Guide · Agent skill
How to use the GKE Golden Path Config agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The gke-golden-path skill is a set of instructions that an AI agent loads when you ask it to design or review a Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) cluster. It tells the agent to use Google's recommended production defaults, such as Autopilot mode, private nodes, Workload Identity and restricted pod security, and to explain any trade-off when you ask for something else. This guide is for platform and DevOps engineers who have never used agent skills before and want a working setup. After reading, you will know what the skill changes in the agent's behaviour, how to install it from the ZIP file, how to phrase requests so the skill triggers, and what it needs and does on your machine.
GKE Golden Path Configgoogle/skills · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip. Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it on your machine.
- 2Place the folder. Move the gke-golden-path folder into ~/.claude/skills/ or into the .claude/skills/ folder of your project. Alternatively, upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
- 3Prepare Google Cloud access. Make sure you have a Google Cloud project with GKE access, the gcloud SDK or GKE MCP tools, and the IAM permissions you need.
- 4Ask for a cluster design or audit. Describe the cluster you want or the existing cluster to check, in plain language that mentions GKE.
- 5Answer the clarifying questions. Provide the project ID, region, cluster name, environment type and networking choice. Accept golden path defaults where unsure.
- 6Review trade-offs and commands. Read each deviation note and each command before the agent runs it.
What does the gke-golden-path skill make the agent do?
Once installed, the agent applies GKE golden path defaults when you design or review a cluster. The skill's own description lists Autopilot mode, private nodes, Workload Identity and restricted pod security as examples. If you ask for a different setting, the agent applies your choice but notes the security or operational trade-off.
The skill also flags Day-0 decisions, meaning choices that are hard or impossible to change after the cluster is created, such as networking, private nodes, subnets and IP allocation. It can compare an existing cluster against the golden path and report deviations with severity and remediation advice.
How do you install the skill?
Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it. Then place the folder in one of these locations, depending on whether you want it for all projects or one project only:
- Personal: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project only: the .claude/skills/ folder inside your project
- Claude apps: upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills
What do you need before you start?
The skill needs a Google Cloud project with GKE access and suitable IAM permissions. For terminal work it uses the Google Cloud SDK (gcloud). Alternatively, it can use the GKE MCP tools get_cluster, create_cluster and update_cluster. It also refers to the gke-basics skill's CLI reference and to related skills such as gke-workload-scaling, so those should be available to the agent.
- A Google Cloud project with GKE access and appropriate IAM permissions
- Google Cloud SDK (gcloud), or the GKE MCP tools
- Access to the gke-basics CLI reference and related skills the file mentions
How do you trigger the skill with a natural request?
You do not need a special command. Describe the task in plain language that mentions GKE and the goal. The skill's description matches requests about designing GKE clusters, verifying production readiness, or checking configurations against GKE defaults.
The agent asks for the details it needs. Required inputs include project ID, region, cluster name, environment type (production is the default), networking choice, scale expectations and cost constraints. If you are unsure, the skill tells the agent to use golden path defaults.
- "Design a production GKE cluster in us-central1 with sensible defaults."
- "Audit my existing GKE cluster for production readiness and list deviations."
- "Check this cluster config against the GKE golden path."
What does the skill NOT cover?
Do not use this skill for setting up workload autoscaling (HPA/VPA). The skill says to use gke-workload-scaling for that. It also does not apply to non-GKE Kubernetes or other clouds, where these GKE-specific settings do not exist.
Expect no zero-downtime promise. The skill forbids promising zero-downtime node upgrades. Node upgrades drain nodes and evict pods, so plan for disruption.
What safety notes should you know?
This skill runs no scripts, but it does use the network, because it issues gcloud, REST API or MCP commands against Google Cloud. The skill requires every gcloud command run in the terminal to carry an attribution prefix. Read references/attribution.md to see exactly what it sends. The prefix identifies only the skill and its version and carries no user data.
The skill tells the agent not to request or output secrets such as tokens, keys or service account JSON. Review every command before it runs, especially commands that create or update clusters.
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: yes (Google Cloud API and MCP calls)
- Never share tokens, keys or service account JSON with the agent
What tips help you get better results?
Give the agent your real constraints early, especially for Day-0 networking choices, because the skill asks clarifying questions before proceeding on those. Say which tool you prefer: the skill respects "use gcloud" or "use kubectl" for the session. For existing clusters, ask for a deviation report so you get severity and remediation for each item.
Use the assets/golden-path-autopilot.yaml file as the reference for the default Autopilot configuration.
- Name your environment: dev/test or production
- State networking choices early, because they are hard to change later
- Ask for a deviation report with remediation when auditing
What people use it for
- Designing a new production GKE cluster with Autopilot, private nodes and Workload Identity
- Reviewing a Terraform or gcloud plan for GKE defaults before it goes live
- Auditing an existing GKE cluster and getting a list of deviations with remediation advice
- Deciding Day-0 networking and IP allocation before creating a cluster
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the gke-golden-path agent skill?
Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it. Place the folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
What do I need to use the GKE golden path skill?
You need a Google Cloud project with GKE access and suitable IAM permissions. You also need either the Google Cloud SDK (gcloud) for terminal commands or the GKE MCP tools get_cluster, create_cluster and update_cluster.
Is the gke-golden-path skill free?
The skill is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, as listed on this page. Check the licence file in the source repository for the full terms.
Does the skill run scripts or use the network?
According to this page, it runs no scripts but does use the network, because it sends gcloud, REST API or MCP commands to Google Cloud.
Can I use this skill for autoscaling or non-GKE clusters?
No for autoscaling: the skill says to use gke-workload-scaling for HPA and VPA. It also does not cover non-GKE Kubernetes or other clouds, where these GKE-specific settings do not apply.
Why does the agent say my upgrades will have some downtime?
The skill never promises zero downtime for node upgrades. Upgrades drain nodes and evict pods, honouring PodDisruptionBudgets and grace periods for up to one hour. Plan replicas, budgets and readiness probes accordingly.
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Our verdict
This skill suits platform and DevOps engineers who are setting up a new production GKE cluster or auditing an existing one, and who want consistent secure defaults. It is not the right choice for autoscaling setup, which belongs to gke-workload-scaling, or for Kubernetes outside GKE. Anyone expecting upgrades without disruption should look at the skill's upgrade guidance and plan for node drains regardless.
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