diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8a79b7e6..964627dd 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -30,3 +30,8 @@ target
 work
 *.releaseBackup
 release.properties
+
+.classpath
+.factorypath
+.project
+.settings/
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/jenkins/plugins/credentials/secretsmanager/factory/CredentialsFactory.java b/src/main/java/io/jenkins/plugins/credentials/secretsmanager/factory/CredentialsFactory.java
index 9de9a6e2..e965299f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/jenkins/plugins/credentials/secretsmanager/factory/CredentialsFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/jenkins/plugins/credentials/secretsmanager/factory/CredentialsFactory.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 import io.jenkins.plugins.credentials.secretsmanager.factory.string.AwsStringCredentials;
 import io.jenkins.plugins.credentials.secretsmanager.factory.username_password.AwsUsernamePasswordCredentials;
 
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.function.Supplier;
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ public SecretBytes get() {
             return getSecretValue().match(new SecretValue.Matcher<SecretBytes>() {
                 @Override
                 public SecretBytes string(String str) {
-                    return null;
+                    return SecretBytes.fromBytes(str.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
                 }
 
                 @Override
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/jenkins/plugins/credentials/secretsmanager/FileCredentialsIT.java b/src/test/java/io/jenkins/plugins/credentials/secretsmanager/FileCredentialsIT.java
index cb3b29df..f53bdc4d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/jenkins/plugins/credentials/secretsmanager/FileCredentialsIT.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/jenkins/plugins/credentials/secretsmanager/FileCredentialsIT.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import static io.jenkins.plugins.credentials.secretsmanager.util.assertions.CustomAssertions.assertThat;
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ public class FileCredentialsIT implements CredentialsTests {
 
     private static final String FILENAME = "hello.txt";
     private static final byte[] CONTENT = {0x01, 0x02, 0x03};
+    private static final String STRING_CONTENT = "This is a text file";
 
     public MyJenkinsConfiguredWithCodeRule jenkins = new MyJenkinsConfiguredWithCodeRule();
     public final AWSSecretsManagerRule secretsManager = new AutoErasingAWSSecretsManagerRule();
@@ -84,7 +86,7 @@ public void shouldHaveCustomisableFileName() {
 
     @Test
     @ConfiguredWithCode(value = "/integration.yml")
-    public void shouldHaveContent() {
+    public void shouldHaveFileContent() {
         // Given
         final CreateSecretResult foo = createFileSecret(CONTENT);
 
@@ -96,6 +98,20 @@ public void shouldHaveContent() {
                 .hasContent(CONTENT);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    @ConfiguredWithCode(value = "/integration.yml")
+    public void shouldHaveStringContent() {
+        // Given
+        final CreateSecretResult foo = createFileSecret(STRING_CONTENT);
+
+        // When
+        final FileCredentials credential = lookup(FileCredentials.class, foo.getName());
+
+        // Then
+        assertThat(credential)
+                .hasContent(STRING_CONTENT.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
+    }
+
     @Test
     @ConfiguredWithCode(value = "/integration.yml")
     public void shouldHaveDescriptorIcon() {
@@ -201,6 +217,12 @@ private CreateSecretResult createFileSecret(byte[] content) {
         return createSecret(content,tags);
     }
 
+    private CreateSecretResult createFileSecret(String content) {
+        final List<Tag> tags = Lists.of(AwsTags.type(Type.file));
+
+        return createSecret(content,tags);
+    }
+
     private CreateSecretResult createFileSecret(byte[] content, String filename) {
         final List<Tag> tags = Lists.of(AwsTags.type(Type.file), AwsTags.filename(filename));
 
@@ -216,6 +238,15 @@ private CreateSecretResult createSecret(byte[] content, List<Tag> tags) {
         return secretsManager.getClient().createSecret(request);
     }
 
+    private CreateSecretResult createSecret(String content, List<Tag> tags) {
+        final CreateSecretRequest request = new CreateSecretRequest()
+                .withName(CredentialNames.random())
+                .withSecretString(content)
+                .withTags(tags);
+
+        return secretsManager.getClient().createSecret(request);
+    }
+
     private <C extends StandardCredentials> C lookup(Class<C> type, String id) {
         return jenkins.getCredentials().lookup(type, id);
     }