diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 277c0ca..405d090 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ This action was created to help facilitate a GitHub Actions "ChatOps" solution i
 | `issue-number` | The number of the issue or pull request in which to create a comment. | |
 | `comment-id` | The id of the comment to update. | |
 | `body` | The comment body. | |
+| `file` | The path to a file that can be read as `body`. Use either `file` or `body`, but not both. | |
+| `fileEncoding` | The encoding of the file provided as `file`. | `utf8` |
 | `edit-mode` | The mode when updating a comment, `replace` or `append`. | `append` |
 | `reactions` | A comma separated list of reactions to add to the comment. (`+1`, `-1`, `laugh`, `confused`, `heart`, `hooray`, `rocket`, `eyes`) | |
 
@@ -158,22 +160,12 @@ If required, the create and update steps can be separated for greater control.
 
 ### Setting the comment body from a file
 
-This example shows how file content can be read into a variable and passed to the action.
-
 ```yml
-      - id: get-comment-body
-        run: |
-          body="$(cat comment-body.txt)"
-          delimiter="$(openssl rand -hex 8)"
-          echo "body<<$delimiter" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          echo "$body" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          echo "$delimiter" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-
       - name: Create comment
         uses: peter-evans/create-or-update-comment@v2
         with:
           issue-number: 1
-          body: ${{ steps.get-comment-body.outputs.body }}
+          file: 'comment-body.txt'
 ```
 
 ### Using a markdown template
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index a3b8799..4e98fdb 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ inputs:
     description: 'The id of the comment to update.'
   body:
     description: 'The comment body.'
+  file:
+    description: 'The path to a file that can be read as `body`. Use either `file` or `body`, but not both.'
   edit-mode:
     description: 'The mode when updating a comment, "replace" or "append".'
   reaction-type:
@@ -25,5 +27,5 @@ runs:
   using: 'node16'
   main: 'dist/index.js'
 branding:
-  icon: 'message-square'  
+  icon: 'message-square'
   color: 'gray-dark'
diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index 175e242..aa5e2b7 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -9685,6 +9685,7 @@ var __webpack_exports__ = {};
 // This entry need to be wrapped in an IIFE because it need to be isolated against other modules in the chunk.
 (() => {
 const { inspect } = __nccwpck_require__(3837);
+const { readFileSync, existsSync } = __nccwpck_require__(7147);
 const core = __nccwpck_require__(2186);
 const github = __nccwpck_require__(5438);
 
@@ -9757,6 +9758,8 @@ async function run() {
       issueNumber: core.getInput("issue-number"),
       commentId: core.getInput("comment-id"),
       body: core.getInput("body"),
+      file: core.getInput("file"),
+      fileEncoding: core.getInput("file-encoding") || 'utf8',
       editMode: core.getInput("edit-mode"),
       reactions: core.getInput("reactions")
         ? core.getInput("reactions")
@@ -9777,16 +9780,30 @@ async function run() {
       return;
     }
 
+    if (inputs.file && inputs.body) {
+      core.setFailed("Only one of 'file' or 'body' can be set.");
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (inputs.file) {
+      if (!existsSync(inputs.file)) {
+        core.setFailed(`File '${inputs.file}' does not exist.`);
+        return;
+      }
+    }
+
     const octokit = github.getOctokit(inputs.token);
 
     if (inputs.commentId) {
       // Edit a comment
-      if (!inputs.body && !inputs.reactions) {
-        core.setFailed("Missing either comment 'body' or 'reactions'.");
+      if (!inputs.body && !inputs.reactions && !inputs.file) {
+        core.setFailed("Missing either comment 'body', 'file', or 'reactions'.");
         return;
       }
 
-      if (inputs.body) {
+      const body = getBodyOrFile(inputs);
+
+      if (body) {
         var commentBody = "";
         if (editMode == "append") {
           // Get the comment body
@@ -9798,7 +9815,7 @@ async function run() {
           commentBody = comment.body + "\n";
         }
 
-        commentBody = commentBody + inputs.body;
+        commentBody = commentBody + body;
         core.debug(`Comment body: ${commentBody}`);
         await octokit.rest.issues.updateComment({
           owner: repo[0],
@@ -9816,15 +9833,18 @@ async function run() {
       }
     } else if (inputs.issueNumber) {
       // Create a comment
-      if (!inputs.body) {
-        core.setFailed("Missing comment 'body'.");
+      const body = getBodyOrFile(inputs);
+
+      if (!body) {
+        core.setFailed("Missing comment 'body' or 'file'.");
         return;
       }
+
       const { data: comment } = await octokit.rest.issues.createComment({
         owner: repo[0],
         repo: repo[1],
         issue_number: inputs.issueNumber,
-        body: inputs.body,
+        body,
       });
       core.info(
         `Created comment id '${comment.id}' on issue '${inputs.issueNumber}'.`
@@ -9848,6 +9868,14 @@ async function run() {
   }
 }
 
+function getBodyOrFile (inputs) {
+  if (inputs.body) {
+    return inputs.body;
+  } else if (inputs.file) {
+    return readFileSync(inputs.file, inputs.fileEncoding);
+  }
+}
+
 run();
 
 })();
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index ce6c3a8..1017e11 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 const { inspect } = require("util");
+const { readFileSync, existsSync } = require("fs");
 const core = require("@actions/core");
 const github = require("@actions/github");
 
@@ -71,6 +72,8 @@ async function run() {
       issueNumber: core.getInput("issue-number"),
       commentId: core.getInput("comment-id"),
       body: core.getInput("body"),
+      file: core.getInput("file"),
+      fileEncoding: core.getInput("file-encoding") || 'utf8',
       editMode: core.getInput("edit-mode"),
       reactions: core.getInput("reactions")
         ? core.getInput("reactions")
@@ -91,16 +94,30 @@ async function run() {
       return;
     }
 
+    if (inputs.file && inputs.body) {
+      core.setFailed("Only one of 'file' or 'body' can be set.");
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (inputs.file) {
+      if (!existsSync(inputs.file)) {
+        core.setFailed(`File '${inputs.file}' does not exist.`);
+        return;
+      }
+    }
+
     const octokit = github.getOctokit(inputs.token);
 
     if (inputs.commentId) {
       // Edit a comment
-      if (!inputs.body && !inputs.reactions) {
-        core.setFailed("Missing either comment 'body' or 'reactions'.");
+      if (!inputs.body && !inputs.reactions && !inputs.file) {
+        core.setFailed("Missing either comment 'body', 'file', or 'reactions'.");
         return;
       }
 
-      if (inputs.body) {
+      const body = getBodyOrFile(inputs);
+
+      if (body) {
         var commentBody = "";
         if (editMode == "append") {
           // Get the comment body
@@ -112,7 +129,7 @@ async function run() {
           commentBody = comment.body + "\n";
         }
 
-        commentBody = commentBody + inputs.body;
+        commentBody = commentBody + body;
         core.debug(`Comment body: ${commentBody}`);
         await octokit.rest.issues.updateComment({
           owner: repo[0],
@@ -130,15 +147,18 @@ async function run() {
       }
     } else if (inputs.issueNumber) {
       // Create a comment
-      if (!inputs.body) {
-        core.setFailed("Missing comment 'body'.");
+      const body = getBodyOrFile(inputs);
+
+      if (!body) {
+        core.setFailed("Missing comment 'body' or 'file'.");
         return;
       }
+
       const { data: comment } = await octokit.rest.issues.createComment({
         owner: repo[0],
         repo: repo[1],
         issue_number: inputs.issueNumber,
-        body: inputs.body,
+        body,
       });
       core.info(
         `Created comment id '${comment.id}' on issue '${inputs.issueNumber}'.`
@@ -162,4 +182,12 @@ async function run() {
   }
 }
 
+function getBodyOrFile (inputs) {
+  if (inputs.body) {
+    return inputs.body;
+  } else if (inputs.file) {
+    return readFileSync(inputs.file, inputs.fileEncoding);
+  }
+}
+
 run();