Kubernetes Operator for API Traffic
Unify Kubernetes services and gateway management with the Kong Kubernetes Operator.
Automate API traffic management on Kubernetes with a single operator
Smarter Ingress and Traffic Control
Manage how external traffic enters your Kubernetes clusters with native Gateway API support. The Kong Kubernetes Operator makes API ingress secure, reliable, and scalable — acting as the front door to your services.
Automated Day-2 Operations
Simplify ongoing operations like scaling, upgrades, and certificate rotation. The Kong Kubernetes Operator reduces manual toil and ensures your APIs run securely and efficiently without constant oversight.
Unified API Platform Integration
Beyond ingress and gateway management, the Kong Kubernetes Operator integrates with Konnect — automatically cataloging services, publishing them to the Developer Portal, and enabling deep observability and debuggability.
Flexibility
100% deployment flexibility
- Run the Kong Kubernetes Operator where you please. Leverage stand-alone Kong deployments, Kong Ingress, or Konnect hybrid data planes.
- Seamlessly manage traffic with the CNCF-backed Gateway API in Hybrid Mode, making it easier to migrate from Ingress without disruption.
Security
Automatic certificate rotation
- Mitigate certificate-related downtime with automated expiration monitoring and rotation.
- Deep CertManager integration allows you to use any issuer available in your cluster (e.g. ACM, GCM, LetsEncrypt).
Scalability
Advanced autoscaling
- Have the option to autoscale your workloads based on response latency, not just CPU usage.
- Autoscale Kong Gateways up or down based on CPU and memory consumption, then shut them down automatically when they’re no longer needed.
Observability
Kubernetes native metrics
- Filter and aggregate by Kubernetes resources—no translation needed.
- Use the Konnect Debugger to capture traces and logs directly from Kubernetes for faster troubleshooting and reduced mean time to resolution.
Automation
Managed Gateways & Service Catalog
- Define Gateway API resources, and let the Kong Kubernetes Operator handle deployment and configuration. Let your developers focus on generating business value.
- Kubernetes Gateway services are automatically cataloged in Konnect, reducing manual effort and making APIs instantly discoverable for governance and consumption.
Developer Experiences
Integrated Developer Portal
- Once cataloged, services can flow directly into the Konnect Developer Portal, where developers can securely discover and consume them.
- Enable true self-service access to Kubernetes-hosted APIs across your organization.
Artificial Intelligence
AI Gateway
- Deploy and use an AI Gateway in under 60 seconds on Kubernetes.
- Leverage no-code AI plugins to enforce data privacy, security, and guardrails for AI-driven workloads.
A hands-off approach to Kubernetes
Deploy, configure and monitor API ingress and gateways on Kubernetes with the Kong Kubernetes Operator. Work with vendor-neutral Gateway API resources and let the Kubernetes Operator handle the rest.
Customize as much as you need with PodTemplateSpec and HorizontalPodAutoscaler policy support, or keep the defaults and things will just work.
