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kubectl version --clientNotes
Check the installed kubectl client version.
Kubernetes & kubectl Cheat Sheet
Comprehensive kubectl commands for contexts, resources, apply flows, creation, deletion, logs, and cluster introspection.
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Setup, Contexts, and Cluster Info
Install validation, context switching, and cluster metadata.
Show client and server version
Print the kubectl client and Kubernetes API server versions.
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kubectl versionNotes
Print the kubectl client and Kubernetes API server versions.
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kubectl cluster-infoNotes
Show control plane and core service endpoints.
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kubectl config viewNotes
Inspect the merged kubeconfig content.
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kubectl config current-contextNotes
Print the active kubeconfig context.
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kubectl config get-contextsNotes
List configured contexts and their clusters/users.
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kubectl config use-context prod-clusterNotes
Change the active context in kubeconfig.
Set default namespace for context
Persist a default namespace for the current context.
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kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=paymentsNotes
Persist a default namespace for the current context.
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kubectl api-resourcesNotes
Show resource types supported by the API server.
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kubectl api-versionsNotes
Show supported API group versions.
Namespaces and Basic Resource Listing
Get comfortable listing and scoping objects.
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kubectl get namespacesNotes
Show all namespaces.
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kubectl create namespace stagingNotes
Create a namespace imperatively.
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kubectl delete namespace stagingNotes
Delete a namespace and the resources in it.
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kubectl get all -n paymentsNotes
List common workload and service objects.
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kubectl get pods -o wide -n paymentsNotes
Show node, IP, and extra details.
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kubectl get pod web-abc123 -n paymentsNotes
Inspect a single pod quickly.
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kubectl describe pod web-abc123 -n paymentsNotes
View events, status, probes, mounts, and conditions.
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kubectl explain podNotes
Show resource documentation from the API schema.
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kubectl explain pod.spec.containersNotes
Inspect nested resource fields.
Declarative Apply, Edit, and Replace
Core workflows for changing objects from YAML.
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kubectl apply -f deployment.yamlNotes
Create or update a resource from a file.
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kubectl apply -f k8s/Notes
Recursively apply manifests from a directory.
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kubectl apply -R -f manifests/Notes
Apply manifests recursively from nested directories.
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kubectl apply -f https://example.com/manifest.yamlNotes
Apply a manifest hosted remotely.
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kubectl diff -f deployment.yamlNotes
See server-side differences before applying.
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kubectl edit deployment web -n paymentsNotes
Open a live editor against the API server.
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kubectl replace -f deployment.yamlNotes
Replace an object using the manifest definition.
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kubectl replace --force -f deployment.yamlNotes
Delete and recreate the object.
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kubectl patch deployment web -p '{"spec":{"replicas":5}}'Notes
Apply a strategic/merge patch to an object.
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kubectl patch deployment web --type='json' -p='[{"op":"replace","path":"/spec/replicas","value":5}]'Notes
Apply an RFC 6902 JSON patch.
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kubectl annotate deployment web owner=platform-team --overwriteNotes
Set or replace an annotation.
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kubectl label deployment web tier=frontend --overwriteNotes
Set or replace a label.
Imperative Resource Creation
Fast object creation for experiments and demos.
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kubectl create deployment web --image=nginx:1.27Notes
Create a deployment from an image.
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kubectl scale deployment web --replicas=5Notes
Change replicas on a scalable workload.
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kubectl expose deployment web --port=80 --target-port=8080 --type=ClusterIPNotes
Create a Service for a workload.
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kubectl run toolbox --image=busybox:1.36 -it --rm -- shNotes
Create a one-off interactive pod.
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kubectl create configmap app-config --from-literal=APP_ENV=prodNotes
Create a ConfigMap imperatively.
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kubectl create configmap nginx-conf --from-file=nginx.confNotes
Build a ConfigMap from file content.
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kubectl create secret generic app-secret --from-literal=API_KEY=supersecretNotes
Create an opaque Secret.
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kubectl create secret tls ingress-cert --cert=tls.crt --key=tls.keyNotes
Create a TLS Secret from cert and key files.
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kubectl create job db-migrate --image=alpine:3.20 -- echo migrationNotes
Create a one-time Job.
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kubectl create cronjob db-backup --image=alpine:3.20 --schedule='0 2 * * *' -- sh -c 'echo backup'Notes
Create a CronJob from the CLI.
Delete, Copy, and Exec
Safe cleanup and shell access workflows.
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kubectl delete -f deployment.yamlNotes
Delete objects defined in a manifest file.
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kubectl delete pod web-abc123 -n paymentsNotes
Delete a pod so the controller can recreate it.
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kubectl delete pod stuck-pod --grace-period=0 --forceNotes
Force-delete a stuck pod.
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kubectl exec -it web-abc123 -n payments -- /bin/shNotes
Start an interactive shell inside a container.
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kubectl exec web-abc123 -n payments -- envNotes
Run a non-interactive command in a container.
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kubectl cp ./app.conf payments/web-abc123:/etc/app/app.confNotes
Copy a local file into a pod.
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kubectl cp payments/web-abc123:/var/log/app.log ./app.logNotes
Copy a file from a pod to the local machine.
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kubectl port-forward pod/web-abc123 8080:80 -n paymentsNotes
Forward a local port to a pod port.
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kubectl port-forward svc/web 8080:80 -n paymentsNotes
Forward a local port to a service.
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kubectl attach -it pod/debugger -n paymentsNotes
Attach STDIN/STDOUT to a running container.
Logs, Events, and Watches
Observe runtime behavior quickly.
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kubectl logs web-abc123 -n paymentsNotes
Print the current container logs.
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kubectl logs -f web-abc123 -n paymentsNotes
Stream logs in real time.
Get logs for named container
Read logs from a specific container in a multi-container pod.
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kubectl logs web-abc123 -c web -n paymentsNotes
Read logs from a specific container in a multi-container pod.
Get previous container logs
Read logs from the previous crashed container instance.
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kubectl logs web-abc123 --previous -n paymentsNotes
Read logs from the previous crashed container instance.
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kubectl logs -l app=web --tail=100 -n paymentsNotes
Aggregate logs across matching pods.
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kubectl get events -n payments --sort-by=.lastTimestampNotes
Show events sorted by timestamp.
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kubectl events -n payments --watchNotes
Stream Kubernetes events.
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kubectl get pods -n payments -wNotes
Watch resource changes live.
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kubectl top pods -n paymentsNotes
Requires Metrics Server; shows CPU and memory usage.
Show node resource usage
Requires Metrics Server; shows node CPU and memory usage.
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kubectl top nodesNotes
Requires Metrics Server; shows node CPU and memory usage.
More in Kubernetes
kubeadm Cheat Sheet
Bootstrap, join, cert, kubeconfig, reset, phase, image, and upgrade commands for kubeadm-managed clusters.
Kubernetes JSONPath and Kustomize Cheat Sheet
JSONPath recipes, custom output patterns, jq/yq workflows, and Kustomize commands supported by kubectl.
Kubernetes Troubleshooting Cheat Sheet
Debugging, inspection, RBAC checks, rollout failures, node health, and maintenance-oriented kubectl workflows.
Kubernetes Networking, Storage, and Config Cheat Sheet
Services, ingress, EndpointSlices, network policies, PVCs, PVs, storage classes, ConfigMaps, Secrets, and nodes.
Kubernetes Workloads Cheat Sheet
Deployments, StatefulSets, DaemonSets, Jobs, CronJobs, autoscaling, rollouts, and workload maintenance.
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