> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://notes.kodekloud.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Demo GitOps Delivery with ArgoCD CLI > Demonstrates using the Argo CD CLI to create, sync, and automate Kubernetes GitOps deployments with self healing, auto prune, monitoring, and CI/CD automation This lesson shows how to administer Argo CD using the CLI to perform the same tasks normally done in the web UI. You will: * Log in to Argo CD via the CLI * Create an application from a Git repo * Sync and monitor application status * Enable automated sync, self-heal, and auto-prune * Test self-heal behavior and observe Kubernetes events * Use `argocd app wait` to block until sync completes This is useful for scripting GitOps operations, automation, and CI/CD integrations. ## Login to Argo CD In this environment Argo CD is exposed via a NodePort on `localhost:30080`. Authenticate with the admin account from the CLI: ```bash theme={null} argocd login localhost:30080 \ --username admin \ --password admin123 \ --insecure \ --plaintext ``` Console output: ```console theme={null} 'admin:login' logged in successfully Context 'localhost:30080' updated ``` This login uses plaintext credentials and `--insecure` (disables TLS verification). It's acceptable for lab environments but should never be used in production. For production, use secure credentials and TLS. ## Create the application Create an Argo CD Application named `web-frontend` that points to the example repository and `guestbook` path: ```bash theme={null} argocd app create web-frontend \ --repo https://github.com/argoproj/argocd-example-apps.git \ --path guestbook \ --dest-server https://kubernetes.default.svc \ --dest-namespace applications ``` Console output: ```console theme={null} application 'web-frontend' created ``` Check the application status (initially Manual sync; resources are not yet deployed): ```bash theme={null} argocd app get web-frontend ``` Representative output (initial state): ```console theme={null} Name: argocd/web-frontend Project: default Server: https://kubernetes.default.svc Namespace: applications URL: http://localhost:30080/applications/web-frontend Source: - Repo: https://github.com/argoproj/argocd-example-apps.git Path: guestbook SyncWindow: Sync Allowed Sync Policy: Manual Sync Status: OutOfSync from (723b86e) Health Status: Missing GROUP KIND NAMESPACE NAME STATUS HEALTH HOOK MESSAGE apps Service applications guestbook-ui OutOfSync Missing apps Deployment applications guestbook-ui OutOfSync Missing ``` Confirm there are no Kubernetes resources deployed in the `applications` namespace yet: ```bash theme={null} kubectl get pods -n applications ``` Output: ```console theme={null} No resources found in applications namespace. ``` ## Sync the application Deploy the resources defined in Git by triggering a sync: ```bash theme={null} argocd app sync web-frontend ``` Console output (sync events and final state): ```console theme={null} TIMESTAMP GROUP KIND NAMESPACE NAME STATUS HEALTH HOOK MESSAGE 2026-04-05T17:26:07+00:00 apps Deployment applications guestbook-ui OutOfSync Missing 2026-04-05T17:26:07+00:00 apps Service applications guestbook-ui OutOfSync Missing 2026-04-05T17:26:08+00:00 apps Service applications guestbook-ui OutOfSync Missing service/guestbook-ui created 2026-04-05T17:26:08+00:00 apps Deployment applications guestbook-ui OutOfSync Missing deployment.apps/guestbook-ui created Name: argocd/web-frontend Project: default Server: https://kubernetes.default.svc Namespace: applications URL: http://localhost:30080/applications/web-frontend Source: - Repo: https://github.com/argoproj/argocd-example-apps.git Path: guestbook SyncWindow: Sync Allowed Sync Policy: Manual Sync Status: Synced to (723b86e) Health Status: Progressing Operation: Sync Sync Revision: 723b86e01bea11dcf72316cb172868fcbf05d69e Phase: Succeeded Start: 2026-04-05 17:26:07 +0000 UTC Finished: 2026-04-05 17:26:08 +0000 UTC Duration: 1s Message: successfully synced (all tasks run) GROUP KIND NAMESPACE NAME STATUS HEALTH HOOK MESSAGE apps Service applications guestbook-ui Synced Healthy service/guestbook-ui created apps Deployment applications guestbook-ui Synced Progressing deployment.apps/guestbook-ui created ``` Now verify the Pods are running in the `applications` namespace: ```bash theme={null} kubectl get pods -n applications ``` Output: ```console theme={null} NAME READY STATUS RESTARTS AGE guestbook-ui-6595f948db-5ndrw 1/1 Running 0 35s ``` ## Enable automated sync, self-heal, and auto-prune By default Argo CD Applications use Manual sync. To have Argo CD automatically reconcile the live cluster to the Git state, and to prune removed resources, enable the following settings. Set automated sync: ```bash theme={null} argocd app set web-frontend --sync-policy automated ``` Enable self-heal (auto-reconcile out-of-band changes): ```bash theme={null} argocd app set web-frontend --self-heal ``` Enable auto-prune (remove resources that were deleted from Git): ```bash theme={null} argocd app set web-frontend --auto-prune ``` Verify the application now shows Automated (Prune) and self-heal behavior: ```bash theme={null} argocd app get web-frontend ``` Representative output: ```console theme={null} Name: argocd/web-frontend Project: default Server: https://kubernetes.default.svc Namespace: applications URL: http://localhost:30080/applications/web-frontend Source: - Repo: https://github.com/argoproj/argocd-example-apps.git Path: guestbook SyncWindow: Sync Allowed Sync Policy: Automated (Prune) Sync Status: Synced to (723b86e) Health Status: Healthy GROUP KIND NAMESPACE NAME STATUS HEALTH HOOK MESSAGE apps Deployment applications guestbook-ui Synced Healthy deployment.apps/guestbook-ui configured apps Service applications guestbook-ui Synced Healthy ``` ## Test self-heal behavior Simulate an out-of-band change by scaling the deployment directly with kubectl: ```bash theme={null} kubectl scale deployment guestbook-ui -n applications --replicas=5 ``` Console output: ```console theme={null} deployment.apps/guestbook-ui scaled ``` Argo CD (with automated sync + self-heal) should detect the divergence and revert the replica count back to what's declared in Git. Check status and pods again: ```bash theme={null} argocd app get web-frontend kubectl get pods -n applications ``` Representative outputs: ```console theme={null} # argocd app get web-frontend Sync Policy: Automated (Prune) Sync Status: Synced to (723b86e) Health Status: Healthy GROUP KIND NAMESPACE NAME STATUS HEALTH HOOK MESSAGE apps Deployment applications guestbook-ui Synced Healthy deployment.apps/guestbook-ui configured apps Service applications guestbook-ui Synced Healthy ``` ```console theme={null} # kubectl get pods -n applications NAME READY STATUS RESTARTS AGE guestbook-ui-6595f948db-5ndrw 1/1 Running 0 2m54s ``` Describe the Deployment to view events that show Kubernetes scaling up and then Argo CD reverting the change: ```bash theme={null} kubectl describe deployment guestbook-ui -n applications ``` Relevant events excerpt: ```console theme={null} Events: Type Reason Age From Message ---- ------ --- ---- ------- Normal ScalingReplicaSet 3m18s deployment-controller Scaled up replica set guestbook-ui-6595f948db from 0 to 1 Normal ScalingReplicaSet 52s deployment-controller Scaled up replica set guestbook-ui-6595f948db from 1 to 5 Normal ScalingReplicaSet 52s deployment-controller Scaled down replica set guestbook-ui-6595f948db from 5 to 1 ``` ## Wait for sync to complete If you need to block until an application reaches Synced (and optionally Healthy), use: ```bash theme={null} argocd app wait web-frontend --sync ``` Example output when the app is Synced and Healthy: ```console theme={null} Name: argocd/web-frontend Project: default Server: https://kubernetes.default.svc Namespace: applications URL: http://localhost:30080/applications/web-frontend Source: - Repo: https://github.com/argoproj/argocd-example-apps.git Path: guestbook SyncWindow: Sync Allowed Sync Policy: Automated (Prune) Sync Status: Synced to (723b86e) Health Status: Healthy GROUP KIND NAMESPACE NAME STATUS HEALTH HOOK MESSAGE apps Deployment applications guestbook-ui Synced Healthy deployment.apps/guestbook-ui configured apps Service applications guestbook-ui Synced Healthy ``` ## Common Argo CD CLI commands | Task | Command example | | - | - | | Login to Argo CD | `argocd login localhost:30080 --username admin --password --insecure` | | Create app | `argocd app create web-frontend --repo https://github.com/argoproj/argocd-example-apps.git --path guestbook --dest-server https://kubernetes.default.svc --dest-namespace applications` | | Get app status | `argocd app get web-frontend` | | Sync app | `argocd app sync web-frontend` | | Set automated sync | `argocd app set web-frontend --sync-policy automated` | | Enable self-heal | `argocd app set web-frontend --self-heal` | | Enable auto-prune | `argocd app set web-frontend --auto-prune` | | Wait for sync | `argocd app wait web-frontend --sync` | ## References and further reading * Argo CD official docs: [https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/](https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/) * GitOps with Argo CD: [https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/getting\_started/](https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/getting_started/) * Kubernetes docs: [https://kubernetes.io/docs/](https://kubernetes.io/docs/) ## Conclusion Everything you can manage in the Argo CD UI is also available via the CLI: creating applications, syncing, enabling automated sync/self-heal/auto-prune, and monitoring application/resource status. The CLI provides the same control and visibility in a scriptable form, making it ideal for automation and CI/CD pipelines. > **[Watch Video](https://learn.kodekloud.com/user/courses/prep-course-certified-cloud-native-platform-engineer-cnpe/module/dff5382b-dbe7-4cac-bd2b-d5a47028945e/lesson/96c7a748-3848-424d-9933-e90d4f8cd5dd)** > **[Practice Lab](https://learn.kodekloud.com/user/courses/prep-course-certified-cloud-native-platform-engineer-cnpe/module/dff5382b-dbe7-4cac-bd2b-d5a47028945e/lesson/efa3002a-4ec7-4dde-abad-486ec7e5bcd9)** This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.