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Modification Modes

KubeAI Chatbot supports three resource modification modes, controlled by the MODIFY_RESOURCES environment variable. The mode determines how the agent behaves when a task requires a kubectl command that creates, updates, or deletes Kubernetes resources.

Important

Regardless of the modification mode, the agent will never read or list Kubernetes Secrets. This restriction is hardcoded and cannot be overridden.

Modes

none — Read-Only (Default)

env:
  MODIFY_RESOURCES: "none"

The agent operates in read-only mode. It can freely execute read commands (get, describe, logs, top, events, etc.) but will never execute a write command through its tools.

When a task requires a resource modification, the agent will:

  1. Gather the necessary context using read-only tools.
  2. Provide the exact kubectl command(s) the user should run manually.
  3. Explain what each command does and why.

Best for: Teams that want AI-assisted diagnostics and guidance without allowing the bot to change anything in the cluster.

allow — Confirm Before Modifying

env:
  MODIFY_RESOURCES: "allow"

The agent can execute write commands, but only after explicit user confirmation. When the agent plans a write operation, the system pauses and presents the user with a confirmation prompt listing the command(s) about to be run. The user must approve before anything is executed.

Read-only commands (get, describe, logs, etc.) run immediately without any confirmation.

Best for: Teams that want the convenience of automated execution but with a human-in-the-loop for any destructive or modifying actions.

auto — Automatic Modification

env:
  MODIFY_RESOURCES: "auto"

The agent can execute both read and write commands automatically, without requesting user confirmation. The agent will:

  1. Gather context first using read-only tools.
  2. Briefly announce what it is about to do and why.
  3. Execute the modification immediately.

The agent will still ask for user input when genuinely required (e.g., a required value such as a namespace or image tag is not specified).

Best for: Trusted internal tooling or teams with high confidence in the agent's behaviour who want to minimise confirmation prompts.

Comparison

Feature none allow auto
Read commands (get, describe, logs) ✅ Auto ✅ Auto ✅ Auto
Write commands (apply, delete, …) ❌ Never ✅ After user confirms ✅ Auto
Provides commands for manual run ✅ Yes — —
User confirmation dialog — ✅ Yes ❌ No
Minimises user interaction — — ✅ Yes
Kubernetes Secrets access ❌ Never ❌ Never ❌ Never

Helm Values

Set the mode via values.yaml:

env:
  MODIFY_RESOURCES: "none"  # Options: none, allow, auto

Or override at install time:

helm install kubeai-chatbot ./charts/kubeai-chatbot \
  --set env.SLACK_BOT_TOKEN="xoxb-..." \
  --set env.SLACK_SIGNING_SECRET="..." \
  --set env.GEMINI_API_KEY="..." \
  --set env.MODIFY_RESOURCES="allow"

RBAC Alignment

The modification mode should be aligned with the Kubernetes RBAC permissions granted to the bot's service account. The Helm chart provides a rbac.allowWrite value to control this:

rbac:
  create: true
  allowWrite: false  # Set to true when using allow or auto mode
MODIFY_RESOURCES Recommended rbac.allowWrite
none false
allow true
auto true

Warning

Setting MODIFY_RESOURCES: "allow" or "auto" while rbac.allowWrite: false will result in permission errors when the agent attempts write operations. Conversely, granting write RBAC while using MODIFY_RESOURCES: "none" is safe but unnecessarily permissive.