helm dependency update: Command Reference for CI/CD

Resolve and vendor a chart subchart dependencies.

helm dependency update reads the dependencies in Chart.yaml, downloads matching subcharts into charts/, and refreshes Chart.lock. This reference distinguishes it from dependency build and shows where it fits in a CI build.

Common flags and usage

• dependency update <chart>: resolve, download subcharts, rewrite Chart.lock
• dependency build <chart>: download exactly what Chart.lock pins (reproducible)
• dependency list <chart>: show declared dependencies and their status
• --skip-refresh: do not refresh repo indexes first
• Requires the dependency repos to be added first

Example

helm repo add bitnami https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami --force-update
helm repo update
helm dependency update ./charts/web   # writes charts/ and Chart.lock

In CI

Use dependency build (not update) when Chart.lock is committed, so CI installs exactly the pinned versions reproducibly; update re-resolves and can drift. Either way, add and update the dependency repos first, or resolution fails with "no repository definition".

Key takeaways

• update re-resolves and rewrites Chart.lock; build installs the pinned lock.
• For reproducible CI with a committed lock, prefer dependency build.
• Add the dependency repos before resolving, or it fails.

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