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Helm Chart Scaffolding

Seth HobsonCommunityCreated by Seth Hobson

  • Skill
  • Tool integration
  • Cloud and DevOps
  • MIT
  • Low risk
  • Has scripts
Download ZIP

From the author

Design, organize, and manage Helm charts for templating and packaging Kubernetes applications with reusable configurations. Use when creating Helm charts, packaging Kubernetes applications, or implementing templated deployments.
— the description by Seth Hobson

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

This skill provides a structured approach to creating and maintaining Helm charts, the standard package manager for Kubernetes. It covers the essential directory structure, metadata configuration in Chart.yaml, hierarchical values management, and the implementation of reusable Go-based templates. Designed for developers and DevOps engineers, it ensures that Kubernetes applications are packaged consistently, follow best practices for versioning and dependency management, and are ready for multi-environment deployment.

What it does

  • Defines standard directory structures for Helm charts
  • Provides templates for Chart.yaml and values.yaml files
  • Explains how to implement Go templating for Kubernetes manifests
  • Guides the configuration of chart dependencies and conditions
  • Offers best practices for versioning, labeling, and validation
  • Includes troubleshooting commands for rendering and installation

When to use it

  • When creating new Helm charts from scratch
  • When packaging Kubernetes applications for distribution
  • When implementing templated deployments for multiple environments
  • When needing to manage complex application dependencies
  • When standardizing Kubernetes manifest management across a team

Advantages

  • Promotes consistency through standardized file structures
  • Enables reusable configurations via hierarchical values
  • Simplifies complex deployments with template helpers
  • Supports production-ready practices like semantic versioning
  • Provides clear paths for debugging and validation

Usage examples

“How do I initialize a new Helm chart structure?”
The agent will guide you to use the 'helm create' command and explain the purpose of the generated directories like templates/ and charts/.
“How can I make my deployment replicas configurable in values.yaml?”
The agent will show you how to define a 'replicaCount' key in values.yaml and reference it in your deployment.yaml template using '{{ .Values.replicaCount }}'.
“How do I troubleshoot a template rendering error?”
The agent will provide the 'helm template' command with the '--debug' flag to inspect the generated manifests before installation.
“What is the difference between an application chart and a library chart?”
The agent will explain that application charts are installable units, while library charts are used as dependencies to share template helpers.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/wshobson/helm-chart-scaffolding/download

  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip helm-chart-scaffolding.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by Seth Hobson

Helm Chart Scaffolding

Comprehensive guidance for creating, organizing, and managing Helm charts for packaging and deploying Kubernetes applications.

Purpose

This skill provides step-by-step instructions for building production-ready Helm charts, including chart structure, templating patterns, values management, and validation strategies.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

  • Create new Helm charts from scratch

  • Package Kubernetes applications for distribution

  • Manage multi-environment deployments with Helm

  • Implement templating for reusable Kubernetes manifests

  • Set up Helm chart repositories

  • Follow Helm best practices and conventions

Detailed patterns and worked examples

Detailed pattern documentation lives in references/details.md. Read that file when the navigation tier above is insufficient.

Best Practices

  1. Use semantic versioning for chart and app versions

  2. Document all values in values.yaml with comments

  3. Use template helpers for repeated logic

  4. Validate charts before packaging

  5. Pin dependency versions explicitly

  6. Use conditions for optional resources

  7. Follow naming conventions (lowercase, hyphens)

  8. Include NOTES.txt with usage instructions

  9. Add labels consistently using helpers

  10. Test installations in all environments

Troubleshooting

Template rendering errors:

helm template my-app ./my-app --debug

Dependency issues:

helm dependency update
helm dependency list

Installation failures:

helm install my-app ./my-app --dry-run --debug
kubectl get events --sort-by='.lastTimestamp'

Related Skills

  • k8s-manifest-generator - For creating base Kubernetes manifests

  • gitops-workflow - For automated Helm chart deployments

Files

assets/Chart.yaml.template

apiVersion: v2
name: <chart-name>
description: <Chart description>
type: application
version: 0.1.0
appVersion: "1.0.0"

keywords:
  - <keyword1>
  - <keyword2>

home: https://github.com/<org>/<repo>

sources:
  - https://github.com/<org>/<repo>

maintainers:
  - name: <Maintainer Name>
    email: <[email protected]>
    url: https://github.com/<username>

icon: https://example.com/icon.png

kubeVersion: ">=1.24.0"

dependencies:
  - name: postgresql
    version: "12.0.0"
    repository: "https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami"
    condition: postgresql.enabled
    tags:
      - database
  - name: redis
    version: "17.0.0"
    repository: "https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami"
    condition: redis.enabled
    tags:
      - cache

annotations:
  category: Application
  licenses: Apache-2.0

Requirements and compatibility

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Needs: Needs a command-line tool

Security

What our scanner noticed· Low risk

  • Scripts that your agent may run

This skill includes scripts that your agent may run. Read them before you use it.

A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.

Attribution and licence

Created by
Seth Hobson
Publisher
Seth Hobson (Community)
Source
wshobson/agents · plugins/kubernetes-operations/skills/helm-chart-scaffolding · commit 4bde316
Licence
MIT License (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
Synced

AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by Seth Hobson.

Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download helm-chart-scaffolding.zip