# KICK > Kubernetes operator that restarts workloads when their Secrets and ConfigMaps change, gated by GitOps ## Documentation - [Installation](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/installation/): KICK ships as a single controller plus two cluster-scoped CRDs (KickPolicy, KickRequest). The … - [Quickstart](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/quickstart/): This validates the end-to-end KICK flow on a Kind cluster: install KICK; apply a Deployment that … - [Comparison](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/comparison/): KICK is not the first operator to restart workloads on configuration change. Stakater Reloader and … - [For AI Agents](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/for-ai-agents/): KICK’s documentation is published in machine-readable form so an agent can load the whole … ### Concepts - [Hidden restart requirement](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/concepts/hidden-restart-requirement/): Kubernetes does not restart a workload when the content of a Secret or ConfigMap it consumes … - [Dependency discovery](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/concepts/dependency-discovery/): KICK supports Deployment, StatefulSet, and DaemonSet workloads, and optionally argoproj.io/v1alpha1 … - [Freshness](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/concepts/freshness/): A changed dependency is not enough on its own — the running rollout might already predate the change … - [GitOps gates](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/concepts/gitops-gates/): A gate decides whether a restart that is needed (the workload is stale) may actually run right now. … ### Guides - [Argo CD](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/guides/argocd/): KICK can gate restarts on Argo CD ownership, sync state, and AppProject sync windows. Minimal policy … - [Argo Rollouts](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/guides/argo-rollouts/): KICK can restart Argo Rollouts workloads when the Rollouts integration is enabled. Enable the … - [Kargo](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/guides/kargo/): KICK can gate restarts on Kargo Stage promotion state when provider: Kargo is set. Enable the … - [Running without GitOps](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/guides/without-gitops/): GitOps gating is the feature KICK is best known for, but it is not a requirement. … - [](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/guides/external-secrets/): External SecretsKICK reacts to resulting Kubernetes Secret and ConfigMap changes, not to external … - [](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/guides/troubleshooting/): TroubleshootingKickRequest stays in waiting phase WaitingForOwner: owner missing or ambiguous. … ### Reference - [](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/reference/configuration/): Configuration ReferencePrimary configuration surface: Helm chart values in charts/kick/values.yaml. … - [](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/reference/events/): Events ReferenceKICK emits typed Kubernetes events with stable reason strings. Reasons: … - [](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/reference/kickpolicy/): KickPolicy API ReferenceGroup/version: kick.corewire.io/v1alpha1 Kind: KickPolicy spec.discovery Two … - [](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/reference/kickrequest/): KickRequest API ReferenceGroup/version: kick.corewire.io/v1alpha1 Kind: KickRequest spec … - [](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/reference/metrics/): Metrics ReferencePrometheus metrics are registered in controller-runtime metrics registry. … - [](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/reference/notificationpolicy/): NotificationPolicy API ReferenceGroup/version: kick.corewire.io/v1alpha1 Kind: NotificationPolicy … ### Operations - [](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/operations/rbac/): RBACController ClusterRole includes: get/list/watch on secrets and configmaps; get/list/watch/patch … - [](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/operations/scalability/): ScalabilityInitial implementation targets correctness over horizontal scale optimization. Current … - [](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/operations/security/): SecurityKICK requires read access to Secrets and ConfigMaps in managed namespaces to evaluate … - [](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/operations/upgrades/): UpgradesAPI maturity: v1alpha1. Policy: breaking changes may occur before beta; when production … ### Theory - [The KICK operator, formally](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/theory/operator-model/): This page gives a precise, self-contained model of what the KICK controller does. It is written for … ### Development - [Documentation Standards](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/development/documentation-standards/): Hard rules for KICK documentation. Rules Images Every image referenced from docs or README must be … - [End-to-end tests](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/development/e2e-testing/): KICK’s end-to-end tests run Chainsaw scenarios against a kind cluster. Every scenario … - [](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/development/kamera-debugging/): Kamera Debugging for KICKKICK includes optional kamera tooling for structural control-plane analysis … - [](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/development/timeline-ui/): Timeline UI and TracingKICK now exposes a timeline API and browser UI for workload restart … - [](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/development/token-efficient-workflow/): Token-efficient development workflowGoal Enable a lower-cost coding agent to implement KICK in … ### Decisions - [](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/decisions/0001-observation-storage-spike/): ADR 0001: Change Observation Storage SpikeStatus Accepted for implementation guidance. Context Task … - [](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/decisions/0002-current-replicaset-selection/): ADR 0002: Current ReplicaSet Selection for Deployment FreshnessStatus Accepted for implementation … - [](https://corewire.github.io/kick/docs/decisions/0003-argocd-compatibility-research/): ADR 0003: Argo CD Compatibility Research BaselineStatus Accepted as implementation baseline for Task … --- Generated on 2026-08-21 14:16:20 UTC Site: https://corewire.github.io/kick/