helm-values-management
Manage Helm values — override precedence, multi-env configs, --set, schema validation, secrets. Use when the user mentions Helm values, env-specific configs, or values.yaml.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/laurigates/claude-plugins --skill helm-values-management- 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 helm-values-management 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.
Helm Values Management
Comprehensive guidance for managing Helm values across environments, understanding override precedence, and advanced configuration strategies.
When to Use This Skill
| Use this skill when... | Use <sibling> instead when... |
|---|---|
| Designing per-environment values files (dev/staging/prod) and override precedence | Use helm-release-management when the focus is the install/upgrade command itself rather than values shape |
Reasoning about --set, --set-string, --values, and --reuse-values behaviour | Use helm-debugging when values rendering produces wrong YAML or value type errors |
| Adding values schema validation or secret-injection patterns | Use helm-chart-development when the values schema lives inside a chart you are authoring |
When to Use
Use this skill automatically when:
- User needs to configure Helm deployments with custom values
- User mentions environment-specific configurations (dev/staging/prod)
- User asks about value override precedence or merging
- User needs to manage secrets or sensitive configuration
- User wants to understand what values were deployed
- User needs to validate or inspect values
Value Override Precedence
Values are merged with right-most precedence (last wins):
1. Chart defaults (values.yaml in chart)
↓
2. Parent chart values (if subchart)
↓
3. Previous release values (--reuse-values)
↓
4. Values files in order (-f values1.yaml -f values2.yaml)
↓
5. Individual overrides (--set, --set-string, --set-json, --set-file)
↑
HIGHEST PRECEDENCE
Example Precedence
# Chart values.yaml
replicaCount: 1
image:
tag: "1.0.0"
# -f base.yaml
replicaCount: 2
# -f production.yaml
image:
tag: "2.0.0"
# --set replicaCount=5
# RESULT:
# replicaCount: 5 (from --set, highest precedence)
# image.tag: "2.0.0" (from production.yaml)
Core Value Commands
View Default Values
# Show chart default values
helm show values <chart>
# Show values from specific chart version
helm show values <chart> --version 1.2.3
# Save defaults to file
helm show values bitnami/nginx > default-values.yaml
View Deployed Values
# Get values used in deployed release
helm get values <release> --namespace <namespace>
# Get ALL values (including defaults)
helm get values <release> --namespace <namespace> --all
# Get values in different formats
helm get values <release> -n <namespace> -o json
# Get values from specific revision
helm get values <release> -n <namespace> --revision 2
Set Values During Install/Upgrade
# Using values file
helm install myapp ./chart \
--namespace prod \
--values values.yaml
# Using multiple values files (right-most wins)
helm install myapp ./chart \
--namespace prod \
-f values/base.yaml \
-f values/production.yaml
# Using --set for individual values
helm install myapp ./chart \
--namespace prod \
--set replicaCount=3 \
--set image.tag=v2.0.0
# Using --set-string to force string type
helm install myapp ./chart \
--namespace prod \
--set-string version="1.0"
# Using --set-json for complex structures
helm install myapp ./chart \
--namespace prod \
--set-json 'nodeSelector={"disktype":"ssd","region":"us-west"}'
# Using --set-file to read value from file
helm install myapp ./chart \
--namespace prod \
--set-file tlsCert=./certs/tls.crt
Value Reuse Strategies
# Reuse existing values, merge with new
helm upgrade myapp ./chart \
--namespace prod \
--reuse-values \
--set image.tag=v2.0.0
# Reset to chart defaults, ignore existing values
helm upgrade myapp ./chart \
--namespace prod \
--reset-values \
-f new-values.yaml
Multi-Environment Value Management
Directory Structure
project/
├── charts/
│ └── myapp/ # Helm chart
│ ├── Chart.yaml
│ ├── values.yaml # Chart defaults
│ └── templates/
└── values/ # Environment-specific values
├── common.yaml # Shared across all environments
├── dev.yaml # Development overrides
├── staging.yaml # Staging overrides
├── production.yaml # Production overrides
└── secrets/ # Sensitive values (gitignored)
├── dev.yaml
├── staging.yaml
└── production.yaml
Common Values (values/common.yaml)
# Shared configuration across all environments
app:
name: myapp
labels:
team: platform
component: api
service:
type: ClusterIP
port: 8080
ingress:
enabled: true
className: nginx
annotations:
cert-manager.io/cluster-issuer: letsencrypt
resources:
requests:
cpu: 100m
memory: 128Mi
Deployment Commands
# Deploy to dev
helm upgrade --install myapp ./charts/myapp \
--namespace dev \
--create-namespace \
-f values/common.yaml \
-f values/dev.yaml \
-f values/secrets/dev.yaml
# Deploy to staging
helm upgrade --install myapp ./charts/myapp \
--namespace staging \
--create-namespace \
-f values/common.yaml \
-f values/staging.yaml \
-f values/secrets/staging.yaml \
--atomic --wait
# Deploy to production
helm upgrade --install myapp ./charts/myapp \
--namespace production \
--create-namespace \
-f values/common.yaml \
-f values/production.yaml \
-f values/secrets/production.yaml \
--atomic --wait --timeout 10m
Value Syntax & Types
Simple Values
# String
name: myapp
tag: "v1.0.0" # Quote to ensure string
# Number
replicaCount: 3
port: 8080
# Boolean
enabled: true
debug: false
# Null
database: null
Nested Values
# Nested objects
image:
repository: nginx
tag: "1.21.0"
pullPolicy: IfNotPresent
# Access in template: {{ .Values.image.repository }}
Lists/Arrays
# Simple list
tags:
- api
- web
- production
# List of objects
env:
- name: DATABASE_URL
value: postgres://db:5432/myapp
- name: REDIS_URL
value: redis://cache:6379
Setting Values via CLI
# Simple value
--set name=myapp
# Nested value (use dot notation)
--set image.tag=v2.0.0
--set ingress.annotations."cert-manager\.io/cluster-issuer"=letsencrypt
# List values (use array index or {})
--set tags={api,web,prod}
# Complex JSON structures
--set-json 'nodeSelector={"disk":"ssd","region":"us-west"}'
# Force string (prevents numeric conversion)
--set-string version="1.0"
# Read value from file
--set-file cert=./tls.crt
Value Validation & Testing
Template with Values
# Render templates with values
helm template myapp ./chart --values values.yaml
# Validate against Kubernetes API
helm install myapp ./chart \
--values values.yaml \
--dry-run --validate
Check Computed Values
# See what values will be used (before install)
helm template myapp ./chart \
--values values.yaml \
--debug 2>&1 | grep -A 100 "COMPUTED VALUES"
# See what values were used (after install)
helm get values myapp --namespace prod --all
Test Different Value Combinations
# Test with minimal values
helm template myapp ./chart --set image.tag=test
# Test with full production values
helm template myapp ./chart \
-f values/common.yaml \
-f values/production.yaml
For detailed environment value examples, schema validation JSON, secret management options, template value handling patterns, best practices, and troubleshooting, see REFERENCE.md.
Agentic Optimizations
| Context | Command |
|---|---|
| View values (JSON) | helm get values <release> -n <ns> -o json |
| All values (JSON) | helm get values <release> -n <ns> --all -o json |
| Computed values | helm template myapp ./chart -f values.yaml --debug 2>&1 | grep -A 50 "COMPUTED VALUES" |
| Validate schema | helm install myapp ./chart -f values.yaml --dry-run 2>&1 | head -50 |
Related Skills
- Helm Release Management - Using values during install/upgrade
- Helm Debugging - Troubleshooting value errors
- Helm Chart Development - Creating charts with good value design
References
FAQ
What does the helm-values-management skill do?
Manage Helm values — override precedence, multi-env configs, --set, schema validation, secrets. Use when the user mentions Helm values, env-specific configs, or values.yaml.
How do I install helm-values-management?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/laurigates/claude-plugins --skill helm-values-management 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/helm-values-management/ (personal) or .claude/skills/helm-values-management/ (project).
Which AI agents can use helm-values-management?
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 helm-values-management 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 helm-values-management?
It is published by laurigates in laurigates/claude-plugins. It has 73 recorded installs.
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