diff --git a/cmd/collect.go b/cmd/collect.go
index e43e083..472b32d 100644
--- a/cmd/collect.go
+++ b/cmd/collect.go
@@ -161,8 +161,8 @@ func init() {
 	checkBindFlagError(viper.BindPFlag("collect.output", CollectCmd.Flags().Lookup("output")))
 	checkBindFlagError(viper.BindPFlag("collect.force-update", CollectCmd.Flags().Lookup("force-update")))
 	checkBindFlagError(viper.BindPFlag("collect.cacert", CollectCmd.Flags().Lookup("cacert")))
-	checkBindFlagError(viper.BindPFlags(CollectCmd.Flags()))
 	checkBindFlagError(viper.BindPFlag("collect.use-hive", CollectCmd.Flags().Lookup("use-hive")))
+	checkBindFlagError(viper.BindPFlags(CollectCmd.Flags()))
 
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(CollectCmd)
 }
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index d073c18..11d30ee 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 )
 
+const (
+	FORMAT_JSON = "json"
+	FORMAT_YAML = "yaml"
+)
+
 var (
 	currentUser *user.User
 	accessToken string
diff --git a/cmd/send.go b/cmd/send.go
index e7897be..d9a6ca0 100644
--- a/cmd/send.go
+++ b/cmd/send.go
@@ -3,18 +3,21 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"crypto/x509"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
-	"strings"
 
 	urlx "github.com/OpenCHAMI/magellan/internal/url"
 	"github.com/OpenCHAMI/magellan/pkg/auth"
 	"github.com/OpenCHAMI/magellan/pkg/client"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
 
-var sendData []string
+var (
+	sendDataArgs []string
+)
 
 var sendCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use: "send [host]",
@@ -28,9 +31,37 @@ var sendCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		// concatenate all of the data from `-d` flag to send
 		var (
 			smdClient = &client.SmdClient{Client: &http.Client{}}
-			inputData = []byte(strings.Join(sendData, "\n"))
+			inputData []byte
 		)
 
+		// load data either from file or directly from args
+		for _, dataArg := range sendDataArgs {
+			// determine if we're reading from file
+			if len(dataArg) > 0 {
+				// load from file
+				if dataArg[0] == '@' {
+					var (
+						path     string = dataArg[1:]
+						contents []byte
+						err      error
+					)
+					contents, err = os.ReadFile(path)
+					if err != nil {
+						log.Error().Err(err).Str("path", path).Msg("failed to read file")
+						continue
+					}
+					inputData = append(inputData, []byte(contents)...)
+					fmt.Println("file:\n", string(contents))
+				} else {
+					// read data directly
+					inputData = append(inputData, []byte(dataArg)...)
+					fmt.Println("data:\n", string(dataArg))
+				}
+			} else {
+				continue
+			}
+		}
+
 		// try to load access token either from env var, file, or config if var not set
 		if accessToken == "" {
 			var err error
@@ -57,23 +88,30 @@ var sendCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		headers.Authorization(accessToken)
 		headers.ContentType("application/json")
 
-		// unmarshal into map
-		data := map[string]any{}
-		err := json.Unmarshal(inputData, &data)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Error().Err(err).Msg("failed to unmarshal data to make request")
+		// unmarshal into map with specified format
+		var (
+			data = map[string]any{}
+			err  error
+		)
+		switch format {
+		case "json":
+			// NOTE: no need to convert if data is already in JSON
+		case "yaml":
+			inputData, err = yamlToJson(inputData)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Error().Err(err)
+			}
 		}
 
 		for _, host := range args {
 			host, err := urlx.Sanitize(host)
 			if err != nil {
-				log.Error().Err(err).Msg("failed to sanitize host")
+				log.Warn().Err(err).Str("host", host).Msg("could not sanitize host")
 			}
 
 			smdClient.URI = host
 			err = smdClient.Add(inputData, headers)
 			if err != nil {
-
 				// try updating instead
 				if forceUpdate {
 					smdClient.Xname = data["ID"].(string)
@@ -90,9 +128,31 @@ var sendCmd = &cobra.Command{
 }
 
 func init() {
-	sendCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&sendData, "data", "d", []string{}, "Set the data to send to specified host.")
+	sendCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&sendDataArgs, "data", "d", []string{}, "Set the data in to send to specified host.")
+	sendCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&format, "format", "F", "json", "Set the data input format. (json|yaml)")
 	sendCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&forceUpdate, "force-update", "f", false, "Set flag to force update data sent to SMD.")
 	sendCmd.Flags().StringVar(&cacertPath, "cacert", "", "Set the path to CA cert file. (defaults to system CAs when blank)")
 
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(sendCmd)
 }
+
+func yamlToJson(input []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+	var (
+		data   map[string]any
+		output []byte
+		err    error
+	)
+
+	// unmarshal YAML contents into map
+	err = yaml.Unmarshal(input, &data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to unmarshal YAML input data")
+	}
+
+	// marshal map into JSON
+	output, err = json.Marshal(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to marshal input data to JSON: %v", err)
+	}
+	return output, nil
+}