kubectl api-resources: Usage, Options & CI Errors

List every resource type the cluster actually understands.

kubectl api-resources enumerates the kinds the API server serves - built-ins and CRDs alike - with their short names and groups. It is the way to confirm a custom resource exists before you apply a manifest that uses it.

What it does

kubectl api-resources lists each resource type with its NAME, SHORTNAMES, APIVERSION, NAMESPACED flag, and KIND. Filter with --api-group, --namespaced=true/false, or --verbs=list. Its sibling kubectl api-versions lists the served group/versions. Together they tell you exactly what the cluster can accept.

Common usage

kubectl api-resources
kubectl api-resources --namespaced=true
kubectl api-resources --api-group=networking.k8s.io
kubectl api-resources | grep -i certificate    # is cert-manager installed?
kubectl api-versions

Common errors in CI

When kubectl apply fails with "unable to recognize ...: no matches for kind \"X\" in version \"Y\"", the cluster does not serve that kind. Confirm with kubectl api-resources | grep X. Almost always a CRD (cert-manager Certificate, an Ingress on an old apiVersion, an operator type) is not installed or the controller has not registered it yet. Gate manifest application on the CRD being present, or apply the CRD/operator first and kubectl wait for its establishment before applying resources that depend on it.

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