diff --git a/build/root/Makefile.generated_files b/build/root/Makefile.generated_files
index 8e4eab05317..cce8b60cbad 100644
--- a/build/root/Makefile.generated_files
+++ b/build/root/Makefile.generated_files
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ OPENAPI_FILENAME := $(OPENAPI_BASENAME).go
 OPENAPI_OUTPUT_PKG := pkg/generated/openapi
 BOILERPLATE_FILENAME := vendor/k8s.io/code-generator/hack/boilerplate.go.txt
 REPORT_FILENAME := $(OUT_DIR)/violations.report
-KNOWN_VIOLATION_FILENAME := hack/testdata/api-rules/violations.report
+KNOWN_VIOLATION_FILENAME := hack/testdata/api-rules/violation_exceptions.list
 API_RULE_CHECK_FAILURE_MESSAGE := "Error: API rules check failed. Reported violations \"$(REPORT_FILENAME)\" differ from known violations \"$(KNOWN_VIOLATION_FILENAME)\". Please fix API source file if new violation is detected, or update known violations \"$(KNOWN_VIOLATION_FILENAME)\" if existing violation is being fixed. Please refer to hack/testdata/api-rules/README.md and https://github.com/kubernetes/kube-openapi/tree/master/pkg/generators/rules for more information about the API rules being enforced."
 
 # The tool used to generate open apis.
diff --git a/hack/testdata/api-rules/README.md b/hack/testdata/api-rules/README.md
index 3db39936b41..caae1042430 100644
--- a/hack/testdata/api-rules/README.md
+++ b/hack/testdata/api-rules/README.md
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 ## Existing API Rule Violations
 
 This folder contains the checked-in report file of known API rule violations.
-This report file violations.report is used by Make rule during OpenAPI spec generation to make
+The file violation\_exceptions.list is used by Make rule during OpenAPI spec generation to make
 sure that no new API rule violation is introduced into our code base.
 
-The report file [**violations.report**](./violations.report) is in format of:
+The report file [violation\_exceptions.list](./violation_exceptions.list) is in format of:
 
  * ***API rule violation: \<RULE\>,\<PACKAGE\>,\<TYPE\>,\<FIELD\>***
 
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ e.g.
 
 Make rule returns error when new generated violation report differs from this
 checked-in violation report. If new API rule violation is detected, please fix
-the API Go source file to pass the API rule check. The entries in the checked-in
+the API Go source file to pass the API rule check. **The entries in the checked-in
 violation report should only be removed when existing API rule violation is
-being fixed, but not added.
+being fixed, but not added.**
 
 For more information about the API rules being checked, please refer to
 https://github.com/kubernetes/kube-openapi/tree/master/pkg/generators/rules
diff --git a/hack/testdata/api-rules/violations.report b/hack/testdata/api-rules/violation_exceptions.list
similarity index 100%
rename from hack/testdata/api-rules/violations.report
rename to hack/testdata/api-rules/violation_exceptions.list