gitops-workflows
GitOps workflows and patterns using ArgoCD and Flux for declarative Kubernetes deployments. Use when implementing CI/CD for Kubernetes, managing multi-environment deployments, or adopting declarative infrastructure practices.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/nickcrew/claude-cortex --skill gitops-workflows- 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 gitops-workflows 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.
GitOps Workflows
Expert guidance for implementing production-grade GitOps workflows using ArgoCD and Flux CD, covering declarative deployment patterns, progressive delivery strategies, multi-environment management, and secure secret handling for Kubernetes infrastructure.
When to Use This Skill
- Implementing GitOps principles for Kubernetes deployments
- Automating continuous delivery from Git repositories
- Managing multi-cluster or multi-environment deployments
- Implementing progressive delivery (canary, blue-green) strategies
- Configuring automated sync policies and reconciliation
- Managing secrets securely in GitOps workflows
- Setting up environment promotion workflows
- Designing repository structures for GitOps (monorepo vs multi-repo)
- Implementing rollback strategies and disaster recovery
- Establishing compliance and audit trails through Git
Core Concepts
The Four Principles
- Declarative: Entire system state expressed in code
- Versioned: Canonical state stored in Git with full history
- Pulled Automatically: Agents pull desired state (no push to prod)
- Continuously Reconciled: Automatic drift detection and correction
Key Benefits
- Complete deployment history and audit trail
- Fast rollback via Git operations
- Enhanced security (no cluster credentials in CI)
- Self-healing infrastructure
- Multi-cluster consistency
- Familiar Git workflows for infrastructure changes
Quick Reference
| Task | Load reference |
|---|---|
| GitOps principles and benefits | skills/gitops-workflows/references/core-principles.md |
| Repository structure patterns (monorepo, multi-repo, branches) | skills/gitops-workflows/references/repository-structures.md |
| ArgoCD setup, Applications, ApplicationSets | skills/gitops-workflows/references/argocd-implementation.md |
| Flux bootstrap, sources, Kustomizations, HelmReleases | skills/gitops-workflows/references/flux-implementation.md |
| Environment promotion strategies | skills/gitops-workflows/references/environment-promotion.md |
| Secret management (Sealed Secrets, ESO, SOPS) | skills/gitops-workflows/references/secret-management.md |
| Progressive delivery (canary, blue-green) | skills/gitops-workflows/references/progressive-delivery.md |
| Rollback strategies and disaster recovery | skills/gitops-workflows/references/rollback-strategies.md |
| Best practices and patterns | skills/gitops-workflows/references/best-practices.md |
Workflow Steps
1. Choose Repository Structure
Decision factors:
- Team size and organization structure
- Application coupling and dependencies
- Access control requirements
- Deployment frequency and independence
Options:
- Monorepo: Single repo, unified platform teams, shared infrastructure
- Multi-repo: Separate repos per app/team, independent release cycles
- Environment branches: Git flow style, simple mental model
2. Select GitOps Tool
ArgoCD:
- UI-focused with visual application management
- App of Apps pattern for hierarchical deployments
- ApplicationSets for multi-cluster deployments
- Strong RBAC and project isolation
Flux:
- CLI-first, GitOps Toolkit architecture
- Native Kustomize and Helm support
- Automated image updates
- Lighter weight, cloud-native
3. Configure Secret Management
Never commit unencrypted secrets to Git
Options:
- Sealed Secrets: Client-side encryption, simple workflow
- External Secrets Operator: Sync from external secret stores (AWS, Vault, GCP)
- SOPS: File-based encryption with age or cloud KMS
4. Implement Sync Policies
Non-production environments:
- Automated sync with
pruneandselfHeal - Frequent reconciliation (1-5 minutes)
- Fail fast with immediate feedback
Production environments:
- Manual approval or gated automation
- Health checks and wait conditions
- Progressive delivery for high-risk changes
- Sync windows for maintenance periods
5. Set Up Environment Promotion
Promotion strategies:
- Git-based: Tag or branch promotion with Git operations
- Kustomize overlays: Update image tags in environment-specific overlays
- Automated updates: Flux ImageUpdateAutomation for semver policies
6. Configure Progressive Delivery
For high-risk changes:
- ArgoCD Rollouts: Canary deployments with automated analysis
- Flagger: Progressive delivery with metric-based promotion
- Traffic shifting with Istio or other service mesh
- Automated rollback on failed analysis
7. Establish Rollback Procedures
Git rollback:
git revertfor specific commits- Tag-based rollback by updating targetRevision
- Fast and declarative
Tool-specific:
- ArgoCD:
argocd app rollbackwith revision history - Flux: Suspend automation, manual rollback, resume
Common Mistakes
- Committing unencrypted secrets - Always use secret management solution
- No automated sync in non-prod - Slows development feedback
- Automated sync in production without gates - High risk of breaking changes
- Ignoring drift detection - Manual changes should be reconciled or alerted
- No health checks - Sync succeeds but app is unhealthy
- Missing dependency ordering - Apps deploy before infrastructure ready
- No rollback testing - Discover issues during actual incidents
- Inconsistent environments - Staging differs too much from production
- No promotion testing - Manual errors during environment promotion
- Weak RBAC - Too many permissions for GitOps service accounts
Resources
- OpenGitOps: https://opengitops.dev/
- ArgoCD Documentation: https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/
- Flux Documentation: https://fluxcd.io/docs/
- ArgoCD Rollouts: https://argoproj.github.io/argo-rollouts/
- Flagger: https://docs.flagger.app/
- External Secrets Operator: https://external-secrets.io/
- Sealed Secrets: https://github.com/bitnami-labs/sealed-secrets
- SOPS: https://github.com/mozilla/sops
FAQ
What does the gitops-workflows skill do?
GitOps workflows and patterns using ArgoCD and Flux for declarative Kubernetes deployments. Use when implementing CI/CD for Kubernetes, managing multi-environment deployments, or adopting declarative infrastructure practices.
How do I install gitops-workflows?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/nickcrew/claude-cortex --skill gitops-workflows 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/gitops-workflows/ (personal) or .claude/skills/gitops-workflows/ (project).
Which AI agents can use gitops-workflows?
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 gitops-workflows 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 gitops-workflows?
It is published by nickcrew in nickcrew/claude-cortex. It has 92 recorded installs.
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