. If disabled (false), the Read File component either can throw an error if an unsupported file type is provided. The default is true.
ignore_unspecified_files	Ignore Unspecified Files	Input parameter. If true, Data with no file_path property is ignored. If false (default), the component errors when a file isn't specified.
concurrency_multithreading	Processing Concurrency	Input parameter. The number of files to process concurrently if multiple files are uploaded. Default is 1. Values greater than 1 enable parallel processing for 2 or more files.

Advanced parsing

Local advanced parsing for Read File has been retired in current SkillFlaw releases.

Use Read File for standard text and structured file loading. Use the Docling bundle when you need any of the following:

• Docling-based conversion or extraction
• DoclingDocument outputs for downstream chunking or export
• Image parsing or other Docling-only document formats
• Remote processing through your own Docling Serve instance

If you pass a Docling-only format to Read File, the component raises an error and directs you to the Docling workflow instead.

File output

The output of the Read File component depends on the number of files loaded and the selected file type. If multiple options are available, you can set the output type near the component's output port.

No files

If you run the Read File component with no file selected, it throws an error, or, if Silent Errors is enabled, produces no output.

One file

If you upload one supported file, the following output types are available:

• Structured Content: Available only for .csv, .xlsx, .parquet, and .json files.

  • For .csv files, produces a DataFrame representing the table data.
  • For .json files, produces a Data object with the parsed JSON data.

• Raw Content: A Message containing the file's raw text content.

• File Path: A Message containing the path to the file in SkillFlaw file management.

Multiple files

If you upload multiple files, the component outputs Files, which is a DataFrame containing the content and metadata of all selected files.