# open-policy-agent/gatekeeper

🐊 Policy Controller for Kubernetes

Repository: https://github.com/open-policy-agent/gatekeeper
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/gatekeeper
Homepage: https://open-policy-agent.github.io/gatekeeper/
Language: Go
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Topics: cncf, opa, kubernetes, policy-engine, hacktoberfest, gatekeeper, policy, security, admission, mutation, validation
Last push: 2026-08-26T22:01:22+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 97/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 92, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2868, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 55, "gap_med": 27, "n_releases_24m": 20}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 4269, forks 881 (observed 2026-08-28T04:08:40.803935+00:00)

## What it is
Gatekeeper is a CNCF policy controller for Kubernetes built on Open Policy Agent (OPA). It enforces admission policies via customizable constraint templates and constraints, supports mutation, and provides audit functionality.

## Use cases
- enforce kubernetes admission policies
- block privileged containers in cluster
- validate kubernetes manifests against org rules
- mutate kubernetes resources on admission
- audit cluster resources for policy violations
- write custom policy as code for k8s

## When to choose
- you need declarative, CRD-based policy enforcement on Kubernetes admission
- you want a curated policy library with parameterized constraints
- you need mutation and audit alongside validation

## When to avoid
- you need policy enforcement outside Kubernetes
- you want a lightweight sidecar OPA setup without admission webhooks
- you only need simple RBAC rather than admission policies

## Facets
- artifact type: service
- maturity: stable
- function: security, authorization, middleware, configuration-management
- domain: security, cloud-computing, infrastructure-as-code
- platform: go, cloud, self-hosted
- tags: kubernetes-admission-controller, opa, policy-engine, cncf, mutation, validation, constraint-templates, containers, devops, kubernetes, docker

## Member repositories
- open-policy-agent/gatekeeper (main) score 97

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:40.803935+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T18:22:02.162084+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/open-policy-agent/gatekeeper (fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:40.803935+00:00, sha d709370072c6)
  - homepage: https://open-policy-agent.github.io/gatekeeper/ (fetched 2026-08-29T09:11:30.636276+00:00, sha 7c4cd795e778)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.