open-vault/website/content/docs/commands/policy/read.mdx

---
layout: docs
page_title: policy read - Command
description: |-
  The "policy read" command prints the contents and metadata of the Vault policy
  named NAME. If the policy does not exist, an error is returned.
---

# policy read

The `policy read` command prints the contents and metadata of the Vault policy
named NAME. If the policy does not exist, an error is returned.

## Examples

Read the policy named "my-policy":

```shell-session
$ vault policy read my-policy
```

## Usage

The following flags are available in addition to the [standard set of
flags](/docs/commands) included on all commands.

### Output Options

- `-format` `(string: "table")` - Print the output in the given format. Valid
  formats are "table", "json", or "yaml". This can also be specified via the
  `VAULT_FORMAT` environment variable.
Add "policy read" command documentation 2017-09-08 02:11:03 +00:00			`---`
New Website! (#8154) * new documentation website * ci job adjustment * update to latest version on downloads page * remove transition-period scripts * add netlify toml file * fix docs patch * fix ci config? * revert go.mod changes * a couple last markdown formatting fixes 2020-01-18 00:18:09 +00:00			`layout: docs`
			`page_title: policy read - Command`
Add "policy read" command documentation 2017-09-08 02:11:03 +00:00			`description: \|-`
			`The "policy read" command prints the contents and metadata of the Vault policy`
			`named NAME. If the policy does not exist, an error is returned.`
			`---`

			`# policy read`

			The `policy read` command prints the contents and metadata of the Vault policy
			`named NAME. If the policy does not exist, an error is returned.`

			`## Examples`

			`Read the policy named "my-policy":`

🌷 Docs Website Maintenance (#8985) * website maintenance round * improve docs, revert bug workaround as it was fixed * boost memory * remove unnecessary code 2020-05-21 17:18:17 +00:00			```shell-session
Add "policy read" command documentation 2017-09-08 02:11:03 +00:00			`$ vault policy read my-policy`
			```

			`## Usage`

CLI Enhancements (#3897) * Use Colored UI if stdout is a tty * Add format options to operator unseal * Add format test on operator unseal * Add -no-color output flag, and use BasicUi if no-color flag is provided * Move seal status formatting logic to OutputSealStatus * Apply no-color to warnings from DeprecatedCommands as well * Add OutputWithFormat to support arbitrary data, add format option to auth list * Add ability to output arbitrary list data on TableFormatter * Clear up switch logic on format * Add format option for list-related commands * Add format option to rest of commands that returns a client API response * Remove initOutputYAML and initOutputJSON, and use OutputWithFormat instead * Remove outputAsYAML and outputAsJSON, and use OutputWithFormat instead * Remove -no-color flag, use env var exclusively to toggle colored output * Fix compile * Remove -no-color flag in main.go * Add missing FlagSetOutputFormat * Fix generate-root/decode test * Migrate init functions to main.go * Add no-color flag back as hidden * Handle non-supported data types for TableFormatter.OutputList * Pull formatting much further up to remove the need to use c.flagFormat (#3950) * Pull formatting much further up to remove the need to use c.flagFormat Also remove OutputWithFormat as the logic can cause issues. * Use const for env var * Minor updates * Remove unnecessary check * Fix SSH output and some tests * Fix tests * Make race detector not run on generate root since it kills Travis these days * Update docs * Update docs * Address review feedback * Handle --format as well as -format 2018-02-12 23:12:16 +00:00			`The following flags are available in addition to the [standard set of`
[website] Link Cleaning (#8205) * update dependencies * remove hard-coded vaultproject.io on local links * remove 'index.html' from internal links * remove '.html' at end of internal links * manual review cleanup Co-authored-by: Calvin Leung Huang <cleung2010@gmail.com> 2020-01-22 20:05:41 +00:00			`flags](/docs/commands) included on all commands.`
CLI Enhancements (#3897) * Use Colored UI if stdout is a tty * Add format options to operator unseal * Add format test on operator unseal * Add -no-color output flag, and use BasicUi if no-color flag is provided * Move seal status formatting logic to OutputSealStatus * Apply no-color to warnings from DeprecatedCommands as well * Add OutputWithFormat to support arbitrary data, add format option to auth list * Add ability to output arbitrary list data on TableFormatter * Clear up switch logic on format * Add format option for list-related commands * Add format option to rest of commands that returns a client API response * Remove initOutputYAML and initOutputJSON, and use OutputWithFormat instead * Remove outputAsYAML and outputAsJSON, and use OutputWithFormat instead * Remove -no-color flag, use env var exclusively to toggle colored output * Fix compile * Remove -no-color flag in main.go * Add missing FlagSetOutputFormat * Fix generate-root/decode test * Migrate init functions to main.go * Add no-color flag back as hidden * Handle non-supported data types for TableFormatter.OutputList * Pull formatting much further up to remove the need to use c.flagFormat (#3950) * Pull formatting much further up to remove the need to use c.flagFormat Also remove OutputWithFormat as the logic can cause issues. * Use const for env var * Minor updates * Remove unnecessary check * Fix SSH output and some tests * Fix tests * Make race detector not run on generate root since it kills Travis these days * Update docs * Update docs * Address review feedback * Handle --format as well as -format 2018-02-12 23:12:16 +00:00
			`### Output Options`

			- `-format` `(string: "table")` - Print the output in the given format. Valid
			`formats are "table", "json", or "yaml". This can also be specified via the`
			`VAULT_FORMAT` environment variable.