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GKE Golden Path Config

Apply Google's recommended secure GKE Autopilot cluster defaults and check configs against them

Source Download skill
Repository
google/skills
Stars
21,782
Licence
Apache-2.0
Files
3 files

What it does

Once installed, the agent uses Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) recommended defaults when you design or review a cluster, such as Autopilot mode, private nodes, Workload Identity, and restricted pod security. If you ask for something different, it applies your choice but explains the security or operational trade-off. It also flags decisions that are hard to change after creation (networking and IP allocation) and can compare an existing cluster against the golden path, reporting deviations with remediation advice.

Great for

  • Platform or DevOps engineers setting up a new production GKE cluster
  • Teams auditing an existing GKE cluster for production readiness
  • Engineers who want consistent, secure cluster defaults without memorising every setting

Skip it if

  • Setting up workload autoscaling (HPA/VPA) specifically, since the skill says to use the separate gke-workload-scaling skill instead
  • Non-GKE Kubernetes or other clouds, where these GKE-specific settings do not apply
  • Anyone expecting zero-downtime upgrades: the skill explicitly forbids promising this, so planning must still account for node disruption

Try asking

  • “Design a production GKE Autopilot cluster in us-central1 using the golden path defaults”
  • “Check my existing GKE cluster against production readiness best practices and list deviations by severity”
  • “Which GKE settings can't be changed after the cluster is created? Review my networking plan”
  • “Create a dev/test GKE cluster with cost-friendly settings and explain what I'm giving up”
Step-by-step guide: how to use GKE Golden Path ConfigInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

Install in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Download the skill

    The ZIP contains the 3 original files, the Apache-2.0 licence and an attribution note.

    gke-golden-path.zip
  2. 2

    Add it to your agent

    Claude Code (all projects)

    mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && unzip gke-golden-path.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/

    Claude Code / Agent SDK (this project only)

    mkdir -p .claude/skills && unzip gke-golden-path.zip -d .claude/skills/

    Claude apps (web/desktop): Settings → Capabilities → Skills → Upload skill, and choose the ZIP.

  3. 3

    Ask for the task

    No special command needed — the agent reads the skill's description and loads it when your request matches. Try one of the prompts above.

Get better results

  • Give the agent your project ID, region, and environment type (dev/test or production) up front so it does not need to ask later.
  • Review Day-0 networking choices (private nodes, subnets, IP ranges) carefully before creating the cluster, since they are hard to reverse.
  • Treat audit results as a checklist to verify, and check any cluster changes in a test project first.

What's inside

  • assets/golden-path-autopilot.yaml
  • references/attribution.md
  • SKILL.md

Redistributed unmodified from google/skills under the Apache-2.0 licence. The assessment was drafted with AI from the skill's files on 2026-10-29. Skills can instruct your agent to run code — read SKILL.md and any scripts before installing.