Last checked and updated on 04 May 2026
What Is New in Helm 3.13?
| Category | Highlights |
|---|---|
| New Features |
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| Improvements |
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| Bug Fixes |
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| Security |
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| Deprecated | None announced for this release. |
How does the new dry‑run option improve chart rendering?
The --dry-run flag now accepts sub‑options, letting you choose server mode to connect to a cluster and evaluate lookup functions. The default behavior remains unchanged, so existing scripts keep working.
In practice, this means you can preview a release exactly as it would appear in the cluster without actually applying any resources.
What are the new rules for values precedence and null handling?
Values are now merged in a strict order: CLI‑provided values first, then parent chart values, followed by imported values, and finally subchart defaults. Setting a key to null explicitly removes it from the final values tree.
This matters because it eliminates surprising overrides and gives you a reliable way to prune unwanted defaults.
How can Helm interact with OCI registries over plain HTTP?
Use the --plain-http flag with helm push or helm pull to work with registries that do not expose TLS. The flag is optional and does not affect HTTPS workflows.
Typical usage:
helm push mychart-0.1.0.tgz oci://my-registry.example.com/charts --plain-httpWhat does the new helm get metadata command provide?
The command returns the release’s stored metadata, including chart name, version, app version, and the time the chart was created in the OCI registry. It complements helm get all by focusing on descriptive data rather than rendered manifests.
Example:
helm get metadata my-releaseCan I generate an index.yaml in JSON format for faster parsing?
Yes. Adding --json to helm repo index produces a JSON‑encoded index file. Helm can read this format transparently, and downstream tools benefit from reduced memory usage and parsing time.
Example:
helm repo index . --jsonFAQ
How do I enable lookup function evaluation during a dry‑run?
Pass --dry-run-option=server (or simply --dry-run with the new default) to let Helm contact the cluster and resolve lookup calls.
Is it safe to use --plain-http with public OCI registries?
It works, but you should only use it with trusted internal registries because the traffic is not encrypted.
Can I remove a nested value without editing the whole values file?
Set the target key to null in an overlay file or via --set; Helm will drop that entry during merge.
What information is missing from helm get metadata compared to helm get all?helm get metadata shows only descriptive fields (chart name, version, app version, creation timestamp) and omits rendered Kubernetes manifests.
Will existing CI pipelines break when I switch to JSON index files?
No. Helm automatically detects JSON or YAML index files, so pipelines that use helm repo add continue to work unchanged.