Local file templates

Traverse local files

With Hugo’s readDir and readFile template functions, you can traverse your website’s files on your server.

Use readDir

The readDir function returns an array of os.FileInfo structures. It takes the file’s path as a single string argument. This path can be to any directory of your website (i.e., as found on your server’s file system).

Whether the path is absolute or relative does not matter because—at least for readDir—the root of your website (typically ./public/) in effect becomes both:

1. The file system root
2. The current working directory

Use readFile

The readfile function reads a file from disk and converts it into a string to be manipulated by other Hugo functions or added as-is. readFile takes the file, including path, as an argument passed to the function.

To use the readFile function in your templates, make sure the path is relative to your Hugo project’s root directory:

{{ readFile "/content/templates/local-file-templates" }}

readFile Example: Add a Project File to Content

As readFile is a function, it is only available to you in your templates and not your content. However, we can create a simple shortcode template that calls readFile, passes the first argument through the function, and then allows an optional second argument to send the file through the Markdown processor. The pattern for adding this shortcode to your content will be as follows:

{{< readfile file="/path/to/local/file.txt" markdown="true" >}}