DevOps YAML Validator: complete usage guide
Validate Docker Compose and Kubernetes YAML locally with path-level errors, common warnings, and remediation notes before sharing operational configuration.
What this tool does
It parses single or multi-document YAML and classifies Docker Compose services and Kubernetes resources.
It checks Compose services for basic service shape, image or build configuration, ports, and healthcheck guidance.
It checks Kubernetes manifests for apiVersion, kind, metadata, Deployment selectors, pod templates, and containers.
It documents limitations around cluster-specific admission policies that cannot be known from static YAML alone.
Typical use cases
- Review a Compose file produced by Docker Run to Compose before committing it.
- Catch missing Kubernetes Deployment template fields before handing YAML to an ops teammate.
- Prepare a sanitized config snippet for PR discussion or incident notes.
- Run a Pipeline Builder validation step after YAML conversion or cleanup.
- Explain which checks are static and which still need cluster policy validation.
Input examples
Compose service
services:
api:
image: node:20
ports:
- "3000:3000"Kubernetes Deployment
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
name: api
spec:
replicas: 2
Output examples
Compose warning
$.services.api: service uses image without healthcheck. Fix: Add a healthcheck before handoff.
Kubernetes error
$.spec.template: Deployment requires pod template metadata and containers.
Common errors and fixes
Forgetting metadata.name
Add metadata.name to every Kubernetes resource before validation handoff.
Deployment selector does not match pod labels
Align spec.selector.matchLabels with spec.template.metadata.labels.
Assuming static checks include cluster policy
Run admission, RBAC, and policy checks in the target cluster pipeline.
Security and privacy notes
For the shared privacy terminology, local processing model, external-request labels, and DevTools verification workflow, see the Trust Center.
- YAML validation runs locally and does not contact a cluster or registry.
- Remove private image registries, secret names, and internal hostnames before sharing reports.
- Do not paste Kubernetes Secret values into examples; use placeholders instead.
Step-by-step workflow
- Feed DevOps YAML Validator the smallest reproducible sample you can collect from the real issue.
- Review the first findings and separate confirmed signals from assumptions or environment-specific noise.
- Compare a clean baseline sample against the problematic input when you need to isolate regressions.
- Keep one redacted output snapshot with the key findings for tickets, runbooks, or incident handoff.
Quality checklist before sharing output
- Confirm DevOps YAML Validator findings still reproduce with the same input and assumptions.
- Check that the sample includes enough surrounding context to support the conclusion you are drawing.
- Translate notable findings into concrete next checks, ownership, or remediation notes.
- Redact private hosts, tokens, certificates, or customer identifiers before sharing analysis output.
Operational notes
DevOps YAML Validator is most effective when it produces a focused, reproducible evidence bundle that can be handed to the next engineer without extra cleanup.
Frequently asked questions
Does it validate against a live cluster?
No. It performs local structure and common-warning checks only.
Can it parse multiple YAML documents?
Yes. Compose and Kubernetes resources can be separated with ---.
Does Pipeline Builder support it?
Yes. The validator is available as a local deterministic pipeline adapter.
