kubectl-version

Print the client and server version information for the current context

$ kubectl version

$ kubectl version --client

$ kubectl version [[-o|--output]] json

$ kubectl version [[-o|--output]] yaml

kubectl version [--client[=false]] [--short[=false]] [-o output]

--client[=false]
    Print client version only. Defaults to true without server connection, false otherwise

--output=string
    Output format: json|yaml|name|jsonpath|go-template|template|short

--short[=false]
    Print only version numbers (compact output)

kubectl version prints version information for the kubectl client binary and the connected Kubernetes cluster's server (API server). This command is crucial for checking compatibility, as Kubernetes recommends clients within one minor version of the server to avoid issues.

By default, it shows detailed output including GitVersion, GitCommit, GitTreeState, BuildDate, GoVersion, Compiler, and Platform for both client and server. The client version is always available locally, while the server version requires a valid connection to the cluster via kubeconfig.

Use it before upgrades or troubleshooting to ensure versions align. Output can be customized for scripts or human-readable formats. It's a lightweight, read-only operation with no side effects on the cluster.

Server version requires valid kubeconfig and cluster access; fails gracefully without connection. Inherits global kubectl options like --kubeconfig.

Client Version: v1.28.0
Server Version: v1.27.3
(Short: v1.28.0+v1.27.3)

Verify compatibility pre-upgrade; script cluster health checks; debug connection issues.

Introduced in Kubernetes v0.1 (2014) as part of core kubectl tooling; stabilized in v1.0 (2015). Evolved with output formats and short mode in early releases.

kubectl(1)