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Kensa supports five output formats. Multiple formats can be generated in a single run. 
kensa check -h 192.168.1.10 -u admin --sudo \
  -o json:results.json -o csv:results.csv -o evidence:evidence.json -o pdf:report.pdf

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Terminal (default)

Each rule prints a status line. The summary shows totals: 
508 rules: 312 pass, 142 fail, 48 skip, 6 error (45.2s)
Use -q to suppress terminal output when writing to files with -o.

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JSON

kensa check -h 192.168.1.10 -u admin --sudo -o json:results.json
Structured results with host details, platform, capabilities, per-rule results, and summary counts. Suitable for dashboards, SIEM integration, and automated processing. Each result includes the rule ID, title, severity, pass/fail/skip/error status, detail message, the implementation variant that was selected, and the framework section (when --framework is used). Key features:
  • Multi-host aggregation. Includes a top-level hosts array with per-host results and a global summary.
  • Skip reason breakdown. The summary.skip_reasons field categorizes why rules were skipped.
JSON does not include raw command output. For audit-grade evidence, use the evidence export.

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CSV

kensa check -h 192.168.1.10 -u admin --sudo -o csv:results.csv
One row per host-rule combination. Columns: 
host,platform,rule_id,framework_section,title,severity,passed,skipped,error,error_detail,detail
Suitable for spreadsheet analysis, pivot tables, bulk import into GRC platforms, and cross-host consistency analysis.

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PDF

kensa check -h 192.168.1.10 -u admin --sudo -o pdf:report.pdf
Visual compliance report with a summary table and color-coded per-host results (green for PASS, red for FAIL, orange for ERROR, grey for SKIP). Requires the reportlab package: 
pip install kensa[pdf]

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Evidence

kensa check -h 192.168.1.10 -u admin --sudo -o evidence:evidence.json
Full machine-verifiable evidence for every check. This is the format designed for auditors. Each result includes:
FieldDescription
methodThe check handler (e.g., sshd_effective_config, file_permission)
commandThe exact shell command executed on the target host
stdoutRaw standard output from the command
stderrRaw standard error output
exit_codeCommand exit code
expectedThe value Kensa expected to find
actualThe value Kensa actually found
See the Auditor guide for details on interpreting evidence output.