# kubernetes-sigs/kustomize

Customization of kubernetes YAML configurations

Repository: https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kustomize
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/kustomize
Language: Go
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Topics: k8s-sig-cli, hacktoberfest
Last push: 2026-08-24T18:57:01+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 89/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 69, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3036, "days_push": 9, "days_rel": 205, "gap_med": 0.0, "n_releases_24m": 25}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 12145, forks 2416 (observed 2026-08-28T04:10:51.848381+00:00)

## What it is
kustomize is a template-free tool for customizing raw Kubernetes YAML configuration files, letting users declare overlays, patches, and common labels without modifying the original resources. It is a SIG-CLI sponsored Go tool that is also embedded in kubectl.

## Use cases
- customize kubernetes yaml manifests without templates
- manage per-environment overlays for k8s deployments
- add common labels and annotations to kubernetes resources
- patch deployments and services across environments
- generate configmaps and secrets for kubernetes
- manage base and overlay kubernetes configurations
- render kustomization files into plain manifests

## When to choose
- you want template-free kubernetes configuration customization
- you need environment-specific overlays over a shared base
- you already use kubectl and want built-in kustomize support

## When to avoid
- you prefer full templating engines like Helm charts
- you need to manage non-Kubernetes YAML or arbitrary files
- you want a package registry of shareable charts

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: stable
- function: configuration-management, templating, developer-tools, deployment
- domain: cloud-computing, developer-tools, infrastructure-as-code
- platform: windows, cli, go, cross-platform
- tags: kubernetes, yaml, kustomization, config-management, sig-cli, kubectl, devops, containers, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- kubernetes-sigs/kustomize (main) score 89

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:51.848381+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 2026-08-29T17:14:54.257369+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kustomize (fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:51.848381+00:00, sha 112f35910e4c)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.