diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index c976747c..e649158f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -11,14 +11,14 @@ jobs:
   build: # make sure build/ci work properly
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v2.3.3
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2.3.4
       - run: |
           npm ci
           npm test
   test_job:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v2.3.3
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2.3.4
       - name: Create maven settings.xml
         uses: ./
         with:
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ jobs:
           repositories: '[{"id": "foo", "url": "https://fu.bar"}]'
           plugin_repositories: '[{"id": "foo-plugin", "url": "https://fu.bar.plugin"}]'
           profiles: '[{ "id": "foo.profile", "name": "foo.profile", "url": "http://foo.bar.profile", "properties": { "foo": "property-1", "bar": "property-2"} }]'
+          plugin_groups: '[ "some.plugin.group.id", "some.other.plugin.group.id" ]'
       - run: |
           cat ~/.m2/settings.xml
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0ada4832..cfcf1d38 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ Reference: [Maven Settings > Plugin Repositories](http://maven.apache.org/settin
 
 Reference: [Maven Settings > Repositories](http://maven.apache.org/settings.html#Plugin_Repositories)
 
+### `plugin_groups`
+**Optional** json array of plugin groups to add to settings.xml
+
+Reference: [Maven Settings > Plugin Groups](http://maven.apache.org/settings.html#Plugin_Groups)
+
 ### `profiles`
 **Optional** json array of profiles to add to settings.xml
 
@@ -125,6 +130,7 @@ Reference: [Maven Settings > Profiles](http://maven.apache.org/settings.html#pro
     servers: '[{ "id": "some-server", "username": "some.user", "password": "some.password" }]'
     mirrors: '[{ "id": "nexus", "mirrorOf": "!my-org-snapshots,*", "url": "http://redacted/nexus/content/groups/public" }]'
     profiles: '[{ "id": "foo.profile", "name": "foo.profile", "url": "http://foo.bar.profile", "properties": { "foo": "property-1", "bar": "property-2"} }]'
+    plugin_groups: '[ "some.plugin.group.id", "some.other.plugin.group.id" ]'
 
 ````
 
@@ -207,5 +213,10 @@ Reference: [Maven Settings > Profiles](http://maven.apache.org/settings.html#pro
         </mirror>
     </mirrors>
   
+    <pluginGroups>
+        <pluginGroup>some.plugin.group.id</pluginGroup>
+        <pluginGroup>some.other.plugin.group.id</pluginGroup>
+    </pluginGroups>
+  
 </settings>
 ````
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index 21e58c8e..be602caa 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ inputs:
   profiles:
     description: 'json array of profiles to add to settings.xml'
     required: false
+  plugin_groups:
+    description: 'json array of plugin groups to add to settings.xml'
+    required: false
 runs:
   using: 'node12'
   main: 'dist/index.js'
diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index ec711f07..4b5b3e30 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -43,6 +43,32 @@ module.exports =
 /************************************************************************/
 /******/ ({
 
+/***/ 82:
+/***/ (function(__unusedmodule, exports) {
+
+"use strict";
+
+// We use any as a valid input type
+/* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any */
+Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", { value: true });
+/**
+ * Sanitizes an input into a string so it can be passed into issueCommand safely
+ * @param input input to sanitize into a string
+ */
+function toCommandValue(input) {
+    if (input === null || input === undefined) {
+        return '';
+    }
+    else if (typeof input === 'string' || input instanceof String) {
+        return input;
+    }
+    return JSON.stringify(input);
+}
+exports.toCommandValue = toCommandValue;
+//# sourceMappingURL=utils.js.map
+
+/***/ }),
+
 /***/ 87:
 /***/ (function(module) {
 
@@ -50,6 +76,42 @@ module.exports = require("os");
 
 /***/ }),
 
+/***/ 102:
+/***/ (function(__unusedmodule, exports, __webpack_require__) {
+
+"use strict";
+
+// For internal use, subject to change.
+var __importStar = (this && this.__importStar) || function (mod) {
+    if (mod && mod.__esModule) return mod;
+    var result = {};
+    if (mod != null) for (var k in mod) if (Object.hasOwnProperty.call(mod, k)) result[k] = mod[k];
+    result["default"] = mod;
+    return result;
+};
+Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", { value: true });
+// We use any as a valid input type
+/* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any */
+const fs = __importStar(__webpack_require__(747));
+const os = __importStar(__webpack_require__(87));
+const utils_1 = __webpack_require__(82);
+function issueCommand(command, message) {
+    const filePath = process.env[`GITHUB_${command}`];
+    if (!filePath) {
+        throw new Error(`Unable to find environment variable for file command ${command}`);
+    }
+    if (!fs.existsSync(filePath)) {
+        throw new Error(`Missing file at path: ${filePath}`);
+    }
+    fs.appendFileSync(filePath, `${utils_1.toCommandValue(message)}${os.EOL}`, {
+        encoding: 'utf8'
+    });
+}
+exports.issueCommand = issueCommand;
+//# sourceMappingURL=file-command.js.map
+
+/***/ }),
+
 /***/ 431:
 /***/ (function(__unusedmodule, exports, __webpack_require__) {
 
@@ -64,6 +126,7 @@ var __importStar = (this && this.__importStar) || function (mod) {
 };
 Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", { value: true });
 const os = __importStar(__webpack_require__(87));
+const utils_1 = __webpack_require__(82);
 /**
  * Commands
  *
@@ -117,28 +180,14 @@ class Command {
         return cmdStr;
     }
 }
-/**
- * Sanitizes an input into a string so it can be passed into issueCommand safely
- * @param input input to sanitize into a string
- */
-function toCommandValue(input) {
-    if (input === null || input === undefined) {
-        return '';
-    }
-    else if (typeof input === 'string' || input instanceof String) {
-        return input;
-    }
-    return JSON.stringify(input);
-}
-exports.toCommandValue = toCommandValue;
 function escapeData(s) {
-    return toCommandValue(s)
+    return utils_1.toCommandValue(s)
         .replace(/%/g, '%25')
         .replace(/\r/g, '%0D')
         .replace(/\n/g, '%0A');
 }
 function escapeProperty(s) {
-    return toCommandValue(s)
+    return utils_1.toCommandValue(s)
         .replace(/%/g, '%25')
         .replace(/\r/g, '%0D')
         .replace(/\n/g, '%0A')
@@ -1435,6 +1484,8 @@ var __importStar = (this && this.__importStar) || function (mod) {
 };
 Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", { value: true });
 const command_1 = __webpack_require__(431);
+const file_command_1 = __webpack_require__(102);
+const utils_1 = __webpack_require__(82);
 const os = __importStar(__webpack_require__(87));
 const path = __importStar(__webpack_require__(622));
 /**
@@ -1461,9 +1512,17 @@ var ExitCode;
  */
 // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
 function exportVariable(name, val) {
-    const convertedVal = command_1.toCommandValue(val);
+    const convertedVal = utils_1.toCommandValue(val);
     process.env[name] = convertedVal;
-    command_1.issueCommand('set-env', { name }, convertedVal);
+    const filePath = process.env['GITHUB_ENV'] || '';
+    if (filePath) {
+        const delimiter = '_GitHubActionsFileCommandDelimeter_';
+        const commandValue = `${name}<<${delimiter}${os.EOL}${convertedVal}${os.EOL}${delimiter}`;
+        file_command_1.issueCommand('ENV', commandValue);
+    }
+    else {
+        command_1.issueCommand('set-env', { name }, convertedVal);
+    }
 }
 exports.exportVariable = exportVariable;
 /**
@@ -1479,7 +1538,13 @@ exports.setSecret = setSecret;
  * @param inputPath
  */
 function addPath(inputPath) {
-    command_1.issueCommand('add-path', {}, inputPath);
+    const filePath = process.env['GITHUB_PATH'] || '';
+    if (filePath) {
+        file_command_1.issueCommand('PATH', inputPath);
+    }
+    else {
+        command_1.issueCommand('add-path', {}, inputPath);
+    }
     process.env['PATH'] = `${inputPath}${path.delimiter}${process.env['PATH']}`;
 }
 exports.addPath = addPath;
@@ -2290,6 +2355,7 @@ function run() {
     settings.updateRepositories(templateXml);
     settings.updatePluginRepositories(templateXml);
     settings.updateProfiles(templateXml)
+    settings.updatePluginGroups(templateXml)
 
     // write template to filepath
     var settingsPath = path.join(os.homedir(), '.m2', 'settings.xml');
@@ -3000,6 +3066,23 @@ function updateProfiles(templateXml) {
     });
 }
 
+function updatePluginGroups(templateXml) {
+    var pluginGroupsInput = core.getInput('plugin_groups');
+
+    if (!pluginGroupsInput) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    var pluginGroupsXml = templateXml.getElementsByTagName('pluginGroups')[0];
+
+    JSON.parse(pluginGroupsInput).forEach((pluginGroupInput) => {
+        var pluginGroupXml = templateXml.createElement('pluginGroup');
+        pluginGroupXml.textContent = pluginGroupInput;
+        pluginGroupsXml.appendChild(pluginGroupXml);
+    });
+
+}
+
 module.exports = {
     getSettingsTemplate,
     writeSettings,
@@ -3007,7 +3090,8 @@ module.exports = {
     updateMirrors,
     updateRepositories,
     updatePluginRepositories,
-    updateProfiles
+    updateProfiles,
+    updatePluginGroups
 }
 
 /***/ })
diff --git a/dist/settings.xml b/dist/settings.xml
index be9ef6ab..1f2c39e7 100644
--- a/dist/settings.xml
+++ b/dist/settings.xml
@@ -30,4 +30,6 @@
 
   <mirrors/>
 
+  <pluginGroups/>
+
 </settings>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 0da6a3c4..766f6500 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ function run() {
     settings.updateRepositories(templateXml);
     settings.updatePluginRepositories(templateXml);
     settings.updateProfiles(templateXml)
+    settings.updatePluginGroups(templateXml)
 
     // write template to filepath
     var settingsPath = path.join(os.homedir(), '.m2', 'settings.xml');
diff --git a/src/settings.js b/src/settings.js
index e9d039d7..c2d6b5e8 100644
--- a/src/settings.js
+++ b/src/settings.js
@@ -168,6 +168,23 @@ function updateProfiles(templateXml) {
     });
 }
 
+function updatePluginGroups(templateXml) {
+    var pluginGroupsInput = core.getInput('plugin_groups');
+
+    if (!pluginGroupsInput) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    var pluginGroupsXml = templateXml.getElementsByTagName('pluginGroups')[0];
+
+    JSON.parse(pluginGroupsInput).forEach((pluginGroupInput) => {
+        var pluginGroupXml = templateXml.createElement('pluginGroup');
+        pluginGroupXml.textContent = pluginGroupInput;
+        pluginGroupsXml.appendChild(pluginGroupXml);
+    });
+
+}
+
 module.exports = {
     getSettingsTemplate,
     writeSettings,
@@ -175,5 +192,6 @@ module.exports = {
     updateMirrors,
     updateRepositories,
     updatePluginRepositories,
-    updateProfiles
+    updateProfiles,
+    updatePluginGroups
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/template/settings.xml b/template/settings.xml
index be9ef6ab..1f2c39e7 100644
--- a/template/settings.xml
+++ b/template/settings.xml
@@ -30,4 +30,6 @@
 
   <mirrors/>
 
+  <pluginGroups/>
+
 </settings>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/settings.test.js b/test/settings.test.js
index d8e09b05..746324ea 100644
--- a/test/settings.test.js
+++ b/test/settings.test.js
@@ -161,5 +161,24 @@ describe('run settings.js', function () {
         });
     });
 
+    describe('#updatePluginGroups', function () {
+        it('<pluginGroups/> should be appended with <pluginGroup> when input.pluginGroups is present', function () {
+            // given input
+            process.env['INPUT_PLUGIN_GROUPS'] = '[ "some.plugin.group.id" ]';
+
+            // and default settings
+            var xml = new DOMParser().parseFromString("<settings><pluginGroups/></settings>");
+
+            // when
+            settings.updatePluginGroups(xml);
+
+            // then
+            var expectedXml = '<settings><pluginGroups><pluginGroup>some.plugin.group.id</pluginGroup></pluginGroups></settings>';
+            assert.equal(new XMLSerializer().serializeToString(xml), expectedXml);
+
+            process.env['INPUT_PLUGIN_GROUPS'] = '';
+        });
+    });
+
 });