Skip to content
Get packs

GKE Cost Optimization

Guides an agent through lowering Google Kubernetes Engine cloud costs safely and accurately

Source Download skill
Repository
google/skills
Stars
21,782
Licence
Apache-2.0
Files
5 files

What it does

Once installed, the agent knows a structured playbook for reducing Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) spending. It can set resource quotas for shared clusters, recommend shrinking over-sized CPU and memory requests using Vertical Pod Autoscaler recommendations, route fault-tolerant workloads to cheaper Spot VMs with clear preemption warnings, and advise on machine types and committed use discounts. It also points to other skills for cost analysis and compute class configuration.

Great for

  • Platform or DevOps engineers who run GKE clusters and want to cut spend
  • Teams running multi-tenant clusters who need namespace resource quotas
  • Developers deciding whether a batch or dev workload can safely use Spot VMs

Skip it if

  • Stateful production databases or single-replica critical services, which the skill itself marks as unsuitable for Spot VMs and could be harmed by preemption
  • Non-GKE cloud cost questions, since the guidance is specific to GKE and Google Cloud commitments
  • Making purchase decisions for committed use discounts without checking current pricing, because the discount figures are approximate and the commitment bills for the full term even if unused

Try asking

  • “Review my GKE cluster's workloads and suggest CPU and memory request reductions based on VPA recommendations”
  • “Set up a resource quota for the team-a namespace in my multi-tenant GKE cluster”
  • “Convert my batch processing Deployment to run on Spot VMs with a safe preemption setup”
  • “Which machine family should I use for a steady-state GKE node pool, and should I buy a committed use discount?”
Step-by-step guide: how to use GKE Cost OptimizationInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

Install in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Download the skill

    The ZIP contains the 5 original files, the Apache-2.0 licence and an attribution note.

    gke-cost-optimization.zip
  2. 2

    Add it to your agent

    Claude Code (all projects)

    mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && unzip gke-cost-optimization.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/

    Claude Code / Agent SDK (this project only)

    mkdir -p .claude/skills && unzip gke-cost-optimization.zip -d .claude/skills/

    Claude apps (web/desktop): Settings → Capabilities → Skills → Upload skill, and choose the ZIP.

  3. 3

    Ask for the task

    No special command needed — the agent reads the skill's description and loads it when your request matches. Try one of the prompts above.

Get better results

  • Let VPA run in recommendation mode for at least 24 hours before acting on its numbers, as the skill advises
  • Always review the agent's kubectl and gcloud commands before running them against a live cluster, since it may apply manifests directly
  • Confirm current Spot, committed use discount and Autopilot pricing in the Google Cloud console, since the skill's percentages are rough guides

What's inside

  • assets/resource-quota-example.yaml
  • assets/spot-deployment-example.yaml
  • assets/vpa-recommendation-mode.yaml
  • references/attribution.md
  • SKILL.md

Redistributed unmodified from google/skills under the Apache-2.0 licence. The assessment was drafted with AI from the skill's files on 2026-10-29. Skills can instruct your agent to run code — read SKILL.md and any scripts before installing.