PowerShell Cmdlet Deep Dive: Import-Clixml

Welcome back to Wahmans PowerShell Blog! Today we’re diving into a powerful but often overlooked cmdlet: Import-Clixml.

According to Microsoft’s documentation, Import-Clixml “Imports a CLIXML file and creates corresponding objects in PowerShell.” In simpler terms, this cmdlet allows you to bring structured, serialized XML data back into your PowerShell session as usable PSObjects. This is especially useful for sharing object data between sessions, systems, or users.

Getting Started with CLIXML

CLIXML stands for Command Line Interface XML, a format that preserves not just raw values, but also full object types, properties, and structure. This is powerful when you need to serialize complex data to disk or across systems and retrieve it later exactly as it was.

Let’s go through four use cases of Import-Clixml ranging from beginner to more advanced usage.

Example 1: Importing a Simple Object

Use Case: Re-import a previously saved object.

# Export an object to XML
Get-Process | Select-Object -First 1 | Export-Clixml -Path "process.xml"

# Import it back
$process = Import-Clixml -Path "process.xml"

# View the imported object
$process | Format-List

This basic example shows you how to persist PowerShell objects to disk and then retrieve them in another session using Import-Clixml.

Example 2: Sharing Configurations Between Scripts

Use Case: Serialize a hashtable of configuration values for later use.

$config = @{ 
    Server = "web01" 
    Port = 443 
    UseSSL = $true 
}
$config | Export-Clixml -Path "config.xml"

Later in another script or session:

$importedConfig = Import-Clixml -Path "config.xml"
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://$($importedConfig.Server):$($importedConfig.Port)" -UseBasicParsing

This keeps configuration data separate and portable while preserving types (like boolean for UseSSL).

Example 3: Persisting Credential Objects

Use Case: Save a credential object securely (only decryptable by the user/machine).

# Save credentials securely
$cred = Get-Credential
$cred | Export-Clixml -Path "mycreds.xml"

# Later reuse it
$restoredCred = Import-Clixml -Path "mycreds.xml"
Invoke-Command -ComputerName "Server01" -Credential $restoredCred -ScriptBlock { Get-Service }

Note: Export-Clixml encrypts credential objects using your Windows Data Protection API (DPAPI), ensuring only you can decrypt them.

Example 4: Logging and Auditing Object State to Disk

Use Case: Capture the state of a system or service and store it for diagnostics.

$auditLogDir = "C:\AuditLogs"
if (!(Test-Path $auditLogDir)) { New-Item -Path $auditLogDir -ItemType Directory }

$date = Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMdd-HHmmss"
$services = Get-Service | Where-Object { $_.Status -eq 'Running' }
$services | Export-Clixml -Path "$auditLogDir\Services-$date.xml"

# Later import for analysis
$importedServices = Import-Clixml -Path "$auditLogDir\Services-$date.xml"
$importedServices | Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -like '*SQL*' } | Format-Table

This allows you to maintain historical object snapshots, perfect for offline analysis or compliance logging.

Wrap Up

Import-Clixml is a crucial cmdlet when working with persistent PowerShell data. It ensures complete fidelity of objects—including their nested properties and types—so you get exactly what you put in.

Pair it with Export-Clixml to round out your toolbelt for session persistence, logging, secure credential use, and configuration sharing.

Happy scripting, and I will see you in the next post!