# Retrieving Items This page covers all the methods for finding and retrieving Sitecore items using SPE. Whether you need a single item or a collection, SPE provides flexible query options to meet your needs. ## Core Cmdlets ### Get-Item Use `Get-Item` to retrieve a single item or items matching a query. This cmdlet throws an error if the item doesn't exist (unless using queries that may return zero results). **Key uses:** * Retrieve a single item by path * Query items using Sitecore query * Get items by ID or URI ### Get-ChildItem Use `Get-ChildItem` to retrieve children and descendants of an item. This cmdlet is ideal for traversing content trees. **Key uses:** * List immediate children * Recursively traverse item trees * Filter by template or other properties ## Dynamic Parameters SPE extends the standard PowerShell cmdlets with dynamic parameters. These appear when you specify a Sitecore database path: | Parameter | Description | Available On | Example | | -------------- | ------------------------------------------ | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | | AmbiguousPaths | Show all items matching ambiguous criteria | Get-Item | `-AmbiguousPaths` | | Database | Specify database when using ID | Get-Item | `-Database "master"` | | ID | Match item by GUID | Get-Item, Get-ChildItem | `-ID "{110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9}"` | | Language | Specify language versions | Get-Item, Get-ChildItem | `-Language "en-US"` or `-Language *` | | Query | Execute Sitecore query | Get-Item | `-Query "/sitecore/content//*"` | | Uri | Match item by ItemUri | Get-Item | `-Uri "sitecore://master/{GUID}?lang=en&ver=1"` | | Version | Specify item versions | Get-Item, Get-ChildItem | `-Version 2` or `-Version *` | | WithParent | Include parent in results | Get-ChildItem | `-WithParent` | ## Retrieving by Path The most common way to retrieve items is by their Sitecore path. **Example:** Retrieve an item by path. ```powershell Get-Item -Path "master:\content\home" ``` **Output:** ```powershell Name Children Language Version Id TemplateName ---- -------- -------- ------- -- ------------ Home True en 2 {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} Sample Item ``` {% hint style="info" %} The `/sitecore` portion of the path is optional. Both `master:\content\home` and `master:\sitecore\content\home` work identically. {% endhint %} **Example:** The C# equivalent for reference. ```csharp Sitecore.Data.Database master = Sitecore.Configuration.Factory.GetDatabase("master"); Sitecore.Data.Items.Item item = master.GetItem("/sitecore/content/home"); ``` ## Working with Languages Retrieve items in specific languages or all languages using the `-Language` parameter with wildcards. {% hint style="warning" %} When working with multi-language sites, you may find that specifying the `-Language` parameter results in a more consistent behavior. {% endhint %} **Example:** Retrieve the Danish version of an item. ```powershell Get-Item -Path "master:\content\home" -Language "da" | Format-Table DisplayName, Language, Id, Version, TemplateName ``` **Output:** ```powershell DisplayName Language ID Version TemplateName ----------- -------- -- ------- ------------ Hjem da {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} 1 Sample Item ``` **Example:** Retrieve latest version for all languages. ```powershell Get-Item -Path "master:\content\home" -Language * | Format-Table DisplayName, Language, Id, Version, TemplateName ``` **Output:** ```powershell DisplayName Language ID Version TemplateName ----------- -------- -- ------- ------------ Home en {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} 1 Sample Item Home de-DE {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} 1 Sample Item Home pl-PL {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} 1 Sample Item Home en-US {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} 3 Sample Item Home en-GB {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} 1 Sample Item Hjem da {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} 1 Sample Item ``` ## Working with Versions Retrieve specific versions or all versions using the `-Version` parameter. **Example:** Retrieve all versions in all languages. ```powershell Get-Item -Path "master:\content\home" -Language * -Version * | Format-Table DisplayName, Language, Id, Version, TemplateName ``` **Output:** ```powershell DisplayName Language ID Version TemplateName ----------- -------- -- ------- ------------ Home en {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} 1 Sample Item Home de-DE {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} 1 Sample Item Home pl-PL {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} 1 Sample Item Home en-US {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} 1 Sample Item Home en-US {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} 2 Sample Item Home en-US {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} 3 Sample Item Home en-GB {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} 1 Sample Item Hjem da {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} 1 Sample Item ``` **Example:** Using wildcards for partial matches (all English variants). ```powershell Get-Item -Path "master:\content\home" -Language "en","en-*" ``` ## Retrieving Children Use `Get-ChildItem` to retrieve an item's children, with optional recursion. **Example:** Retrieve immediate children only. ```powershell Get-ChildItem -Path "master:\content" ``` **Example:** Retrieve all descendants recursively. ```powershell Get-ChildItem -Path "master:\content\home" -Recurse ``` **Example:** Retrieve children in all languages and versions. ```powershell Get-ChildItem -Path "master:\content" -Language * -Version * | Format-Table DisplayName, Language, Id, Version, TemplateName ``` ## Retrieving by ID Use the `-ID` parameter to retrieve items by their GUID. This is useful when you know the item ID but not its path. **Example:** Retrieve an item by ID. ```powershell Get-Item -Path "master:" -ID "{110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9}" -Language * ``` **Output:** ```powershell Name Children Language Version Id TemplateName ---- -------- -------- ------- -- ------------ Home True en 3 {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} Sample Item Home True en-CA 2 {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} Sample Item ``` {% hint style="info" %} When using `-ID`, you must specify the database path (e.g., `master:`) to activate the dynamic parameter. {% endhint %} ## Retrieving by URI ItemUri encodes the database, item ID, language, and version in a single string. **Example:** Retrieve an item by URI. ```powershell Get-Item -Path "master:" -Uri "sitecore://master/{110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9}?lang=en&ver=1" ``` **Output:** ```powershell Name Children Language Version Id TemplateName ---- -------- -------- ------- -- ------------ Home True en 1 {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} Sample Item ``` ## Sitecore Query Use Sitecore query to find items matching complex criteria. This is more efficient than traversing the tree when you need specific items. {% hint style="warning" %} Sitecore query paths containing reserved keywords or spaces require `#` delimiters: `#path with spaces#` {% endhint %} **Example:** Find all items with a specific template. ```powershell Get-Item -Path "master:" -Query "/sitecore/content//*[@@templatename='Sample Item']" ``` **Output:** ```powershell Name Children Language Version Id TemplateName ---- -------- -------- ------- -- ------------ Home True en 3 {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} Sample Item Contact False en 1 {357D85DB-4F6C-42AF-B9A0-C232FD86F679} Sample Item History False en 1 {49D54DA4-EEB9-463B-AB19-BD8647270442} Sample Item Team False en 1 {2E4F7BBB-C71C-4CBC-BBA1-B4C05F946138} Sample Item BulkItem1 False en 1 {81E660ED-0207-4C1F-BCEF-DAD9286B4E02} Sample Item ``` **Example:** Query with language and version wildcards. ```powershell Get-Item -Path "master:" -Query "/sitecore/content//*[@@templatename='Sample Item']" -Language * -Version * | Format-Table DisplayName, Language, Id, Version, TemplateName -AutoSize ``` **Example:** Query using dates (ISO format required) filtering by the publishing restriction where the item (not version) has a future date. ```powershell $isoDate = [Sitecore.DateUtil]::ToIsoDate([datetime]::Today) Get-Item -Path "master:" -Query "/sitecore/content/home//*[@__Publish > '$($isoDate)']" | Show-ListView -Property ID, Name, ItemPath ``` ## Fast Query {% hint style="warning" %} Sitecore has deprecated this functionality in XM/XP 10.1. {% endhint %} ## XPath with Axes For complex queries using XPath axes, use the Sitecore API directly or prepend the context path. **Example:** Use XPath axes to find ancestors. ```powershell $query = "ancestor-or-self::*[@@templatename='Sample Item']" # Option 1: Use Axes directly on an item $SitecoreContextItem.Axes.SelectItems($query) # Option 2: Prepend the context path to the query Get-Item -Path "master:" -Query "$($SitecoreContextItem.Paths.Path)/$query" ``` ## Custom Property Sets Use custom property sets with `Select-Object` to retrieve specific groups of properties. **Example:** Retrieve security properties using PSSecurity. ```powershell Get-Item -Path "master:\content\home" | Select-Object -Property PSSecurity ``` **Output:** ```powershell Name ID __Owner __Security ---- -- ------- ---------- Home {110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9} sitecore\Admin ar|sitecore\Developer|pd|+item:read|pe|+item:read| ``` {% hint style="info" %} Check out [Item Security](https://doc.sitecorepowershell.com/working-with-items/item-security) to learn about managing the security settings using SPE. {% endhint %} **Example:** Retrieve template information using PSTemplate. ```powershell Get-Item -Path "master:" -ID "{04DAD0FD-DB66-4070-881F-17264CA257E1}" | Select-Object -Property PSTemplate ``` **Output:** ```powershell Name ID BaseTemplate ---- -- ------------ cover {04DAD0FD-DB66-4070-881F-17264CA257E1} {Image, File, Standard template, Advanced...} ``` **Example:** Retrieve image metadata using PSImage. ```powershell Get-Item -Path "master:\media library\Default Website\cover" | Select-Object -Property PSImage ``` **Output:** ```powershell Name : cover ID : {04DAD0FD-DB66-4070-881F-17264CA257E1} Alt : Width : 1600 Height : 550 Extension : jpg Size : 119719 ``` **Example:** Retrieve schedule information using PSSchedule. ```powershell Get-Item -Path "master:\system\Tasks\Schedules\Forms\FileStorageCleanup" | Select-Object -Property PSSchedule ``` **Output:** ```powershell Name : FileStorageCleanup ID : {3D8F6795-1C4E-462D-8A81-BE27B1AEC5BD} Schedule : 20190101|99990101|127|24:00:00 Last run : 11/29/2025 4:46:29 AM Command : {D4ADAD17-E648-4FDC-BC4C-43F9D1513720} Items : ``` ## Using Initialize-Item If you retrieve items using the Sitecore API directly, wrap them with `Initialize-Item` to add SPE's automatic properties. **Example:** Query using Sitecore API and wrap with SPE properties. ```powershell # Get the root node using Get-Item, then call Axes $mediaItemContainer = Get-Item -Path "master:\media library" $items = $mediaItemContainer.Axes.GetDescendants() | Where-Object { [int]$_.Fields["Size"].Value -gt 100000 } | Initialize-Item ``` ## Common Retrieval Patterns ### Pattern: Find Items by Template ```powershell # Using Get-ChildItem with filtering Get-ChildItem -Path "master:\content\home" -Recurse | Where-Object { $_.TemplateName -eq "Sample Item" } # Using Sitecore query (more efficient for large trees) Get-Item -Path "master:" -Query "/sitecore/content/home//*[@@templatename='Sample Item']" ``` ### Pattern: Find Recently Modified Items ```powershell $cutoffDate = (Get-Date).AddDays(-7) Get-ChildItem -Path "master:\content" -Recurse | Where-Object { $_.__Updated -gt $cutoffDate } ``` ### Pattern: Find Items by Field Value ```powershell # Using Where-Object Get-ChildItem -Path "master:\content\home" -Recurse | Where-Object { $_.Title -like "*Welcome*" } # Using Sitecore query Get-Item -Path "master:" -Query "/sitecore/content/home//*[contains(@Title, 'Welcome')]" ``` ### Pattern: Get All Media Items Above Size Threshold ```powershell Get-ChildItem -Path "master:\media library" -Recurse | Where-Object { $_.Size -gt 1MB } | Select-Object Name, Size, Extension, ItemPath ``` ## Performance Tips * **Use Sitecore query** when you need specific items from a large tree * **Use Get-ChildItem** for small trees or when you need all items * **Filter early** - use query predicates instead of Where-Object when possible * **Limit language/version retrieval** - only use `-Language *` and `-Version *` when necessary ## See Also * [Editing Items](https://doc.sitecorepowershell.com/working-with-items/editing-items) - Update item properties and fields * [Best Practices](https://doc.sitecorepowershell.com/working-with-items/best-practices) - Performance optimization guidance * [Appendix - Common Commands](https://doc.sitecorepowershell.com/appendix/common) - Full cmdlet reference ## References * [Performance details for different query methods](https://sitecore.stackexchange.com/questions/6803/sitecore-powershell-query-for-big-images-of-a-certain-size/6811#6811) * [Escaping queries with reserved keywords](https://sitecore.stackexchange.com/questions/10127/how-to-escape-a-query-in-sitecore-powershell) * [Working with Sitecore Items in PowerShell Extensions](https://blog.najmanowicz.com/2014/10/12/working-with-sitecore-items-in-powershell-extensions/) --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://doc.sitecorepowershell.com/working-with-items/retrieving-items.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.