diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/jsmart/zerocode/core/engine/preprocessor/ZeroCodeExternalFileProcessorImpl.java b/core/src/main/java/org/jsmart/zerocode/core/engine/preprocessor/ZeroCodeExternalFileProcessorImpl.java
index 0384f71dd..9da65ceea 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/jsmart/zerocode/core/engine/preprocessor/ZeroCodeExternalFileProcessorImpl.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/jsmart/zerocode/core/engine/preprocessor/ZeroCodeExternalFileProcessorImpl.java
@@ -10,11 +10,15 @@
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+
+import com.google.inject.name.Named;
 import org.jsmart.zerocode.core.domain.Step;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 
 import static org.jsmart.zerocode.core.engine.tokens.ZeroCodeValueTokens.JSON_PAYLOAD_FILE;
+import static org.jsmart.zerocode.core.engine.tokens.ZeroCodeValueTokens.YAML_PAYLOAD_FILE;
 import static org.jsmart.zerocode.core.utils.SmartUtils.readJsonAsString;
+import static org.jsmart.zerocode.core.utils.SmartUtils.readYamlAsString;
 import static org.jsmart.zerocode.core.utils.TokenUtils.getTestCaseTokens;
 import static org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger;
 
@@ -42,6 +46,10 @@ public class ZeroCodeExternalFileProcessorImpl implements ZeroCodeExternalFilePr
 
     private final ObjectMapper objectMapper;
 
+    @Inject
+    @Named("YamlMapper")
+    private ObjectMapper yamlMapper;
+
     @Inject
     public ZeroCodeExternalFileProcessorImpl(ObjectMapper objectMapper) {
         this.objectMapper = objectMapper;
@@ -127,16 +135,15 @@ void digReplaceContent(Map<String, Object> map) {
 
             } else {
                 LOGGER.debug("Leaf node found = {}, checking for any external json file...", value);
-                if (value != null && value.toString().contains(JSON_PAYLOAD_FILE)) {
-                    LOGGER.info("Found external JSON file place holder = {}. Replacing with content", value);
+                if (value != null && (value.toString().contains(JSON_PAYLOAD_FILE) || value.toString().contains(YAML_PAYLOAD_FILE))) {
+                    LOGGER.info("Found external JSON/YAML file place holder = {}. Replacing with content", value);
                     String valueString = value.toString();
                     String token = getJsonFilePhToken(valueString);
-                    if (token != null && token.startsWith(JSON_PAYLOAD_FILE)) {
-                        String resourceJsonFile = token.substring(JSON_PAYLOAD_FILE.length());
+                    if (token != null && (token.startsWith(JSON_PAYLOAD_FILE) || token.startsWith(YAML_PAYLOAD_FILE))) {
                         try {
-                            JsonNode jsonNode = objectMapper.readTree(readJsonAsString(resourceJsonFile));
+                            JsonNode jsonNode = token.startsWith(YAML_PAYLOAD_FILE) ? yamlMapper.readTree(readYamlAsString(token.substring(YAML_PAYLOAD_FILE.length()))) : objectMapper.readTree(readJsonAsString(token.substring(JSON_PAYLOAD_FILE.length())));
                             if (jsonNode.isObject()) {
-                                //also replace content of just read json file (recursively)
+                                //also replace content of just read json/yaml file (recursively)
                                 final Map<String, Object> jsonFileContent = objectMapper.convertValue(jsonNode, Map.class);
                                 digReplaceContent(jsonFileContent);
                                 jsonNode = objectMapper.convertValue(jsonFileContent, JsonNode.class);
@@ -184,7 +191,7 @@ boolean checkDigNeeded(Step thisStep) throws JsonProcessingException {
         String stepJson = objectMapper.writeValueAsString(thisStep);
         List<String> allTokens = getTestCaseTokens(stepJson);
 
-        return allTokens.toString().contains(JSON_PAYLOAD_FILE);
+        return allTokens.toString().contains(JSON_PAYLOAD_FILE) || allTokens.toString().contains(YAML_PAYLOAD_FILE);
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/jsmart/zerocode/core/engine/tokens/ZeroCodeValueTokens.java b/core/src/main/java/org/jsmart/zerocode/core/engine/tokens/ZeroCodeValueTokens.java
index a12b983b1..496fda747 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/jsmart/zerocode/core/engine/tokens/ZeroCodeValueTokens.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/jsmart/zerocode/core/engine/tokens/ZeroCodeValueTokens.java
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
  */
 public class ZeroCodeValueTokens {
     public static final String JSON_PAYLOAD_FILE = "JSON.FILE:";
+    public static final String YAML_PAYLOAD_FILE = "YAML.FILE:";
     public static final String PREFIX_ASU = "ASU";
     public static final String XML_FILE = "XML.FILE:";
     public static final String GQL_FILE = "GQL.FILE:";
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/jsmart/zerocode/core/yaml/YamlUnitTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/jsmart/zerocode/core/yaml/YamlUnitTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4dfbb761b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/jsmart/zerocode/core/yaml/YamlUnitTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+package org.jsmart.zerocode.core.yaml;
+
+import org.jsmart.zerocode.core.domain.JsonTestCase;
+import org.jsmart.zerocode.core.domain.TargetEnv;
+import org.jsmart.zerocode.core.runner.ZeroCodeUnitRunner;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+
+
+@TargetEnv("github_host_test.properties")
+@RunWith(ZeroCodeUnitRunner.class)
+public class YamlUnitTest {
+
+    @Test
+    @JsonTestCase("unit_test_files/yaml/scenario_get_api_step_test.yml")
+    public void testGitHubApi_get() {
+    }
+}
diff --git a/core/src/test/resources/unit_test_files/yaml/scenario_get_api_step.yml b/core/src/test/resources/unit_test_files/yaml/scenario_get_api_step.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..671ce3141
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/test/resources/unit_test_files/yaml/scenario_get_api_step.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+name: "get_user_details"
+url: "/users/octocat"
+operation: "GET"
+request:
+  -
+verify:
+  status: 200
+  body:
+    login: "octocat"
+    id: 583231
+    type: "User"
+    location: "$MATCHES.STRING:San Fra(.*)"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/test/resources/unit_test_files/yaml/scenario_get_api_step_test.yml b/core/src/test/resources/unit_test_files/yaml/scenario_get_api_step_test.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4eb2b42e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/test/resources/unit_test_files/yaml/scenario_get_api_step_test.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+scenarioName: "GIVEN-the GitHub REST end point, WHEN-I invoke GET, THEN-I will receive the 200 status with body"
+steps:
+  - stepFile: ${YAML.FILE:unit_test_files/yaml/scenario_get_api_step.yml}
\ No newline at end of file