kubectl set context & use context Command Examples

In this guide, we will look at how to use kubectl set context command for managing multiple Kubernetes cluster contexts.

By the end of this guide, you will learn:

• What kubectl set-context is
• How to create a context using kubectl with a real-world example
• How to manage contexts (create, switch, delete, rename, etc.)
• Setting up alias to mange contexts efficiently.

kubectl config set-context is a fundamental command for anyone working with Kubernetes. Before we look in to kubectl context command, lets first understand what is a context.

What is Kubectl Context?

When you work on Kubernetes projects, you will have to work with multiple kubernetes clusters at a time in your workstation.

It could be clusters that are part of the same environments or different environments.

So what is a context?

A context is a set of parameters (cluster, namespace, user) present in the kubeconfig file that are required to connect to a kubernetes cluster. A single kubeconfig file can contain more than one context.

Here is an example context block from kubeconfig file with three cluster contexts.

contexts:
- context:
    cluster: dev-cluster
    user: dev-user
  name: dev

- context:
    cluster: stage-cluster
    user: stage-user
  name: stage

- context:
    cluster: prod-cluster
    user: prod-user
  name: prod

current-context: dev

By defining or using contexts, you can easily switch between different clusters (e.g., development, staging, production) or different users with varying permissions on the same cluster, or even different default namespaces for your operations.

Here is where kubectl config set context command comes in handy.

Now that we have understood what a context is, let's look at different practical examples to understand kubectl set context in detail.

What is kubectl config set context ?

Kubectl set context command is used to modify an existing context in your kubeconfig file or create a new one if it doesn't exist.

The basic syntax is:

kubectl config set-context [CONTEXT_NAME] [flags]

Common flags include:

• --cluster: Specify which cluster the context refers to
• --user: Specify which user credentials to use
• --namespace: Set the default namespace for this context

You can learn all the supported flags using help command.

kubectl config set-context --help

Creating a Context Using kubectl set-context command

We will look at the kubectl set-context command usage with a real-world devops example workflow.

Lets say you are working in a DevOps team and the cluster administrators gave you the following.

1. Cluster endpoint URL (e.g., https://k8s-prod-cluster.company.com:6443)
2. CA certificate (typically a file like cluster-ca.crt)

1. Create the Cluster Entry

First, we'll configure the cluster entry using the provided endpoint and CA certificate.

$ kubectl config set-cluster prod-cluster \
  --server=https://k8s-prod-cluster.company.com:6443 \
  --certificate-authority=/path/to/cluster-ca.crt

Cluster "prod-cluster" set.

2. Set Up User Credentials

Next, you'll need authentication credentials. The administrators might provide these in several ways:

If you received a client certificate and key:

kubectl config set-credentials prod-devops-user \
  --client-certificate=/path/to/user.crt \
  --client-key=/path/to/user.key

If you need to use a token:

kubectl config set-credentials prod-devops-user \
  --token=<TOKEN-HERE>

If using OIDC authentication (common in enterprise environments):

kubectl config set-credentials prod-devops-user \
  --auth-provider=oidc \
  --auth-provider-arg=idp-issuer-url=https://oidc.company.com \
  --auth-provider-arg=client-id=kubernetes \
  --auth-provider-arg=refresh-token=refresh-token-value

3. Create the Context

Now, create a context that links the cluster with your user credentials:

kubectl config set-context prod-devops \
  --cluster=prod-cluster \
  --user=prod-devops-user \
  --namespace=devops

Context "prod-devops" created.

4. Set this as your current context

You can set the newly created context as you current active context using the following command.

$ kubectl config use-context prod-devops

Switched to context "prod-devops".

5. Verify Cluster Connection

Verify the cluster connection using,

kubectl get nodes
kubectl get pods 

Creating a context for a specific namespace

By default, all the commands get executed in the default namespace if you don't specify a namespace with the -n flag. You can change that behavior by setting the current namespace using the set-context command.

For example, if you want to set kube-system as your default namespace, you can use the following command systax.

kubectl config set-context --current --namespace [namespace-name]

For example,

kubectl config set-context --current --namespace kube-system

Once you set the current namespace, you don't have to use the -n flag with the kubectl command. All the kubectl command gets executed in the current namespace set by the set-context command.

Managing Your Contexts

Once you've set up your contexts, you'll use these related commands frequentl

1. Listing Cluster Contexts

You can view all the contexts and its configuration using the following kubectl command

kubectl config get-contexts

To list all the available contexts names, you can use the following kubectl command. The -o=name flag lists only the context names.

kubectl config get-contexts -o=name

You will get the list of contexts as shown below.

arn:aws:eks:us-west-2:814200988517:cluster/custom-cluster
do-sfo3-k8s-1-28-2-do-0-sfo3-1699501871578
kubernetes-admin@kubernetes
kubernetes-the-hard-way

2. Get the Current Context

You can get the current context using the following comand. It will list the name of the currently active context.

kubectl config current-context

3. Switch Context

kubectl config use context command is primarily used to switch to a different cluster context.

Here is the syntax to set the current context.

kubectl config use-context <CONTEXT_NAME>

For example, here is the list of contexts available in my Kubeconfig file.

$ kubectl config get-contexts -o=name

arn:aws:eks:us-west-2:814200988517:cluster/custom-cluster
do-sfo3-k8s-1-28-2-do-0-sfo3-1699501871578
kubernetes-admin@kubernetes
kubernetes-the-hard-way

Here is an example to switch the content.

kubectl config use-context kubernetes-admin@kubernetes

When you use a new context, the value is also set in the Kubeconfig file. You can find a parameter called current-context: in the Kubeconfig file.

3. Renaming Kubectl contexts

You can also rename a context using the rename-context command.

For example, lets say you have a context named dev-cluster and want it to be renamed to dev01. Here is how the command looks.

$ kubectl config rename-context dev-cluster dev01        

Context "kind-dev-cluster" renamed to "kind-dev01".

4. Delete a context

You can delete the context created by kubectl using the delete-context command.

Here is the command syntax.

kubectl config delete-context [context-name]

For example,

kubectl config delete-context stage-k8s-cluster

Setting Kubectl Alias for Contexts

If you regularly switch between contexts to work on different clusters, you can create an alias to list and set the context.

Here is the alias to list the contexts.

alias klist='kubectl config get-contexts -o=name'

You can add the following line to your .bashrc or .zshrc file, depending on the shell you use:

Create the following alias to set the context with a custom namespace.

kset() {
    local context="$1"
    local namespace="$2"
    kubectl config use-context "$context" --namespace "$namespace"
}

Here is how the aliases look in your bashrc or zshrc file.

alias k=kubectl

alias klist='kubectl config get-contexts -o=name'

kset() {
    local context="$1"
    local namespace="$2"
    kubectl config use-context "$context" --namespace "$namespace"
}

kdel() {
    kubectl config delete-context "$1"
}

Here is how you can use these aliases

1. List the contexts with klist command.
2. Set the context and namespace using the kset command

Here is the example.

Set Context FAQ's

How to set current context in kubectl?

You can use the kubectl config use-context command with the context name to set the current context.

For example, kubectl config use-context dev-cluster

Where dev-cluster is the context name.

How do I set context in Kubernetes for specific namespace?

You can use the --namespace flag with the kubectl config use-context command to set a current namespace in context.

What is the difference between kubectl set and kubectl use context?

The set-context parameters modify the cluster context or create a new one if not present. The use context parameter is used to switch to a different context.

kubectl Alternatives to Set Contexts

If you dont want to use the native commands to set kubectl contexs, you can make use the following alternative open source utilites.

1. Kubie
2. K9s
3. Kubectx
4. KubeContext (GUI)