Skip to main content

Helm Cheat Sheet 2026 — Quick CLI Command Reference

2 min read

Helm Cheat Sheet 2026 — Quick Command Reference

Helm Cheat Sheet is the complete quick-reference of Helm commands grouped by function. Copy any command with one click and find what you need with Ctrl+F in under 3 seconds.

Helm Charts & Releases

Action Command Useful flags
Create a helm chart 
helm create <chart_name>
Add a new helm repository 
helm repo add <repository_name>
List helm repositories 
helm repo ls
Update helm repositories 
helm repo up
Delete a helm repository 
helm repo rm <repository_name>
Install a helm chart 
helm install <name> <repository_name>/<chart_name>
Download helm chart as a `.tar` archive 
helm get <chart_release_name>
Update helm dependencies 
helm dep up

⚠️ Dangerous / Destructive Commands

These commands are irreversible. Verify your environment (dev/staging vs prod) before running them.

Action Command Warning
⚠️ Destroy ⚠️ 
terraform destroy -auto-approve
 Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Delete 
kubectl delete namespace production
 Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Prune ⚠️ 
docker system prune -af --volumes
 Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Delete 
pvesh delete /nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}
 Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Delete 
az group delete --name MyResourceGroup --yes
 Irreversible — verify the target before running

FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Helm Charts & Releases and the other groups?

Each group in this Helm cheat sheet covers a distinct area. Helm Charts & Releases focuses on its specific scope, while the other groups and the remaining groups cover networking, storage, security and diagnostics respectively.

How do I check the installed Helm version?

Run the version command (usually helm version or helm --version). The output shows the client and, when applicable, the server version.

Why does Helm return ‘permission denied’?

A ‘permission denied’ error in Helm usually means the current user lacks sufficient privileges or credentials are not configured. Check: (1) assigned IAM/RBAC roles, (2) an active authentication context via the corresponding login command.

How do I filter Helm output by status or name?

Use flags such as --filter, --selector or --query depending on the tool. You can also pipe into grep or jq to process JSON: 

helm list | grep RUNNING

What is the fastest way to debug a Helm error?

Add the verbose flag (--verbose, -v or --debug) to the failing command. This reveals the underlying HTTP/API calls and the full error response body.

Official sources & references

Commands cross-checked against vendor documentation and high-authority repositories: