agent-install

Q: How do I install agent-install?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/datadog-labs/agent-skills --skill agent-install in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/agent-install/ (personal) or .claude/skills/agent-install/ (project).

by datadog-labs OfficialDevOps & Cloud

Install the Datadog Agent on Kubernetes using the Datadog Operator — required before enabling Single Step Instrumentation (SSI), which automatically instruments applications for APM without code changes. Only use if no Datadog Agent is deployed on the cluster yet.

Installs: 431
Last 24h: —
Trending rank: —
Security: Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/datadog-labs/agent-skills --skill agent-install

01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads agent-install automatically when relevant.
03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

Install the Datadog Agent on Kubernetes

Before doing anything else: Fully resolve all variables in ## Context to resolve before acting. Do not begin Step 1 until every variable has a concrete value.

Phase 0: Load Credentials

[ -f environment ] && source environment
echo "DD_API_KEY set: $([ -n "${DD_API_KEY:-}" ] && echo yes || echo no)"
echo "DD_SITE: ${DD_SITE:-not set}"
echo "helm: $(helm version --short 2>/dev/null || echo NOT FOUND)"

If helm is not found — tell the user:

helm is required for this skill. Install it with:
brew install helm        # macOS
# or see https://helm.sh/docs/intro/install/ for other platforms
Once installed, let me know and I'll continue.

Do not proceed until helm is available.

If DD_API_KEY is already set — proceed to Prerequisites.

If DD_API_KEY is not set — tell the user:

I need two things to continue:

1. Datadog API Key — used to authenticate the Agent with your Datadog account. You can find or create one at: https://app.datadoghq.com/organization-settings/api-keys

2. Datadog Site — the region your Datadog account is on. Most accounts use datadoghq.com. Check your Datadog URL to confirm (e.g. app.datadoghq.eu → site is datadoghq.eu). Other options: us3.datadoghq.com, us5.datadoghq.com, ap1.datadoghq.com.

Please run the following in this chat to set your credentials (the ! prefix executes it in this session):
! export DD_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
! export DD_SITE=datadoghq.com

Wait for the user to run the commands, then re-run the check above before continuing.

Prerequisites

Kubernetes v1.20+ — kubectl version
helm v3+ — helm version
kubectl configured to target cluster — kubectl config current-context

pup-cli installed — check with pup --version; if missing, install it now:

if [[ "$(uname)" == "Darwin" ]]; then
  brew tap datadog-labs/pack && brew install pup
else
  PUP_VERSION=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/datadog-labs/pup/releases/latest | grep '"tag_name"' | cut -d'"' -f4)
  curl -L "https://github.com/datadog-labs/pup/releases/download/${PUP_VERSION}/pup_linux_amd64.tar.gz" | tar xz -C /usr/local/bin pup
  chmod +x /usr/local/bin/pup
fi
pup --version

Do not skip — proceed only once pup --version succeeds.

Context to resolve before acting

Variable	How to resolve
`CLUSTER_NAME`	Check repo IaC, scripts, or `kubectl config current-context`
`DD_SITE`	Ask the user. Default: `datadoghq.com`. Common options: `datadoghq.eu`, `us3.datadoghq.com`, `us5.datadoghq.com`, `ap1.datadoghq.com`. Full list: https://docs.datadoghq.com/getting_started/site/
`AGENT_NAMESPACE`	Use `datadog` unless the repo already uses `datadog-agent` consistently
`CHART_VERSION`	Run `helm search repo datadog/datadog-operator --versions \| head -5` and use the latest stable

Step 1: Check for an Existing Agent Installation

Claude runs

helm list -A | grep -i datadog

If a release shows deployed — Agent already installed. Skip to Step 5 to confirm health, then exit.

If there is no output — no existing install. Continue to Step 2.

Step 2: Install the Datadog Operator

Claude runs

helm repo add datadog https://helm.datadoghq.com
helm repo update

helm upgrade --install datadog-operator datadog/datadog-operator \
  --namespace <AGENT_NAMESPACE> \
  --create-namespace \
  --version <CHART_VERSION>

kubectl wait --for=condition=Ready pod \
  -l app.kubernetes.io/name=datadog-operator \
  -n <AGENT_NAMESPACE> \
  --timeout=120s

If the Operator pod is Running — continue to Step 3.

ERROR: Pod not ready after 120s — check image pull: kubectl describe pod -l app.kubernetes.io/name=datadog-operator -n <AGENT_NAMESPACE>.

Step 3: Create the API Key Secret

What you need to do in a terminal

export DD_API_KEY=<your-api-key>

kubectl create secret generic datadog-secret \
  --from-literal api-key=$DD_API_KEY \
  --namespace <AGENT_NAMESPACE>

If secret/datadog-secret created — continue to Step 4.

ERROR: AlreadyExists — confirm which key it holds via Step 5 before deciding whether to recreate.

Step 4: Deploy the DatadogAgent Resource

[DECISION: cluster type]

Self-hosted (minikube, kind): include kubelet.tlsVerify: false inside spec.global
Managed (GKE, EKS, AKS): omit kubelet.tlsVerify entirely

[DECISION: APM/SSI also being enabled in this session]

If yes: do not create a separate DatadogAgent for APM — extend this same manifest with features.apm per enable-ssi. One manifest, not two.
If no: use the manifest below as-is.

Save the following as datadog-agent.yaml:

apiVersion: datadoghq.com/v2alpha1
kind: DatadogAgent
metadata:
  name: datadog
  namespace: <AGENT_NAMESPACE>
spec:
  global:
    clusterName: <CLUSTER_NAME>
    site: <DD_SITE>
    credentials:
      apiSecret:
        secretName: datadog-secret
        keyName: api-key
    # Self-hosted clusters only (minikube, kind):
    # kubelet:
    #   tlsVerify: false
  features:
    orchestratorExplorer:
      enabled: true
    clusterChecks:
      enabled: true
    logCollection:
      enabled: true
      containerCollectAll: false

Claude runs

kubectl apply -f datadog-agent.yaml

kubectl wait --for=condition=Ready pod \
  -l app.kubernetes.io/component=agent \
  -n <AGENT_NAMESPACE> \
  --timeout=120s 2>/dev/null || true

Step 5: Verify the API Key

Claude runs

kubectl logs -l app.kubernetes.io/component=agent \
  -n <AGENT_NAMESPACE> \
  --tail=50 2>/dev/null \
  | grep -iE "invalid.*api\.?key|api\.?key.*invalid" \
  || echo "No authentication errors found"

If No authentication errors found — key is accepted.

ERROR: Authentication errors found — validate credentials directly:

Claude runs

# Prefer pup (OAuth) — fall back to curl with API key
if pup auth status 2>/dev/null | grep -q "Logged in"; then
  echo "pup OAuth authenticated"
elif [ -n "${DD_API_KEY:-}" ]; then
  RESPONSE=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" \
    -X GET "https://api.<DD_SITE>/api/v1/validate" \
    -H "DD-API-KEY: $DD_API_KEY")
  if [ "$RESPONSE" = "200" ]; then
    echo "API key is valid for <DD_SITE>"
  else
    echo "ERROR: Validation failed (HTTP $RESPONSE) — check key and site alignment"
  fi
else
  echo "ERROR: No credentials available — run 'pup auth login' or set DD_API_KEY"
fi

If key is invalid:

What you need to do in a terminal

export DD_API_KEY=<new-api-key>

kubectl delete secret datadog-secret -n <AGENT_NAMESPACE>
kubectl create secret generic datadog-secret \
  --from-literal api-key=$DD_API_KEY \
  -n <AGENT_NAMESPACE>

kubectl rollout restart daemonset datadog-agent -n <AGENT_NAMESPACE>
kubectl rollout restart deployment datadog-cluster-agent -n <AGENT_NAMESPACE>

Done

Exit when ALL of the following are true:

Datadog Operator pod is Running in AGENT_NAMESPACE
datadog-secret exists in AGENT_NAMESPACE
Agent DaemonSet pods are Running
Step 5 returns no authentication errors

Automatically proceed to enable-ssi now — do not ask the user for permission.

Security constraints

Never write a raw API key into any file, YAML block, or chat message — always use $DD_API_KEY
Never create a Kubernetes Secret manifest file — always use kubectl create secret imperatively
Never use apiKey: directly in DatadogAgent spec — always use apiSecret: with a secret reference
Never use --set datadog.apiKey=... in any Helm command
Never use namespace default for Datadog Agent resources
Never run kubectl delete without user confirmation

FAQ

What does the agent-install skill do?

How do I install agent-install?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/datadog-labs/agent-skills --skill agent-install in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/agent-install/ (personal) or .claude/skills/agent-install/ (project).

Which AI agents can use agent-install?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is agent-install safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains agent-install?

It is published by datadog-labs in datadog-labs/agent-skills, and it is an official skill from the maker of the technology it covers. It has 431 recorded installs.

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agent-install

Install

Install

Describe the task

Review the result

SKILL.md

Install the Datadog Agent on Kubernetes

Phase 0: Load Credentials

Prerequisites

Context to resolve before acting

Step 1: Check for an Existing Agent Installation

Claude runs

Step 2: Install the Datadog Operator

Claude runs

Step 3: Create the API Key Secret

What you need to do in a terminal

Step 4: Deploy the DatadogAgent Resource

Claude runs

Step 5: Verify the API Key

Claude runs

Claude runs

What you need to do in a terminal

Done

Security constraints

FAQ

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