zitadel/apps/docs/content/self-hosting/deploy/kubernetes/index.mdx

---
title: Deploy ZITADEL on Kubernetes
sidebar_label: Overview
description: Deploy ZITADEL on Kubernetes using Helm — from a local 5-minute quickstart to a hardened production cluster.
---

This guide takes you from zero to a running ZITADEL instance on Kubernetes and then shows you how to harden it for production.

## Stage 1 — Quickstart

The ZITADEL chart ships with an optional PostgreSQL subchart so a single `helm install` deploys the database alongside ZITADEL. You still need a routing controller running in your cluster to expose the service.

### Prerequisites

- A Kubernetes cluster (1.30+)
- An Ingress controller (e.g., Traefik, NGINX) **OR** a Gateway API controller
- [kubectl](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/tools/)
- [Helm](https://helm.sh/docs/intro/install/) 3.x or 4.x

<Callout type="info">
No cluster yet? [k3d](https://k3d.io/) is a quick way to spin one up locally — it runs k3s in Docker, with Traefik as the built-in ingress controller:
```bash
k3d cluster create zitadel --port "80:80@loadbalancer"
```
</Callout>

### Install the full stack

```bash
mkdir zitadel-helm && cd zitadel-helm &&
curl -fsSLO https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zitadel/zitadel-charts/main/examples/0-quickstart/quickstart-values.yaml
```

Edit `quickstart-values.yaml` before installing. For a local k3d or k3s cluster, these standard Ingress values usually work as-is:

```yaml
zitadel:
  configmapConfig:
    ExternalDomain: localhost
    ExternalPort: 80

ingress:
  className: traefik

login:
  ingress:
    className: traefik
```

If you are using a different ingress controller, replace both `className` values with that controller's IngressClass name. 

```bash
helm repo add zitadel https://charts.zitadel.com &&
helm repo update &&
helm upgrade --install zitadel zitadel/zitadel --values quickstart-values.yaml --wait
```

That's it. Visit [http://localhost/ui/[email protected]](http://localhost/ui/[email protected]) and log in with password `Password1!`.

<Callout type="warn">
The masterkey [encrypts sensitive data at rest](/concepts/architecture/secrets). The `quickstart-values.yaml` file contains a **dev placeholder** masterkey — generate a real one before any non-local deployment:
```bash
tr -dc A-Za-z0-9 </dev/urandom | head -c 32
```
Once ZITADEL has been initialized with a masterkey, it **cannot be changed** without losing access to encrypted data.
</Callout>

<Callout type="info">
The stack runs: your ingress/gateway controller → **ZITADEL API** (Go) + **ZITADEL Login** (Next.js) → **PostgreSQL** (bundled).
See [HTTP/2](/self-hosting/manage/http2) for requirements on how traffic must be forwarded to ZITADEL pods via h2c.
</Callout>

### Swap out components

The bundled PostgreSQL subchart is for quickstart use only. You can replace it independently:

| Component | How to replace |
|-----------|---------------|
| **Database** | Set `postgresql.enabled: false` and configure `ZITADEL_DATABASE_POSTGRES_DSN` pointing to your own PostgreSQL. Use the `postgres` maintenance database so ZITADEL can create its own database during initialization. |
| **Routing / Ingress** | Update `ingress.className` to match your controller, or disable the Helm ingress (`ingress.enabled: false`) to manage your own Gateway API `HTTPRoute` resources. |
| **Caching** | Add Redis by configuring `zitadel.configmapConfig.Caches` (see [Caching](/self-hosting/deploy/kubernetes/caching)). |

## Stage 2 — Production Cluster

For production you need:

- A Kubernetes cluster (1.30+)
- A routing solution: Ingress controller (Traefik, NGINX) or a Gateway API implementation
- A domain with DNS configured
- TLS certificates (via cert-manager, ACME, or manually)
- PostgreSQL 14+ (managed service or in-cluster)
- Helm 3.x+

<Callout type="warn">
**PostgreSQL compatibility:** ZITADEL supports PostgreSQL **14–18**. When using **PostgreSQL 18**, ensure you run **ZITADEL v4.11.0 or newer**. For the most up-to-date compatibility matrix and configuration details, see [Database requirements](/self-hosting/manage/database).
</Callout>

<Callout type="warn">
The ZITADEL management console [requires end-to-end HTTP/2 support](/self-hosting/manage/http2). Ensure your routing controller is configured to forward HTTP/2 (h2c) traffic to ZITADEL pods.
</Callout>

### Create secrets

```bash
# Masterkey — generate once, store safely, cannot be changed after first run
kubectl create secret generic zitadel-masterkey \
  --from-literal=masterkey="$(tr -dc A-Za-z0-9 </dev/urandom | head -c 32)"

# Database credentials — store the full DSN
kubectl create secret generic zitadel-db-credentials \
  --from-literal=dsn="postgresql://zitadel:[email protected]:5432/postgres?sslmode=verify-full"
```

### Configure values

Save the base configuration below as `values.yaml`. Replace `zitadel.example.com` with your domain:

```yaml
replicaCount: 2

zitadel:
  masterkeySecretName: zitadel-masterkey
  env:
    - name: ZITADEL_DATABASE_POSTGRES_DSN
      valueFrom:
        secretKeyRef:
          name: zitadel-db-credentials
          key: dsn
  configmapConfig:
    ExternalDomain: "zitadel.example.com"
    ExternalSecure: true
    ExternalPort: 443
    TLS:
      Enabled: false
    FirstInstance:
      Org:
        Human:
          UserName: "admin"
          Email: "[email protected]"
          Password: "YourSecurePassword123!"
          PasswordChangeRequired: true

podDisruptionBudget:
  enabled: true
  minAvailable: 1
```

### Exposing ZITADEL (Choose your routing method)

ZITADEL can be exposed using standard Kubernetes **Ingress** or the newer **Gateway API**. Choose the method that matches your cluster's architecture.

#### Option A: Using Standard Ingress (e.g., Traefik)

Append the following routing block to your `values.yaml` to have Helm automatically generate standard `Ingress` objects:

```yaml
ingress:
  enabled: true
  className: traefik
  annotations:
    traefik.ingress.kubernetes.io/router.entrypoints: websecure
    traefik.ingress.kubernetes.io/router.tls: "true"
    traefik.ingress.kubernetes.io/router.tls.certresolver: letsencrypt
  hosts:
    - host: zitadel.example.com
      paths:
        - path: /
          pathType: Prefix
  tls:
    - secretName: zitadel-tls
      hosts:
        - zitadel.example.com

login:
  ingress:
    enabled: true
    className: traefik
    annotations:
      traefik.ingress.kubernetes.io/router.entrypoints: websecure
      traefik.ingress.kubernetes.io/router.tls: "true"
      traefik.ingress.kubernetes.io/router.tls.certresolver: letsencrypt
    hosts:
      - host: zitadel.example.com
        paths:
          - path: /ui/v2/login
            pathType: Prefix
    tls:
      - secretName: zitadel-tls
        hosts:
          - zitadel.example.com
```

#### Option B: Using Gateway API

If your cluster utilizes the Kubernetes Gateway API, disable the Helm chart's built-in ingress generation by ensuring both `ingress.enabled: false` and `login.ingress.enabled: false` are set (which is the default). 

After deploying the Helm chart, apply an `HTTPRoute` resource to route traffic to the ZITADEL services via your `Gateway`:

```yaml
apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: HTTPRoute
metadata:
  name: zitadel-route
  namespace: zitadel
spec:
  parentRefs:
    - name: your-cluster-gateway
      namespace: gateway-system
  hostnames:
    - "zitadel.example.com"
  rules:
    - matches:
        - path:
            type: PathPrefix
            value: /ui/v2/login
      backendRefs:
        - name: zitadel-login
          port: 8080
    - matches:
        - path:
            type: PathPrefix
            value: /
      backendRefs:
        - name: zitadel
          port: 8080
```
*(Note: Ensure your Gateway controller supports h2c/HTTP2 backend connections).*

### Install

```bash
helm repo add zitadel https://charts.zitadel.com && helm repo update

helm install zitadel zitadel/zitadel --values values.yaml --wait
```

### Verify

Watch the pods come up:

```bash
kubectl get pods --watch
```

You should see the `zitadel-init` and `zitadel-setup` jobs complete, followed by the `zitadel` deployment pods becoming Ready.

Check the Helm release status:

```bash
helm status zitadel
```

Access the console at `https://zitadel.example.com/ui/console`.

## What's next

Review the [Production Checklist](/self-hosting/manage/productionchecklist) before going live, then use the detailed guides for each concern:

| Guide | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| [Configuration](/self-hosting/deploy/kubernetes/configuration) | All configmap and secret options, autoscaling, security contexts |
| [Routing](/self-hosting/deploy/kubernetes/ingress) | Ingress, Gateway API, and cloud-native setup |
| [Database](/self-hosting/deploy/kubernetes/database) | PostgreSQL TLS modes, credentials, and connection pooling |
| [Operations](/self-hosting/deploy/kubernetes/operations) | Upgrades, manual and automatic scaling, resource limits |
| [Caching](/self-hosting/deploy/kubernetes/caching) | Redis/Valkey caching configuration |
| [Observability](/self-hosting/deploy/kubernetes/observability) | Traces (OTLP), Prometheus metrics, and log collection |
| [Uninstalling](/self-hosting/deploy/kubernetes/uninstalling) | Remove ZITADEL from your cluster |