# Let agents read local files, safely scoped to a directory

> LocalFileSystemTools can now read files, not just write them, once you set the enable_read_file flag. By default it keeps every file operation inside your target_directory, so an agent stays within…

- Published: 2026-07-02
- Author: Agno Team
- Category: Changelog
- Canonical: https://agno-com-nine.vercel.app/articles/let-agents-read-local-files-safely-scoped-to-a-directory
- Markdown: https://agno-com-nine.vercel.app/articles/let-agents-read-local-files-safely-scoped-to-a-directory.md

`LocalFileSystemTools` can now read files, not just write them, once you set the `enable_read_file` flag. By default it keeps every file operation inside your `target_directory`, so an agent stays within the folder you hand it rather than roaming the wider file system. Set `restrict_to_base_dir=False` to opt out when you deliberately need broader access.

See the [Local File System docs](https://docs.agno.com/tools/toolkits/local/local-file-system) for the full parameter list.