website/docs/user-guide/kubectl/kubectl_convert.md

---
title: kubectl convert
---

## kubectl convert

Convert config files between different API versions

### Synopsis


Convert config files between different API versions. Both YAML and JSON formats are accepted.

The command takes filename, directory, or URL as input, and convert it into format of version specified by --output-version flag. If target version is not specified or not supported, convert to latest version.

The default output will be printed to stdout in YAML format. One can use -o option to change to output destination.

```
kubectl convert -f FILENAME
```

### Examples

```
  # Convert 'pod.yaml' to latest version and print to stdout.
  kubectl convert -f pod.yaml
  
  # Convert the live state of the resource specified by 'pod.yaml' to the latest version
  # and print to stdout in json format.
  kubectl convert -f pod.yaml --local -o json
  
  # Convert all files under current directory to latest version and create them all.
  kubectl convert -f . | kubectl create -f -
```

### Options

```
  -f, --filename stringSlice      Filename, directory, or URL to files to need to get converted.
      --local                     If true, convert will NOT try to contact api-server but run locally. (default true)
      --no-headers                When using the default or custom-column output format, don't print headers.
  -o, --output string             Output format. One of: json|yaml|wide|name|custom-columns=...|custom-columns-file=...|go-template=...|go-template-file=...|jsonpath=...|jsonpath-file=... See custom columns [http://kubernetes.io/docs/user-guide/kubectl-overview/#custom-columns], golang template [http://golang.org/pkg/text/template/#pkg-overview] and jsonpath template [http://kubernetes.io/docs/user-guide/jsonpath].
      --output-version string     Output the formatted object with the given group version (for ex: 'extensions/v1beta1').
  -R, --recursive                 Process the directory used in -f, --filename recursively. Useful when you want to manage related manifests organized within the same directory.
      --schema-cache-dir string   If non-empty, load/store cached API schemas in this directory, default is '$HOME/.kube/schema' (default "~/.kube/schema")
  -a, --show-all                  When printing, show all resources (default hide terminated pods.)
      --show-labels               When printing, show all labels as the last column (default hide labels column)
      --sort-by string            If non-empty, sort list types using this field specification.  The field specification is expressed as a JSONPath expression (e.g. '{.metadata.name}'). The field in the API resource specified by this JSONPath expression must be an integer or a string.
      --template string           Template string or path to template file to use when -o=go-template, -o=go-template-file. The template format is golang templates [http://golang.org/pkg/text/template/#pkg-overview].
      --validate                  If true, use a schema to validate the input before sending it (default true)
```

### Options inherited from parent commands

```
      --alsologtostderr                  log to standard error as well as files
      --as string                        Username to impersonate for the operation
      --certificate-authority string     Path to a cert. file for the certificate authority
      --client-certificate string        Path to a client certificate file for TLS
      --client-key string                Path to a client key file for TLS
      --cluster string                   The name of the kubeconfig cluster to use
      --context string                   The name of the kubeconfig context to use
      --insecure-skip-tls-verify         If true, the server's certificate will not be checked for validity. This will make your HTTPS connections insecure
      --kubeconfig string                Path to the kubeconfig file to use for CLI requests.
      --log-backtrace-at traceLocation   when logging hits line file:N, emit a stack trace (default :0)
      --log-dir string                   If non-empty, write log files in this directory
      --logtostderr                      log to standard error instead of files
      --match-server-version             Require server version to match client version
  -n, --namespace string                 If present, the namespace scope for this CLI request
      --password string                  Password for basic authentication to the API server
      --request-timeout string           The length of time to wait before giving up on a single server request. Non-zero values should contain a corresponding time unit (e.g. 1s, 2m, 3h). A value of zero means don't timeout requests. (default "0")
  -s, --server string                    The address and port of the Kubernetes API server
      --stderrthreshold severity         logs at or above this threshold go to stderr (default 2)
      --token string                     Bearer token for authentication to the API server
      --user string                      The name of the kubeconfig user to use
      --username string                  Username for basic authentication to the API server
  -v, --v Level                          log level for V logs
      --vmodule moduleSpec               comma-separated list of pattern=N settings for file-filtered logging
```



###### Auto generated by spf13/cobra on 13-Dec-2016

<!-- BEGIN MUNGE: GENERATED_ANALYTICS -->
[![Analytics](https://kubernetes-site.appspot.com/UA-36037335-10/GitHub/docs/user-guide/kubectl/kubectl_convert.md?pixel)]()
<!-- END MUNGE: GENERATED_ANALYTICS -->