---
title: "Read the source behind a search hit [read]"
method: GET
path: "/context/read"
tags: ["Memory"]
---

# Read the source behind a search hit \[read\]

`GET /context/read`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.agentsky.dev/v1`
- URL: `https://api.agentsky.dev/v1/context/read`
- Auth: HTTP bearer

Rechecks ownership, workspace and deletion. Accepts memory, session_message, trace_message, memory_note, file, skill_file and agent references from search; a file that is not text reads as text null. Memory returns the current entry and flags version changes; it does not preserve old versions. Message reads return bounded text and adjacent references for surrounding context. Use nextOffset for a long main message; follow adjacent refs to continue reading. All text together is bounded to 20,000 characters per page.

## Query parameters

- `ref` string, required
- `offset` integer

## Response `200`

Current reference, text, nextOffset, truncated, updated, adjacent references and coverage.

- object
  - `ref` object
  - `text` string
  - `nextOffset` integer, nullable
  - `truncated` boolean
  - `updated` boolean
  - `coverage` string
  - `adjacent` object[]
    - `ref` object
    - `text` string
    - `truncated` boolean

## Other responses

- `400`: Invalid query, source reference, cursor or text offset
- `401`: Authentication required
- `403`: The caller lacks personal-context authority or read scope
- `404`: Source unavailable or not owned by this caller
- `409`: Memory changed while paging; read again from offset zero
- `default`: Error — { error: { code, message, request_id } }

## Changes

- **2026-11-02** `e5e8f0229a99`: 5 info
  - added the media type `application/json` for the response with the status `400`
  - added the media type `application/json` for the response with the status `401`
  - added the media type `application/json` for the response with the status `403`
  - added the media type `application/json` for the response with the status `404`
  - …1 more

[Operation history](https://skmtc.dev/agentsky/apis/agentsky-developer-api/changes/context/read/get.md)

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/agentsky/apis/agentsky-developer-api.md) - [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/agentsky/apis/agentsky-developer-api/llms.txt) - [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/agentsky/apis/agentsky-developer-api/revisions/0d435187cd55?raw)