diff --git a/cmd/skaffold/app/cmd/flags.go b/cmd/skaffold/app/cmd/flags.go
index 41321b684df..1e398af9a2c 100644
--- a/cmd/skaffold/app/cmd/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/skaffold/app/cmd/flags.go
@@ -509,6 +509,15 @@ var flagRegistry = []Flag{
 		DefinedOn:     []string{"debug", "dev", "run"},
 		IsEnum:        true,
 	},
+	{
+		Name:          "v3",
+		Usage:         "Next skaffold config (v3). Use kpt to render/hydrate and deploy manifests.",
+		Value:         &opts.Experimental,
+		DefValue:      false,
+		FlagAddMethod: "BoolVar",
+		DefinedOn:     []string{"apply", "debug", "deploy", "dev", "run"},
+		IsEnum:        true,
+	},
 }
 
 func methodNameByType(v reflect.Value) string {
diff --git a/docs/content/en/docs/references/cli/_index.md b/docs/content/en/docs/references/cli/_index.md
index 7d415327018..722d2bbf958 100644
--- a/docs/content/en/docs/references/cli/_index.md
+++ b/docs/content/en/docs/references/cli/_index.md
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ Options:
       --remote-cache-dir='': Specify the location of the git repositories cache (default $HOME/.skaffold/repos)
       --status-check=true: Wait for deployed resources to stabilize
       --tail=false: Stream logs from deployed objects
+      --v3=false: Next skaffold config (v3). Use kpt to render/hydrate and deploy manifests.
 
 Usage:
   skaffold apply [options]
@@ -152,6 +153,7 @@ Env vars:
 * `SKAFFOLD_REMOTE_CACHE_DIR` (same as `--remote-cache-dir`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_STATUS_CHECK` (same as `--status-check`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_TAIL` (same as `--tail`)
+* `SKAFFOLD_V3` (same as `--v3`)
 
 ### skaffold build
 
@@ -435,6 +437,7 @@ Options:
       --tail=true: Stream logs from deployed objects
       --toot=false: Emit a terminal beep after the deploy is complete
       --trigger='notify': How is change detection triggered? (polling, notify, or manual)
+      --v3=false: Next skaffold config (v3). Use kpt to render/hydrate and deploy manifests.
       --wait-for-deletions=true: Wait for pending deletions to complete before a deployment
       --wait-for-deletions-delay=2s: Delay between two checks for pending deletions
       --wait-for-deletions-max=1m0s: Max duration to wait for pending deletions
@@ -486,6 +489,7 @@ Env vars:
 * `SKAFFOLD_TAIL` (same as `--tail`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_TOOT` (same as `--toot`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_TRIGGER` (same as `--trigger`)
+* `SKAFFOLD_V3` (same as `--v3`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_WAIT_FOR_DELETIONS` (same as `--wait-for-deletions`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_WAIT_FOR_DELETIONS_DELAY` (same as `--wait-for-deletions-delay`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_WAIT_FOR_DELETIONS_MAX` (same as `--wait-for-deletions-max`)
@@ -580,6 +584,7 @@ Options:
   -t, --tag='': The optional custom tag to use for images which overrides the current Tagger configuration
       --tail=false: Stream logs from deployed objects
       --toot=false: Emit a terminal beep after the deploy is complete
+      --v3=false: Next skaffold config (v3). Use kpt to render/hydrate and deploy manifests.
       --wait-for-deletions=true: Wait for pending deletions to complete before a deployment
       --wait-for-deletions-delay=2s: Delay between two checks for pending deletions
       --wait-for-deletions-max=1m0s: Max duration to wait for pending deletions
@@ -619,6 +624,7 @@ Env vars:
 * `SKAFFOLD_TAG` (same as `--tag`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_TAIL` (same as `--tail`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_TOOT` (same as `--toot`)
+* `SKAFFOLD_V3` (same as `--v3`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_WAIT_FOR_DELETIONS` (same as `--wait-for-deletions`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_WAIT_FOR_DELETIONS_DELAY` (same as `--wait-for-deletions-delay`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_WAIT_FOR_DELETIONS_MAX` (same as `--wait-for-deletions-max`)
@@ -667,6 +673,7 @@ Options:
       --tail=true: Stream logs from deployed objects
       --toot=false: Emit a terminal beep after the deploy is complete
       --trigger='notify': How is change detection triggered? (polling, notify, or manual)
+      --v3=false: Next skaffold config (v3). Use kpt to render/hydrate and deploy manifests.
       --wait-for-deletions=true: Wait for pending deletions to complete before a deployment
       --wait-for-deletions-delay=2s: Delay between two checks for pending deletions
       --wait-for-deletions-max=1m0s: Max duration to wait for pending deletions
@@ -718,6 +725,7 @@ Env vars:
 * `SKAFFOLD_TAIL` (same as `--tail`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_TOOT` (same as `--toot`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_TRIGGER` (same as `--trigger`)
+* `SKAFFOLD_V3` (same as `--v3`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_WAIT_FOR_DELETIONS` (same as `--wait-for-deletions`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_WAIT_FOR_DELETIONS_DELAY` (same as `--wait-for-deletions-delay`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_WAIT_FOR_DELETIONS_MAX` (same as `--wait-for-deletions-max`)
@@ -959,6 +967,7 @@ Options:
   -t, --tag='': The optional custom tag to use for images which overrides the current Tagger configuration
       --tail=false: Stream logs from deployed objects
       --toot=false: Emit a terminal beep after the deploy is complete
+      --v3=false: Next skaffold config (v3). Use kpt to render/hydrate and deploy manifests.
       --wait-for-deletions=true: Wait for pending deletions to complete before a deployment
       --wait-for-deletions-delay=2s: Delay between two checks for pending deletions
       --wait-for-deletions-max=1m0s: Max duration to wait for pending deletions
@@ -1005,6 +1014,7 @@ Env vars:
 * `SKAFFOLD_TAG` (same as `--tag`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_TAIL` (same as `--tail`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_TOOT` (same as `--toot`)
+* `SKAFFOLD_V3` (same as `--v3`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_WAIT_FOR_DELETIONS` (same as `--wait-for-deletions`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_WAIT_FOR_DELETIONS_DELAY` (same as `--wait-for-deletions-delay`)
 * `SKAFFOLD_WAIT_FOR_DELETIONS_MAX` (same as `--wait-for-deletions-max`)
diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/config/options.go b/pkg/skaffold/config/options.go
index af5098c0a8f..4e864497ef2 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/config/options.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/config/options.go
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ type SkaffoldOptions struct {
 	// label isn't available.
 	AddSkaffoldLabels bool
 	DetectMinikube    bool
+	// Experimental is the entrypoint to run skaffold v3 before it's fully implemented.
+	Experimental bool
 
 	PortForward        PortForwardOptions
 	CustomTag          string