diff --git a/plugins/inputs/exec/README.md b/plugins/inputs/exec/README.md
index ce48ac9df..600490484 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/exec/README.md
+++ b/plugins/inputs/exec/README.md
@@ -21,11 +21,7 @@ See the [CONFIGURATION.md][CONFIGURATION.md] for more details.
 # Read metrics from one or more commands that can output to stdout
 [[inputs.exec]]
   ## Commands array
-  commands = [
-    "/tmp/test.sh",
-    "/usr/bin/mycollector --foo=bar",
-    "/tmp/collect_*.sh"
-  ]
+  commands = []
 
   ## Environment variables
   ## Array of "key=value" pairs to pass as environment variables
@@ -34,16 +30,24 @@ See the [CONFIGURATION.md][CONFIGURATION.md] for more details.
   # environment = []
 
   ## Timeout for each command to complete.
-  timeout = "5s"
+  # timeout = "5s"
 
-  ## measurement name suffix (for separating different commands)
-  name_suffix = "_mycollector"
+  ## Measurement name suffix
+  ## Used for separating different commands
+  # name_suffix = ""
 
-  ## Data format to consume.
-  ## Each data format has its own unique set of configuration options, read
-  ## more about them here:
+  ## Ignore Error Code
+  ## If set to true, a non-zero error code in not considered an error and the
+  ## plugin will continue to parse the output.
+  # ignore_error = false
+
+  ## Data format
+  ## By default, exec expects JSON. This was done for historical reasons and is
+  ## different than other inputs that use the influx line protocol. Each data
+  ## format has its own unique set of configuration options, read more about
+  ## them here:
   ## https://github.com/influxdata/telegraf/blob/master/docs/DATA_FORMATS_INPUT.md
-  data_format = "influx"
+  # data_format = "json"
 ```
 
 Glob patterns in the `command` option are matched on every run, so adding new
diff --git a/plugins/inputs/exec/exec.go b/plugins/inputs/exec/exec.go
index 7c5c691b3..5405bc544 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/exec/exec.go
+++ b/plugins/inputs/exec/exec.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ type Exec struct {
 	Commands    []string        `toml:"commands"`
 	Command     string          `toml:"command"`
 	Environment []string        `toml:"environment"`
+	IgnoreError bool            `toml:"ignore_error"`
 	Timeout     config.Duration `toml:"timeout"`
 	Log         telegraf.Logger `toml:"-"`
 
@@ -105,7 +106,7 @@ func (e *Exec) ProcessCommand(command string, acc telegraf.Accumulator, wg *sync
 	defer wg.Done()
 
 	out, errBuf, runErr := e.runner.Run(command, e.Environment, time.Duration(e.Timeout))
-	if !e.parseDespiteError && runErr != nil {
+	if !e.IgnoreError && !e.parseDespiteError && runErr != nil {
 		err := fmt.Errorf("exec: %w for command %q: %s", runErr, command, string(errBuf))
 		acc.AddError(err)
 		return
diff --git a/plugins/inputs/exec/exec_test.go b/plugins/inputs/exec/exec_test.go
index 1d9499e34..e1595cc02 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/exec/exec_test.go
+++ b/plugins/inputs/exec/exec_test.go
@@ -143,6 +143,34 @@ func TestCommandError(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, 0, acc.NFields(), "No new points should have been added")
 }
 
+func TestCommandIgnoreError(t *testing.T) {
+	parser := &json.Parser{MetricName: "exec"}
+	require.NoError(t, parser.Init())
+	e := &Exec{
+		Log:         testutil.Logger{},
+		runner:      newRunnerMock([]byte(validJSON), []byte("error"), errors.New("exit status code 1")),
+		Commands:    []string{"badcommand"},
+		IgnoreError: true,
+		parser:      parser,
+	}
+
+	var acc testutil.Accumulator
+	require.NoError(t, acc.GatherError(e.Gather))
+	require.Equal(t, 8, acc.NFields(), "non-numeric measurements should be ignored")
+
+	fields := map[string]interface{}{
+		"num_processes": float64(82),
+		"cpu_used":      float64(8234),
+		"cpu_free":      float64(32),
+		"percent":       float64(0.81),
+		"users_0":       float64(0),
+		"users_1":       float64(1),
+		"users_2":       float64(2),
+		"users_3":       float64(3),
+	}
+	acc.AssertContainsFields(t, "exec", fields)
+}
+
 func TestExecCommandWithGlob(t *testing.T) {
 	parser := value.Parser{
 		MetricName: "metric",
diff --git a/plugins/inputs/exec/sample.conf b/plugins/inputs/exec/sample.conf
index 7261d14b8..cdcd439b7 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/exec/sample.conf
+++ b/plugins/inputs/exec/sample.conf
@@ -1,11 +1,7 @@
 # Read metrics from one or more commands that can output to stdout
 [[inputs.exec]]
   ## Commands array
-  commands = [
-    "/tmp/test.sh",
-    "/usr/bin/mycollector --foo=bar",
-    "/tmp/collect_*.sh"
-  ]
+  commands = []
 
   ## Environment variables
   ## Array of "key=value" pairs to pass as environment variables
@@ -14,13 +10,21 @@
   # environment = []
 
   ## Timeout for each command to complete.
-  timeout = "5s"
+  # timeout = "5s"
 
-  ## measurement name suffix (for separating different commands)
-  name_suffix = "_mycollector"
+  ## Measurement name suffix
+  ## Used for separating different commands
+  # name_suffix = ""
 
-  ## Data format to consume.
-  ## Each data format has its own unique set of configuration options, read
-  ## more about them here:
+  ## Ignore Error Code
+  ## If set to true, a non-zero error code in not considered an error and the
+  ## plugin will continue to parse the output.
+  # ignore_error = false
+
+  ## Data format
+  ## By default, exec expects JSON. This was done for historical reasons and is
+  ## different than other inputs that use the influx line protocol. Each data
+  ## format has its own unique set of configuration options, read more about
+  ## them here:
   ## https://github.com/influxdata/telegraf/blob/master/docs/DATA_FORMATS_INPUT.md
-  data_format = "influx"
+  # data_format = "json"