Working with .Values

The .Values object is how templates read configuration, whether from values.yaml or user overrides.

Syntax{{ .Values.parent.child }}

.Values is the single object your templates read for configuration. Whatever ends up in the merged values — from the chart default, override files, or --set — is reachable here.

Accessing nested keys

Use dots to descend into nested maps. For image.repository in values.yaml you write {{ .Values.image.repository }}.

Missing keys

Reading a key that does not exist yields an empty value rather than an error (unless you dig into a nil map). Combine with default or required to handle absence gracefully.

Example

Example · yaml
# Given values.yaml:
#   image:
#     repository: nginx
#     tag: "1.25"

containers:
  - name: web
    image: "{{ .Values.image.repository }}:{{ .Values.image.tag }}"
    imagePullPolicy: {{ .Values.image.pullPolicy | default "IfNotPresent" }}

When to use it

  • A developer accesses .Values.image.tag in a Deployment template so the CI system can pass the exact build SHA at deploy time without touching any other configuration.
  • A chart author nests database configuration under a .Values.db key so operators can override only the database section without worrying about the rest of the chart.
  • A developer uses helm get values my-release to inspect the values that were applied to a running release when diagnosing unexpected behaviour.

More examples

Read nested values in template

Accesses nested keys from .Values and applies defaults, showing how templates consume the values hierarchy.

Example · yaml
# templates/deployment.yaml
env:
  - name: DB_HOST
    value: {{ .Values.db.host | quote }}
  - name: DB_PORT
    value: {{ .Values.db.port | default 5432 | quote }}
  - name: APP_ENV
    value: {{ .Values.environment | default "production" | quote }}

Inspect applied values

Retrieves the values that were supplied to the release; --all also shows default values from the chart's values.yaml.

Example · bash
# See values used for a running release
helm get values my-app -n production
# Include chart defaults as well
helm get values my-app -n production --all

Use a structured values block

Groups related settings under named keys so templates and operators work with a logical, namespace values structure.

Example · yaml
# values.yaml
db:
  host: postgres.svc.cluster.local
  port: 5432
  name: appdb

cache:
  host: redis.svc.cluster.local
  port: 6379
  ttl: 300

Related

helm values yamlhelm value hierarchy

Discussion

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