get-help get-help -full

NAME
Get-Help

SYNOPSIS
Displays information about PowerShell commands and concepts.

SYNTAX
Get-Help [[-Name] <System.String>] [-Category {Alias | Cmdlet | Provider | General | FAQ | Glossary | HelpFile
|
ScriptCommand | Function | Filter | ExternalScript | All | DefaultHelp | Workflow | DscResource | Class |
Configuration}] [-Component <System.String[]>] -Detailed [-Functionality <System.String[]>] [-Path
<System.String>] [-Role <System.String[]>] [<CommonParameters>]

Get-Help [[-Name] <System.String>] [-Category {Alias | Cmdlet | Provider | General | FAQ | Glossary | HelpFile
|
ScriptCommand | Function | Filter | ExternalScript | All | DefaultHelp | Workflow | DscResource | Class |
Configuration}] [-Component <System.String[]>] -Examples [-Functionality <System.String[]>] [-Path
<System.String>] [-Role <System.String[]>] [<CommonParameters>]

Get-Help [[-Name] <System.String>] [-Category {Alias | Cmdlet | Provider | General | FAQ | Glossary | HelpFile
|
ScriptCommand | Function | Filter | ExternalScript | All | DefaultHelp | Workflow | DscResource | Class |
Configuration}] [-Component <System.String[]>] [-Full] [-Functionality <System.String[]>] [-Path
<System.String>]
[-Role <System.String[]>] [<CommonParameters>]

Get-Help [[-Name] <System.String>] [-Category {Alias | Cmdlet | Provider | General | FAQ | Glossary | HelpFile
|
ScriptCommand | Function | Filter | ExternalScript | All | DefaultHelp | Workflow | DscResource | Class |
Configuration}] [-Component <System.String[]>] [-Functionality <System.String[]>] -Online [-Path
<System.String>]
[-Role <System.String[]>] [<CommonParameters>]

Get-Help [[-Name] <System.String>] [-Category {Alias | Cmdlet | Provider | General | FAQ | Glossary | HelpFile
|
ScriptCommand | Function | Filter | ExternalScript | All | DefaultHelp | Workflow | DscResource | Class |
Configuration}] [-Component <System.String[]>] [-Functionality <System.String[]>] -Parameter
<System.String>
[-Path <System.String>] [-Role <System.String[]>] [<CommonParameters>]

Get-Help [[-Name] <System.String>] [-Category {Alias | Cmdlet | Provider | General | FAQ | Glossary | HelpFile
|
ScriptCommand | Function | Filter | ExternalScript | All | DefaultHelp | Workflow | DscResource | Class |
Configuration}] [-Component <System.String[]>] [-Functionality <System.String[]>] [-Path <System.String>] [-
Role
 <System.String[]>] -ShowWindow [<CommonParameters>]

DESCRIPTION
The `Get-Help` cmdlet displays information about PowerShell concepts and commands, including cmdlets,
functions,
Common Information Model (CIM) commands, workflows, providers, aliases, and scripts.

To get help for a PowerShell cmdlet, type `Get-Help` followed by the cmdlet name, such as: `Get-Help Get-
Process`.

Conceptual help articles in PowerShell begin with about_ , such as about_Comparison_Operators . To see all
about_
articles, type `Get-Help about_*`. To see a particular article, type `Get-Help about_<article-name>`, such as
`Get-Help about_Comparison_Operators`.

To get help for a PowerShell provider, type `Get-Help` followed by the provider name. For example, to get help
for
the Certificate provider, type `Get-Help Certificate`.

You can also type `help` or `man`, which displays one screen of text at a time. Or, `<cmdlet-name> -?`, that is
identical to `Get-Help`, but only works for cmdlets.

`Get-Help` gets the help content that it displays from help files on your computer. Without the help files,
`Get-Help` displays only basic information about cmdlets. Some PowerShell modules include help files.
Beginning in
PowerShell 3.0, the modules that come with the Windows operating system don't include help files. To
download or
update the help files for a module in PowerShell 3.0, use the `Update-Help` cmdlet.

You can also view the PowerShell help documents online in the Microsoft Docs. To get the online version of a
help
file, use the Online parameter, such as: `Get-Help Get-Process -Online`. To read all the PowerShell
documentation,
see the Microsoft Docs PowerShell Documentation (/powershell).

If you type `Get-Help` followed by the exact name of a help article, or by a word unique to a help article,
`Get-Help` displays the article's content. If you specify the exact name of a command alias, `Get-Help` displays
the help for the original command. If you enter a word or word pattern that appears in several help article
titles, `Get-Help` displays a list of the matching titles. If you enter any text that doesn't appear in any help
article titles, `Get-Help` displays a list of articles that include that text in their contents.

`Get-Help` can get help articles for all supported languages and locales. `Get-Help` first looks for help files in
the locale set for Windows, then in the parent locale, such as pt for pt-BR , and then in a fallback locale.
Beginning in PowerShell 3.0, if `Get-Help` doesn't find help in the fallback locale, it looks for help articles in
English, en-US , before it returns an error message or displaying auto-generated help.

For information about the symbols that `Get-Help` displays in the command syntax diagram, see
about_Command_Syntax
(./About/about_Command_Syntax.md). For information about parameter attributes, such as Required and
Position , see
 about_Parameters (./About/about_Parameters.md).

>[!NOTE] > In PowerShell 3.0 and PowerShell 4.0, `Get-Help` can't find About articles in modules unless > the
module is imported into the current session. This is a known issue. To get About articles > in a module, import
the module, either by using the `Import-Module` cmdlet or by running a cmdlet > that's included in the module.

PARAMETERS
-Category <System.String[]>
Displays help only for items in the specified category and their aliases. Conceptual articles are in the
HelpFile category.

The acceptable values for this parameter are as follows:

- Alias

- Cmdlet

- Provider

- General

- FAQ

- Glossary

- HelpFile

- ScriptCommand

- Function

- Filter

- ExternalScript

- All

- DefaultHelp

- Workflow

- DscResource

- Class

- Configuration

Required? false
Position? named
Default value None
 Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false

-Component <System.String[]>
Displays commands with the specified component value, such as Exchange . Enter a component name.
Wildcard
characters are permitted. This parameter has no effect on displays of conceptual ( About_ ) help.

Required? false
Position? named
Default value None
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? true

-Detailed <System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter>
Adds parameter descriptions and examples to the basic help display. This parameter is effective only when the
help files are installed on the computer. It has no effect on displays of conceptual ( About_ ) help.

Required? true
Position? named
Default value False
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false

-Examples <System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter>
Displays only the name, synopsis, and examples. To display only the examples, type `(Get-Help
<cmdlet-name>).Examples`.

This parameter is effective only when the help files are installed on the computer. It has no effect on
displays of conceptual ( About_ ) help.

Required? true
Position? named
Default value False
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false

-Full <System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter>
Displays the entire help article for a cmdlet. Full includes parameter descriptions and attributes, examples,
input and output object types, and additional notes.

This parameter is effective only when the help files are installed on the computer. It has no effect on
displays of conceptual ( About_ ) help.

Required? false
Position? named
Default value False
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false

-Functionality <System.String[]>
Displays help for items with the specified functionality. Enter the functionality. Wildcard characters are
permitted. This parameter has no effect on displays of conceptual ( About_ ) help.
 Required? false
Position? named
Default value None
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? true

-Name <System.String>
Gets help about the specified command or concept. Enter the name of a cmdlet, function, provider, script, or
workflow, such as `Get-Member`, a conceptual article name, such as `about_Objects`, or an alias, such as `ls`.
Wildcard characters are permitted in cmdlet and provider names, but you can't use wildcard characters to find
the names of function help and script help articles.

To get help for a script that isn't located in a path that's listed in the `$env:Path` environment variable,
type the script's path and file name.

If you enter the exact name of a help article, `Get-Help` displays the article contents.

If you enter a word or word pattern that appears in several help article titles, `Get-Help` displays a list of
the matching titles.

If you enter any text that doesn't match any help article titles, `Get-Help` displays a list of articles that
include that text in their contents.

The names of conceptual articles, such as `about_Objects`, must be entered in English, even in non-English
versions of PowerShell.

Required? false
Position? 0
Default value None
Accept pipeline input? True (ByPropertyName)
Accept wildcard characters? true

-Online <System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter>
Displays the online version of a help article in the default browser. This parameter is valid only for cmdlet,
function, workflow, and script help articles. You can't use the Online parameter with `Get-Help` in a remote
session.

For information about supporting this feature in help articles that you write, see about_Comment_Based_Help
(./About/about_Comment_Based_Help.md), and Supporting Online Help
(/powershell/scripting/developer/module/supporting-online-help), and Writing Help for PowerShell Cmdlets
(/powershell/scripting/developer/help/writing-help-for-windows-powershell-cmdlets).

Required? true
Position? named
Default value False
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false

-Parameter <System.String>
Displays only the detailed descriptions of the specified parameters. Wildcards are permitted. This parameter
has no effect on displays of conceptual ( About_ ) help.
 Required? true
Position? named
Default value None
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? true

-Path <System.String>
Gets help that explains how the cmdlet works in the specified provider path. Enter a PowerShell provider
path.

This parameter gets a customized version of a cmdlet help article that explains how the cmdlet works in the
specified PowerShell provider path. This parameter is effective only for help about a provider cmdlet and only
when the provider includes a custom version of the provider cmdlet help article in its help file. To use this
parameter, install the help file for the module that includes the provider.

To see the custom cmdlet help for a provider path, go to the provider path location and enter a `Get-Help`
command or, from any path location, use the Path parameter of `Get-Help` to specify the provider path. You
can
also find custom cmdlet help online in the provider help section of the help articles.

For more information about PowerShell providers, see about_Providers (./About/about_Providers.md).

Required? false
Position? named
Default value None
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? true

-Role <System.String[]>
Displays help customized for the specified user role. Enter a role. Wildcard characters are permitted.

Enter the role that the user plays in an organization. Some cmdlets display different text in their help files
based on the value of this parameter. This parameter has no effect on help for the core cmdlets.

Required? false
Position? named
Default value None
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? true

-ShowWindow <System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter>
Displays the help topic in a window for easier reading. The window includes a Find search feature and a
Settings box that lets you set options for the display, including options to display only selected sections of
a help topic.

The ShowWindow parameter supports help topics for commands (cmdlets, functions, CIM commands,
workflows,
scripts) and conceptual About articles. It does not support provider help.

This parameter was introduced in PowerShell 3.0.

Required? true
Position? named
 Default value False
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false

<CommonParameters>
This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,
ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,
OutBuffer, PipelineVariable, and OutVariable. For more information, see
about_CommonParameters (https:/go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113216).

INPUTS
None
You can't send objects down the pipeline to `Get-Help`.

OUTPUTS
ExtendedCmdletHelpInfo
If you run `Get-Help` on a command that doesn't have a help file, `Get-Help` returns an
ExtendedCmdletHelpInfo
object that represents auto-generated help.

System.String
If you get a conceptual help article, `Get-Help` returns it as a string.

MamlCommandHelpInfo
If you get a command that has a help file, `Get-Help` returns a MamlCommandHelpInfo object.

NOTES

PowerShell 3.0 doesn't include help files. To download and install the help files that `Get-Help` reads, use
the `Update-Help` cmdlet. You can use the `Update-Help` cmdlet to download and install help files for the
core
commands that come with PowerShell and for any modules that you install. You can also use it to update the
help files so that the help on your computer is never outdated.

You can also read the help articles about the commands that come with PowerShell online starting at Getting
Started with Windows PowerShell
(/powershell/scripting/getting-started/getting-started-with-windows-powershell).

`Get-Help` displays help in the locale set for the Windows operating system or in the fallback language for
that locale. If you don't have help files for the primary or fallback locale, `Get-Help` behaves as if there
are no help files on the computer. To get help for a different locale, use Region and Language in Control
Panel to change the settings. On Windows 10 or higher, Settings , Time & Language .

The full view of help includes a table of information about the parameters. The table includes the following
fields:
 - Required . Indicates whether the parameter is required (true) or optional (false).

- Position . Indicates whether the parameter is named or positional (numeric). Positional parameters must
appear in a specified place in the command.

- Named indicates that the parameter name is required, but that the parameter can appear anywhere in the
command.

- Numeric indicates that the parameter name is optional, but when the name is omitted, the parameter must
be
in the place specified by the number. For example, `2` indicates that when the parameter name is omitted,
the parameter must be the second or only unnamed parameter in the command. When the parameter name is
used,
the parameter can appear anywhere in the command.

- Default value . The parameter value or default behavior that PowerShell uses if you don't include the
parameter in the command.

- Accepts pipeline input. Indicates whether you can (true) or can't (false) send objects to the parameter
through a pipeline. By Property Name means that the pipelined object must have a property that has the same
name as the parameter name.

- Accepts wildcard characters . Indicates whether the value of a parameter can include wildcard characters,
such as an asterisk (`*`) or question mark (`?`).

EXAMPLES
--- Example 1: Display basic help information about a cmdlet ---

Get-Help Format-Table
Get-Help -Name Format-Table
Format-Table -?

`Get-Help <cmdlet-name>` is the simplest and default syntax of `Get-Help` cmdlet. You can omit the Name
parameter.

The syntax `<cmdlet-name> -?` works only for cmdlets.

--- Example 2: Display basic information one page at a time ---

help Format-Table
man Format-Table
Get-Help Format-Table | Out-Host -Paging

`help` is a function that runs `Get-Help` cmdlet internally and displays the result one page at a time.

`man` is an alias for the `help` function.

`Get-Help Format-Table` sends the object down the pipeline. `Out-Host -Paging` receives the output from the
pipeline and displays it one page at a time. For more information, see Out-Host (Out-Host.md).
------- Example 3: Display more information for a cmdlet -------

Get-Help Format-Table -Detailed

Get-Help Format-Table -Full
 The Detailed parameter displays the help article's detailed view that includes parameter descriptions and
examples.

The Full parameter displays the help article's full view that includes parameter descriptions, examples, input and
output object types, and additional notes.

The Detailed and Full parameters are effective only for the commands that have help files installed on the
computer. The parameters aren't effective for the conceptual ( about_ ) help articles.
Example 4: Display selected parts of a cmdlet by using parameters

Get-Help Format-Table -Examples

Get-Help Format-Table -Parameter *
Get-Help Format-Table -Parameter GroupBy

The Examples parameter displays the help file's NAME and SYNOPSIS sections, and all the Examples. You
can't
specify an Example number because the Examples parameter is a switch parameter.

The Parameter parameter displays only the descriptions of the specified parameters. If you specify only the
asterisk (`*`) wildcard character, it displays the descriptions of all parameters. When Parameter specifies a
parameter name such as GroupBy , information about that parameter is shown.

These parameters aren't effective for the conceptual ( about_ ) help articles.
---------- Example 5: Display online version of help ----------

Get-Help Format-Table -Online

-------- Example 6: Display help about the help system --------

Get-Help

---------- Example 7: Display available help articles ----------

Get-Help *

------- Example 8: Display a list of conceptual articles -------

Get-Help about_*

--------- Example 9: Search for a word in cmdlet help ---------

Get-Help Add-Member -Full | Out-String -Stream | Select-String -Pattern Clixml

the Export-Clixml cmdlet to save the instance of the object, including the additional members...
can use the Import-Clixml cmdlet to re-create the instance of the object from the information...
Export-Clixml
Import-Clixml
 `Get-Help` uses the Full parameter to get help information for `Add-Member`. The MamlCommandHelpInfo
object is
sent down the pipeline. `Out-String` uses the Stream parameter to convert the object into a string.
`Select-String` uses the Pattern parameter to search the string for Clixml .
-- Example 10: Display a list of articles that include a word --

Get-Help -Name remoting

Name Category Module Synopsis

---- -------- ------ --------
Install-PowerShellRemoting.ps1 External Install-PowerShellRemoting.ps1
Disable-PSRemoting Cmdlet Microsoft.PowerShell.Core Prevents remote users...
Enable-PSRemoting Cmdlet Microsoft.PowerShell.Core Configures the computer...

---------- Example 11: Display provider-specific help ----------

Get-Help Get-Item -Path SQLSERVER:\DataCollection

NAME

Get-Item

SYNOPSIS

Gets a collection of Server objects for the local computer and any computers

to which you have made a SQL Server PowerShell connection.

...

Set-Location SQLSERVER:\DataCollection
SQLSERVER:\DataCollection> Get-Help Get-Item

NAME

Get-Item

SYNOPSIS

Gets a collection of Server objects for the local computer and any computers

to which you have made a SQL Server PowerShell connection.

...

------------ Example 12: Display help for a script ------------

Get-Help -Name C:\PS-Test\MyScript.ps1

RELATED LINKS
Online Version: https://docs.microsoft.com/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/get-help?
view=powershell-5.1
&WT.mc_id=ps-gethelp
about_Command_Syntax
about_Comment_Based_Help
Get-Command
Supporting Updatable Help
Update-Help
Writing Comment-Based Help Topics
Writing Help for PowerShell Cmdlets