Kubectl alias

List of alias I found useful when running the kubectl command.

Feel free to suggest any other aliases 🤓

Convention

<kubectl> <command> <kind>

e.g.

• kubectl get deployment -> kgd
• kubectl get replicaset -> kgrs
• kubectl delete pod -> kdp
• kubectl describe service -> kdsvc
• kubectl edit namespace -> kens

Usage

Clone the project and source it from your shell's startup file:

1. Clone repo
2. Pick the startup file for your shell (macOS defaults to zsh):
   • zsh -> ~/.zshrc
   • bash -> ~/.bashrc (on macOS, ~/.bash_profile)
3. Append (edit file location):

   if [ -f <path>/alias-kubectl/kubectl_aliases ]; then
       source <path>/alias-kubectl/kubectl_aliases
   fi
   

   The path must point to the kubectl_aliases file itself, not the repo directory (-f is false for a directory, so nothing gets loaded).
4. Reload with source ~/.zshrc (or open a new terminal). Check with alias k.

Use ~/.zshrc rather than ~/.zprofile so aliases load in every interactive terminal, not just login shells.

BASIC

alias	command
k	kubectl
kl	kubectl logs
kexec	kubectl exec -it
kpf	kubectl port-forward
kaci	kubectl auth can-i
kat	kubectl attach
kapir	kubectl api-resources
kapiv	kubectl api-versions

GET

alias	command
kg	kubectl get
kgns	kubectl get namespaces
kgp	kubectl get pods
kgd	kubectl get deployments
kgs	kubectl get secret
kgrs	kubectl get replicasets
kgss	kubectl get statefulsets
kgds	kubectl get daemonsets
kgsvc	kubectl get services -o wide
kgn	kubectl get nodes -o wide
kgcm	kubectl get configmaps
kgcj	kubectl get cronjobs
kgj	kubectl get jobs
kgsa	kubectl get serviceaccounts
kgr	kubectl get roles
kgrb	kubectl get rolebindings
kgcr	kubectl get clusterroles
kgcrb	kubectl get clusterrolebindings

DESCRIBE

alias	command
kd	kubectl describe
kdns	kubectl describe namespaces
kdp	kubectl describe pods
kdd	kubectl describe deployments
kds	kubectl describe secret
kdrs	kubectl describe replicasets
kdss	kubectl describe statefulsets
kdds	kubectl describe daemonsets
kdsvc	kubectl describe services -o wide
kdcm	kubectl describe configmaps
kdcj	kubectl describe cronjobs
kdj	kubectl describe jobs
kdsa	kubectl describe serviceaccounts
kdr	kubectl describe roles
kdrb	kubectl describe rolebindings
kdcr	kubectl describe clusterroles
kdcrb	kubectl describe clusterrolebindings

EDIT

alias	command
ke	kubectl edit
kens	kubectl edit namespaces
ked	kubectl edit deployments
kers	kubectl edit replicasets
kes	kubectl edit secret
kess	kubectl edit statefulsets
keds	kubectl edit daemonsets
kesvc	kubectl edit services
kecm	kubectl edit configmaps
kecj	kubectl edit cronjobs
kesa	kubectl edit serviceaccounts
ker	kubectl edit roles
kerb	kubectl edit rolebindings
kecr	kubectl edit clusterroles
kecrb	kubectl edit clusterrolebindings

DELETE

alias	command
kdel	kubectl delete
kdelns	kubectl delete namespaces
kdelp	kubectl delete pods
kdeld	kubectl delete deployments
kdelrs	kubectl delete replicasets
kdelss	kubectl delete statefulsets
kdelds	kubectl delete daemonsets
kdelsvc	kubectl delete services
kdels	kubectl delete secret
kdelcm	kubectl delete configmaps
kdelcj	kubectl delete cronjobs
kdelj	kubectl delete jobs
kdelsa	kubectl delete serviceaccounts
kdelr	kubectl delete roles
kdelrb	kubectl delete rolebindings
kdelcr	kubectl delete clusterroles
kdelcrb	kubectl delete clusterrolebindings

DRY-RUN (MOCK)

alias	command
kmock	kubectl create mock -o yaml --dry-run=client
kmockns	kubectl create ns mock -o yaml --dry-run=client
kmockcm	kubectl create cm mock -o yaml --dry-run=client
kmocksa	kubectl create sa mock -o yaml --dry-run=client

CONFIG

alias	command
kcfg	kubectl config
kcfgv	kubectl config view
kcfgns	kubectl config set-context --current --namespace
kcfgcurrent	kubectl config current-context
kcfgsc	kubectl config set-context
kcfggc	kubectl config get-contexts
kcfguc	kubectl config use-context