Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Kubernetes Manifest Generator agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The k8s-manifest-generator skill gives an AI agent guidance for writing Kubernetes manifests, the YAML files that describe what should run in a cluster and how it is reached. It is aimed at developers creating a first draft for a new service and at teams that want consistent, security-minded defaults. By the end of this guide you will know how to install the skill, ask for manifests in plain language, and review the output before you use it.
Kubernetes Manifest Generatorwshobson/agents · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the skill ZIP file from this page.
- 2Install the skill. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
- 3Describe your workload. Tell the agent the app name, container image and tag, ports, configuration needs, resource needs and whether it must be reachable from outside the cluster.
- 4Ask for the manifests. Request the resource types you need, such as a Deployment, Service or ConfigMap, in plain language.
- 5Review and validate. Check names, labels, selectors and ports against your application, then validate with dry-run and your usual tooling before applying.
What does the skill make the agent do?
Once the skill is installed, the agent follows its guidance when you ask it to write Kubernetes configuration files. The skill covers Deployments, Services, ConfigMaps and Secrets, and its body also mentions PersistentVolumeClaims. It ships starter templates for Deployment, Service and ConfigMap, and reference notes on Deployment and Service specifications.
The skill also sets best-practice rules the agent applies by default, such as setting resource requests and limits, adding health checks, using specific image tags instead of unpredictable ones, applying security contexts such as running as non-root, and labelling resources consistently.
- Starter templates for Deployments, Services and ConfigMaps
- Resource requests and limits, health checks and security contexts
- Pinned image tags and standard Kubernetes labels
- Reference notes on Deployment and Service specifications
How do you install the skill?
Download the ZIP file from this page. Then either unzip it into your personal skills folder at ~/.claude/skills/, or unzip it into a project's .claude/skills/ folder if you want the skill available only in that project.
You can also upload the skill in the Claude apps. Open Settings, go to Capabilities, then choose Skills and add the ZIP there. Use whichever option fits how you work; both give the agent the same guidance.
- Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP
How do you trigger the skill with natural requests?
You do not need a special command. The skill describes when it should be used: when generating Kubernetes YAML manifests, creating K8s resources, or implementing production-grade Kubernetes configurations. Ask for those things in ordinary language and the agent should pick up the skill.
Be specific about the workload. The skill's own workflow asks for the application name, container image and tag, ports, storage needs, configuration and secrets, CPU and memory needs, and whether the app must be reachable from outside the cluster. Giving these up front produces a more useful first draft.
- Name the resource types you want, for example Deployment and Service
- Give the container image and a specific tag
- List the ports the app listens on and whether it must be reachable from outside the cluster
- Mention any configuration files or environment variables it needs
What do example requests look like?
A good request names the app, the image and what it needs. For example: ask for a Deployment for a backend service with three replicas, a ClusterIP Service on port 80 forwarding to container port 8080, and a ConfigMap for its settings. The agent should then return YAML that follows the skill's templates and includes resource limits, health checks and labels.
Read the output as a draft. Check that the names, namespace, selector labels and ports match what your application actually uses before you apply anything.
- Create a Deployment and Service for an internal API listening on port 8080
- Write a ConfigMap for the settings of a worker service and wire it into the Deployment
- Draft manifests for a new web app that needs to be reachable from outside the cluster
What does the skill need, and what are the safety notes?
The skill does not need Kubernetes tools installed to generate files. Tools such as kubectl appear only in its troubleshooting steps. According to the skill's description, it runs no scripts and makes no network calls.
The generated YAML is guidance-based. The skill's own best practices say to validate manifests before applying them, using dry-run and validation tools. Human review is essential for production clusters. The skill's description mentions Secrets, but the bundled templates shown cover only Deployment, Service and ConfigMap, so review any credential handling carefully and do not paste real secret values into prompts.
- No Kubernetes tooling is required just to generate files
- Runs no scripts and uses no network, according to the skill's description
- Validate every manifest with dry-run and validation tools before applying
- Review Secret handling by hand; bundled templates do not show a Secret template
What should you do when a deployment misbehaves?
The skill includes basic troubleshooting commands for three common problems: pods that will not start, services that cannot be reached, and ConfigMaps or Secrets that do not load. Run these against your own cluster to narrow down the cause.
- Pods not starting: check image pull errors and cluster events, and confirm nodes have capacity
- Service not reachable: confirm the selector matches pod labels and the service type and ports are correct
- ConfigMap or Secret not loading: confirm names match the Deployment, the namespace is correct, and the resources exist
kubectl describe pod <pod-name>
kubectl get nodes
kubectl get events --sort-by='.lastTimestamp'
kubectl get endpoints <service-name>
kubectl run debug --rm -it --image=busybox -- sh
kubectl get configmap,secretWhat people use it for
- Drafting a Deployment and Service for a new internal API
- Creating a ConfigMap for application settings that a Deployment reads
- Producing security-minded defaults for a team's shared YAML files
- Learning which settings Kubernetes best practice expects, such as limits and health checks
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the k8s-manifest-generator skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project. You can also upload the ZIP in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Does the k8s-manifest-generator skill require kubectl or a cluster?
No. The skill can generate manifest files without Kubernetes tooling. Commands such as kubectl appear only in its troubleshooting section, which you use when checking a running deployment.
Is the k8s-manifest-generator skill free?
The skill is published under the MIT licence. This page does not list any price, so check the source repository for its licence terms before you reuse it.
Can I use this skill to generate manifests for production?
You can use it for a first draft, but the output is guidance-based and not automatically checked. The skill itself advises validating with dry-run and validation tools, and a human should review the YAML before it reaches a production cluster.
Does the skill handle Kubernetes Secrets safely?
The description mentions Secrets, but the bundled templates shown cover only Deployment, Service and ConfigMap. Review any Secret manifests carefully and avoid putting real credential values into your prompts.
How does it compare with Helm or Kustomize?
This skill writes plain Kubernetes YAML manifests. The skill's next steps suggest considering Helm or Kustomize for templating, and it lists a separate helm-chart-scaffolding skill for packaging. Choose plain manifests for simple services and a templating tool when you manage many environments.
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Our verdict
This skill suits developers who need a solid first draft of Deployment, Service and ConfigMap YAML and teams that want consistent, security-minded defaults. It is less suitable if you want automated checks, reliable Secret handling or a ready-made production setup without review, so pick a validated tool or a templating system for those needs.
Download the skill