observe-argocd

Detect Argo CD ownership and interpret managed-field attribution for Kubernetes resources.

14|Updated Jan 17, 2026

Search Tags:#kubernetes #argocd #ownership detection #managedFields #drift explanation #ApplicationSet #tracking-id

Ready to run

npx skills add https://github.com/confighub/cub-scout --skill observe-argocd

💬 Prompt for ChatGPT / Claude Chat▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: observe-argocd
Source: https://github.com/confighub/cub-scout/tree/main/skills/observe-argocd
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/confighub/cub-scout --skill observe-argocd

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

When a Kubernetes resource’s state looks wrong or confusing, it can be hard to determine whether Argo CD owns it and what Argo actually wrote into managed fields.

Core Features & Use Cases

Argo ownership detection: Identifies Argo CD-managed resources using Argo-specific labels/annotations and priority rules, including argocd.argoproj.io/instance and argocd.argoproj.io/tracking-id.
Attribution via managed-field writers: Explains how metadata.managedFields[].manager is interpreted for Argo vs client-side apply ambiguity, including CSA migration edge cases.
ApplicationSet generator tracing: Helps you trace which ApplicationSet produced a given Argo Application, and explains generator-related context for workloads.

Quick Start

Use observe-argocd to explain whether a specific Deployment is managed by Argo CD and what Argo signaled about its source and managed-field writer.

Frequently Asked Questions about observe-argocd

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema

How do I check if a Kubernetes resource is managed by Argo CD?▼

Argo CD ownership detection checks for specific labels like argocd.argoproj.io/instance and tracking-id annotations. Priority-based classification rules confirm whether Argo CD manages the resource and explain its source attribution.

What does the argocd.argoproj.io/tracking-id annotation tell me about a resource?▼

The tracking-id annotation provides Argo-specific ownership context for a Kubernetes resource. Interpreting this annotation helps trace which Argo Application or ApplicationSet generator produced and manages the target workload.

How do I trace which ApplicationSet generated a specific Argo Application?▼

ApplicationSet generator tracing uses Argo detection signals and tracking-id annotations to identify the parent ApplicationSet. This explains the generator-related context and source attribution for the generated Application.

Why does my Kubernetes managedFields show kubectl-client-side-apply instead of argocd-controller?▼

Managed-field writer interpretation disambiguates kubectl-client-side-apply entries into Argo CSA migration cases versus manual kubectl apply. Priority-based classification rules determine the actual ownership despite the ambiguous manager name.

How do I diagnose CSA migration ambiguity in Argo CD managed fields?▼

Diagnosing CSA migration ambiguity requires interpreting metadata.managedFields writer-manager attribution. The analysis disambiguates whether kubectl-client-side-apply indicates Argo client-side apply migration or manual kubectl operations.

Can observe-argocd explain what Argo CD wrote into managed fields?▼

Yes, observe-argocd explains Argo-specific ownership and managed-field attribution. It interprets metadata.managedFields manager entries and applies priority rules to clarify what Argo CD owns and wrote into the resource.