# 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/)