Skaffold Testing
When to Use This Skill
| Use this skill when... |
Use another skill instead when... |
| Configuring container-structure-tests |
Writing Dockerfiles (use container skills) |
| Adding security scans to Skaffold pipelines |
General Skaffold build/deploy (use skaffold-development) |
| Setting up post-deploy verification |
Unit testing application code |
| Validating image contents pre-deploy |
Kubernetes manifest authoring |
Testing Lifecycle
Build -> Test -> Deploy -> Verify
^ ^
Pre-deploy Post-deploy
| Stage |
Purpose |
Runs During |
| test |
Validate images before deployment |
dev, run, test |
| verify |
Validate deployment works correctly |
dev, run, verify |
Failed tests block deployment. Use --skip-tests to bypass.
Test Stage Overview
Two mechanisms for pre-deploy validation:
| Type |
Purpose |
Tool Required |
| structureTests |
Validate image contents |
container-structure-test binary |
| custom |
Run arbitrary commands |
None (uses $IMAGE env var) |
Container Structure Tests
Validate image contents without running the container.
Configuration
apiVersion: skaffold/v4beta11
kind: Config
test:
- image: my-app
structureTests:
- ./tests/structure/*.yaml
structureTestsArgs:
- --driver=tar # Faster, no Docker daemon needed
- -q # Quiet output
Test Types Summary
| Type |
Purpose |
Key Fields |
| commandTests |
Verify binaries work |
command, args, expectedOutput, exitCode |
| fileExistenceTests |
Verify files present/absent |
path, shouldExist, permissions, uid, gid |
| fileContentTests |
Validate file contents |
path, expectedContents, excludedContents |
| metadataTest |
Validate image config |
envVars, user, entrypoint, cmd, exposedPorts, workdir |
Custom Tests
Run arbitrary commands with access to built image via $IMAGE env var.
test:
- image: my-app
custom:
- command: grype $IMAGE --fail-on high --only-fixed
timeoutSeconds: 300
- command: trivy image --exit-code 1 --severity HIGH,CRITICAL $IMAGE
timeoutSeconds: 300
Dependencies
Control when tests re-run:
custom:
- command: ./scripts/integration-test.sh
timeoutSeconds: 600
dependencies:
paths:
- "src/**/*.go"
- "go.mod"
ignore:
- "**/*_test.go"
Verify Stage (Post-Deploy)
Run integration tests after deployment succeeds.
Execution Modes
| Mode |
Environment |
Use Case |
local (default) |
Docker on host |
Quick tests, local dev |
kubernetesCluster |
K8s Job |
Integration tests needing cluster access |
Basic Configuration
verify:
- name: health-check
container:
name: curl-test
image: curlimages/curl:latest
command: ["/bin/sh"]
args: ["-c", "curl -f http://my-app.default.svc:8080/health"]
executionMode:
kubernetesCluster: {}
Agentic Optimizations
| Context |
Command |
| Quick structure test |
container-structure-test test --driver=tar -q --image $IMAGE --config tests/structure/security.yaml |
| Security scan (critical only) |
grype $IMAGE --fail-on critical -q |
| Skip tests in dev |
skaffold dev --skip-tests |
| Run only tests |
skaffold test |
| Run only verify |
skaffold verify |
| CI with JUnit output |
container-structure-test test --image $IMAGE --config test.yaml --test-report junit.xml |
Quick Reference
Container Structure Test Flags
| Flag |
Description |
--driver=tar |
Use tar driver (faster, no Docker daemon) |
--driver=docker |
Use Docker driver (default) |
-q |
Quiet output |
--test-report FILE |
Generate test report |
--output json |
JSON output format |
Skaffold Test Flags
| Flag |
Description |
--skip-tests |
Skip test phase |
-p PROFILE |
Use specific profile |
--build-artifacts FILE |
Use pre-built artifacts |
Custom Test Environment
| Variable |
Description |
$IMAGE |
Built image with tag/digest |
For detailed examples, advanced patterns, and best practices, see REFERENCE.md.
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