midDevOps
What is GitOps?
Updated Apr 28, 2026
Short answer
GitOps is a paradigm where a Git repository acts as the single source of truth for declarative infrastructure and application deployments.
Deep explanation
Instead of pushing deployments via a CI/CD script (Push model), GitOps uses software agents (like ArgoCD or Flux) running inside the cluster. These agents constantly monitor the Git repository (Pull model). When a change is merged into Git, the agent automatically synchronizes the cluster to match the Git state.
Real-world example
A developer merges a PR updating a deployment's Docker image tag to v2 in the manifests repo. ArgoCD detects the change and updates the Kubernetes deployment automatically.
Common mistakes
- Making manual `kubectl apply` changes in the cluster. GitOps tools will immediately overwrite manual changes to match Git.
Follow-up questions
- What happens if a developer manually deletes a deployment in the cluster?