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In this step, we’ll generate a standard Kubernetes Secret manifest that can later be sealed and encrypted with kubeseal. By outputting the YAML without applying it, you get full control over your secret definitions.

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1. Generate the Secret YAML

Use the following command to create a generic Secret named database in the default namespace. The DB_PASSWORD key is set to password123. 
kubectl create secret generic database \
  -n default \
  --from-literal=DB_PASSWORD=password123 \
  --dry-run=client \
  -o yaml > secret.yaml
OptionDescriptionExample
create secret generic <name>Creates a generic Secret resourcekubectl create secret generic database
-n <namespace>Specifies the target namespace-n default
--from-literal=KEY=VALUEAdds literal key-value pairs to the Secret--from-literal=DB_PASSWORD=password123
--dry-run=client -o yamlOutputs the manifest without applying it--dry-run=client -o yaml
Kubernetes Secrets store data as base64-encoded strings, not encrypted values. Always seal or encrypt sensitive data before committing to version control.

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2. Inspecting the Generated YAML

Your secret.yaml will look like this: 
apiVersion: v1
kind: Secret
metadata:
  name: database
  namespace: default
data:
  DB_PASSWORD: cGFzc3dvcmQxMjM=

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3. Verifying the Base64 Encoding

To confirm the encoding, decode the DB_PASSWORD field: 
echo cGFzc3dvcmQxMjM= | base64 --decode
# password123

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4. Next Steps: Sealing the Secret

Now that you have secret.yaml, pass it through kubeseal to produce a secure SealedSecret: 
kubeseal --format yaml < secret.yaml > sealedsecret.yaml
This encrypted manifest can be safely stored in Git and applied to any cluster that holds your Sealed Secrets key.

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References

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