vD vDan VMware · VCF · NSX · K8S

kubectl CLI Interactive Mindmap

Short answer: this mindmap shows all kubectl commands and subcommands of the current kubectl reference. That is 44 commands and 65 subcommands of kubectl v1.37. They are grouped the way kubectl --help groups them: Basic, Deploy, Cluster Management, Troubleshooting and Debugging, Advanced, Settings and Other. Click a command for its usage line, description and examples. Every option is listed with its type and default, and the global flags every command inherits sit in a collapsed block. Search names, descriptions, flags and examples with highlighting. Expand the tree by level, switch between the list and the mind map, copy a command or a deep link, and export the selection as Markdown.

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How to use the kubectl commands mindmap

  • Command panel. A click shows the usage line, the description and the examples. Each example has a copy button. The options follow with shorthand, type and default. The global flags every command inherits (--namespace, --context, --kubeconfig and the others) sit in a collapsed block at the end. Flags the command redefines are left out of that block.
  • Search. The search matches command names and short descriptions by default. “Search in” widens it to the long descriptions, the options and the example commands. Type --selector or -l to find every command with that flag. Matches are highlighted in the list, the map and the panel. Press / to jump to the search box.
  • Map, list, export. “Expand” opens the tree by level. “Map” draws it as a mind map with zoom and pan, “List” shows it as an outline. “Copy link” gives a URL such as ?cmd=rollout+undo that opens this page on that command. “Markdown” copies the current selection with the documentation links.

How the kubectl commands are grouped

  • Basic Commands. create, expose, run and set for beginners; explain, get, edit and delete for the daily work.
  • Deploy Commands. rollout, scale and autoscale.
  • Cluster Management Commands. certificate, cluster-info, top, cordon, uncordon, drain and taint.
  • Troubleshooting and Debugging Commands. describe, logs, attach, exec, port-forward, proxy, cp, auth, debug and events.
  • Advanced Commands. diff, apply, patch, replace, wait and kustomize.
  • Settings and Other Commands. label, annotate and completion; api-resources, api-versions, config, plugin, version, options and kuberc. Commands with subcommands, such as create, rollout, config or set, expand one level deeper.

Frequently asked questions

How many kubectl commands are there?

The kubectl v1.37 reference documents 44 top-level commands and 65 subcommands, 109 in total. The mindmap shows all of them. The count changes with the release: kuberc, for example, is new in the 1.37 reference and sits under Other Commands.

Which kubectl version does the mindmap describe?

The version the kubectl reference on kubernetes.io describes at build time, shown in the header pill. Today that is kubectl v1.37. The data is regenerated from the reference with a script, so the mindmap follows the documentation, not a hand-kept list.

What are the global kubectl options?

The 35 flags every kubectl command accepts: the kubeconfig selection (--kubeconfig, --context, --cluster, --user, --namespace), the connection flags (--server, --token, --certificate-authority, --insecure-skip-tls-verify), impersonation (--as, --as-group), logging (-v) and a few more. Every command panel lists them in the collapsed “Global options” block. The root node kubectl lists them too.

How do I link to one kubectl command?

Add ?cmd= and the command without the kubectl prefix to this page, for example ?cmd=rollout+undo or ?cmd=create+secret+generic. The page opens the mindmap on that command. The “Copy link” button in the panel writes such a link to the clipboard.

Is this the same as kubectl –help?

The grouping is the same. The content goes further: the mindmap carries the examples and the full option tables of the reference pages for every command and subcommand, and the search covers all of them at once. kubectl --help and kubectl <command> --help stay the authority on the cluster you work on, because the reference describes one release.

Sources