# atmos kubernetes diff

Check what would change in the cluster before you deploy. `diff` renders the
component, asks Kubernetes to validate the update with server-side dry run,
and reports which objects would be created, changed, or left alone.

**Configure Kubernetes Components**

`diff` uses the same stack inputs as deployment: `provider`, `paths`,
`manifests`, `vars`, `env`, Auth, hooks, and dependencies.

Stack Configuration

[Read more](/stacks/components/kubernetes)

## Usage

```shell
atmos kubernetes diff <component> --stack <stack>
atmos kubernetes diff --affected --base origin/main
```

`diff` renders the final manifests, sends each object through Kubernetes
server-side dry-run apply, reads the live object through the dynamic client,
normalizes volatile metadata, and reports whether each object would be created,
changed, or left unchanged.

The command does not require the `kubectl` binary and does not run `kubectl diff`.

## Example

```shell
atmos kubernetes diff argocd -s plat-ue2-dev
```

Example output (each created or changed object is followed by its unified diff;
`no-change` objects and `Secret` objects show only the action line):

```diff
create v1/Namespace argocd
--- a/v1/Namespace_argocd.yaml
+++ b/v1/Namespace_argocd.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Namespace
+metadata:
+  name: argocd
changed apps/v1/Deployment argocd/argocd-server
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
   replicas: 2
-  image: argocd-server:2.10.0
+  image: argocd-server:2.11.0
no-change v1/Service argocd/argocd-server
```

When run in CI (`ci.enabled: true`), the same diff is also written to the job summary as a
collapsible **Kubernetes Diff** block. See [Job Summaries](/ci/job-summaries). `Secret` objects
are omitted from the diff so their data is never printed or written to the summary.

## Flags

- **`--stack`, `-s` (required)**
  Atmos stack.
- **`--all` (optional)**
  Diff all Kubernetes components in dependency order.
- **`--affected` (optional)**
  Diff affected Kubernetes components and their dependencies.
- **`--include-dependents` (optional)**
  With 
  `--affected`
  , include dependent Kubernetes components.