YAML with yq: Query, Edit, and Transform

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High-value yq commands for reading, updating, filtering, converting, and merging YAML in local scripts and CI pipelines.

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## Read and query YAML with yq

Read a nested field

↗#

yq '.spec.template.spec.containers[0].image' deployment.yaml

# Print a nested value from YAML.

Read a list

↗#

yq '.features[]' config.yaml

# Print array items from a YAML path.

Filter objects in a sequence

↗#

yq '.users[] | select(.role == "admin")' users.yaml

# Select matching records from a YAML array.

Convert YAML to JSON

↗#

yq -o=json '.' config.yaml

# Transform YAML into JSON for downstream tools.

## Edit and transform YAML with yq

Set an image tag

↗#

yq -i '.spec.template.spec.containers[0].image = "repo/api:v2"' deployment.yaml

# Update a nested container image value in place.

Append to a YAML array

↗#

yq -i '.features += ["coach me"]' config.yaml

# Add a value to a sequence in place.

Delete a key

↗#

yq -i 'del(.metadata.annotations)' deployment.yaml

# Remove an unwanted field from YAML.

Merge YAML files

↗#

yq ea '. as $item ireduce ({}; . * $item )' base.yaml override.yaml

# Combine multiple YAML files into one document.

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