Kubernetes & Helm Workflow

Apply consistent Helm patterns for test and production Kubernetes environments.

Use this skill when

• Update Helm values files
• Add or change environment variables
• Configure resources, probes, ingress, security, jobs, or cronjobs
• Work with Kubernetes secrets, namespaces, pods, and environment URLs

Follow this workflow

1. Locate the target chart in kubernetes/helm/ and edit both values.test.yaml and values.prod.yaml unless the change is environment-specific.
2. Add non-sensitive variables under extraEnvVars with direct value; keep entries alphabetically sorted.
3. Add sensitive variables with valueFrom.secretKeyRef; never inline secrets in values files.
4. Define hook/job secrets through the chart values key hooks.secretName (in values.*.yaml), then consume it in hook templates (for example migration/sync jobs).
5. If the repository uses local env files, mirror new variables in .env.example and .env with safe placeholder defaults.
6. Check chart-specific secret naming and namespace conventions before deploying.