diff --git a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/apply.go b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/apply.go
index 8b3a002..34cbe8e 100644
--- a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/apply.go
+++ b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/apply.go
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ import (
 type Apply struct {
 	// Kubernetes files or directories to apply
 	Files []string
+	// sets the output for the apply command
+	Output string
 }
 
 // Command formats and outputs the Apply command from
@@ -46,8 +48,11 @@ func (a *Apply) Command(c *Config, file string) *exec.Cmd {
 		flags = append(flags, fmt.Sprintf("--filename=%s", file))
 	}
 
-	// add flag for output
-	flags = append(flags, "--output=json")
+	// check if apply output is provided
+	if len(a.Output) > 0 {
+		// add flag for output from provided apply output
+		flags = append(flags, fmt.Sprintf("--output=%s", a.Output))
+	}
 
 	return exec.Command(kubectlBin, flags...)
 }
diff --git a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/apply_test.go b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/apply_test.go
index bb41c5a..09fe767 100644
--- a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/apply_test.go
+++ b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/apply_test.go
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ func TestKubernetes_Apply_Command(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	a := &Apply{
-		Files: []string{"apply.yml"},
+		Files:  []string{"apply.yml"},
+		Output: "json",
 	}
 
 	for _, file := range a.Files {
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Apply_Command(t *testing.T) {
 			fmt.Sprintf("--context=%s", c.Context),
 			"apply",
 			fmt.Sprintf("--filename=%s", file),
-			"--output=json",
+			fmt.Sprintf("--output=%s", a.Output),
 		)
 
 		got := a.Command(c, file)
@@ -50,7 +51,8 @@ func TestKubernetes_Apply_Exec_Error(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	a := &Apply{
-		Files: []string{"apply.yml"},
+		Files:  []string{"apply.yml"},
+		Output: "json",
 	}
 
 	err := a.Exec(c)
@@ -62,7 +64,8 @@ func TestKubernetes_Apply_Exec_Error(t *testing.T) {
 func TestKubernetes_Apply_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 	// setup types
 	a := &Apply{
-		Files: []string{"apply.yml"},
+		Files:  []string{"apply.yml"},
+		Output: "json",
 	}
 
 	err := a.Validate()
@@ -73,7 +76,9 @@ func TestKubernetes_Apply_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestKubernetes_Apply_Validate_NoFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	// setup types
-	a := &Apply{}
+	a := &Apply{
+		Output: "json",
+	}
 
 	err := a.Validate()
 	if err == nil {
diff --git a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/main.go b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/main.go
index 1150214..2c67d0e 100644
--- a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/main.go
+++ b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/main.go
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@ func main() {
 			Name:   "apply.files",
 			Usage:  "kubernetes files or directories to apply",
 		},
+		cli.StringFlag{
+			EnvVar: "PARAMETER_OUTPUT,APPLY_OUTPUT",
+			Name:   "apply.output",
+			Usage:  "set output for apply - options: (json|yaml|wide)",
+			Value:  "json",
+		},
 
 		// Config Flags
 
@@ -79,6 +85,12 @@ func main() {
 			Name:   "patch.containers",
 			Usage:  "containers from files to patch",
 		},
+		cli.StringFlag{
+			EnvVar: "PARAMETER_OUTPUT,PATCH_OUTPUT",
+			Name:   "patch.output",
+			Usage:  "set output for patch - options: (json|yaml|wide)",
+			Value:  "json",
+		},
 
 		// Status Flags
 
@@ -133,7 +145,8 @@ func run(c *cli.Context) error {
 	p := &Plugin{
 		// apply configuration
 		Apply: &Apply{
-			Files: c.StringSlice("apply.files"),
+			Files:  c.StringSlice("apply.files"),
+			Output: c.String("apply.output"),
 		},
 		// config configuration
 		Config: &Config{
@@ -143,6 +156,7 @@ func run(c *cli.Context) error {
 		},
 		// patch configuration
 		Patch: &Patch{
+			Output:        c.String("patch.output"),
 			RawContainers: c.String("patch.containers"),
 		},
 		// status configuration
diff --git a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/patch.go b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/patch.go
index 9f7a13d..4d3abe0 100644
--- a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/patch.go
+++ b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/patch.go
@@ -97,10 +97,12 @@ func (c *Container) Validate() error {
 
 // Patch represents the plugin configuration for Patch config information.
 type Patch struct {
-	// raw input of containers provided for plugin
-	RawContainers string
 	// container images from files to patch
 	Containers []*Container
+	// sets the output for the patch command
+	Output string
+	// raw input of containers provided for plugin
+	RawContainers string
 }
 
 // Command formats and outputs the Patch command from
@@ -126,8 +128,11 @@ func (p *Patch) Command(c *Config, container *Container) *exec.Cmd {
 	// add flag for patch kubectl command
 	flags = append(flags, "patch")
 
-	// add flag for output
-	flags = append(flags, "--output=json")
+	// check if patch output is provided
+	if len(p.Output) > 0 {
+		// add flag for output from provided patch output
+		flags = append(flags, fmt.Sprintf("--output=%s", p.Output))
+	}
 
 	return exec.Command(kubectlBin, flags...)
 }
diff --git a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/patch_test.go b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/patch_test.go
index a6439c5..b574707 100644
--- a/cmd/vela-kubernetes/patch_test.go
+++ b/cmd/vela-kubernetes/patch_test.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Patch_Command(t *testing.T) {
 				Image: "alpine",
 			},
 		},
+		Output:        "json",
 		RawContainers: `[{"name": "container", "image": "alpine"}]`,
 	}
 
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Patch_Command(t *testing.T) {
 			fmt.Sprintf("--namespace=%s", c.Namespace),
 			fmt.Sprintf("--context=%s", c.Context),
 			"patch",
-			"--output=json",
+			fmt.Sprintf("--output=%s", p.Output),
 		)
 
 		got := p.Command(c, container)
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Patch_Exec_Error(t *testing.T) {
 				Image: "alpine",
 			},
 		},
+		Output:        "json",
 		RawContainers: `[{"name": "container", "image": "alpine"}]`,
 	}
 
@@ -73,6 +75,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Patch_Exec_Error(t *testing.T) {
 func TestKubernetes_Patch_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 	// setup types
 	p := &Patch{
+		Output:        "json",
 		RawContainers: `[{"name": "container", "image": "alpine"}]`,
 	}
 
@@ -85,6 +88,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Patch_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 func TestKubernetes_Patch_Validate_Invalid(t *testing.T) {
 	// setup types
 	p := &Patch{
+		Output:        "json",
 		RawContainers: "!@#$%^&*()",
 	}
 
@@ -107,6 +111,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Patch_Validate_NoContainers(t *testing.T) {
 func TestKubernetes_Patch_Validate_NoContainerName(t *testing.T) {
 	// setup types
 	p := &Patch{
+		Output:        "json",
 		RawContainers: `[{"image": "alpine"}]`,
 	}
 
@@ -119,6 +124,7 @@ func TestKubernetes_Patch_Validate_NoContainerName(t *testing.T) {
 func TestKubernetes_Patch_Validate_NoContainerImage(t *testing.T) {
 	// setup types
 	p := &Patch{
+		Output:        "json",
 		RawContainers: `[{"name": "container"}]`,
 	}