> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://developer.harness.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://developer.harness.io/continuous-delivery/use-gitops/applicationsets/harness-git-ops-application-set-tutorial.md). # Create and manage ApplicationSets Harness provides two ways to work with GitOps ApplicationSets: 1. **First-Class Support (Recommended)** - Enhanced UI wizard with Service/Environment integration, full CRUD operations, improved RBAC, and Terraform support 2. **Standard Flow** - Create ApplicationSets as GitOps Applications with manual YAML configuration {% hint style="info" %} **FEATURE FLAG REQUIRED** The first-class ApplicationSet support is enabled by the feature flag `GITOPS_APPLICATIONSET_FIRST_CLASS_SUPPORT`. **If you have the feature flag enabled:** Use the First-Class Support tab in the [Create and Manage ApplicationSets](#create-and-manage-applicationsets) section below. **If you don't have the feature flag:** Use the Standard Flow tab. Contact [Harness Support](mailto:support@harness.io) to enable first-class support for an enhanced experience. {% endhint %} ### What you'll learn **With First-Class Support:** * Create ApplicationSets using the Harness UI wizard * Configure generators to dynamically create applications * Define templates with Service and Environment labels * Validate and preview ApplicationSet manifests * Monitor ApplicationSet sync status and generated applications **With Standard Flow:** * Create ApplicationSets as GitOps Applications * Configure ApplicationSet manifests in Git * Sync ApplicationSets to generate child applications * Monitor generated applications ### Prerequisites Before you begin, ensure you have: * A [Harness GitOps Agent](/continuous-delivery/use-gitops/gitops-entities/agents/install-a-harness-git-ops-agent.md) installed and running * At least one [GitOps Cluster](/continuous-delivery/use-gitops/get-started/harness-cd-git-ops-quickstart.md#step-3-add-a-harness-gitops-cluster) configured * A [GitOps Repository](/continuous-delivery/use-gitops/get-started/harness-cd-git-ops-quickstart.md#step-2-add-a-harness-gitops-repository) connected * Appropriate RBAC permissions to create ApplicationSets **Additional for First-Class Support:** * [Harness Services](/continuous-delivery/use-gitops/gitops-entities/service/service.md) and [Environments](/continuous-delivery/use-gitops/gitops-entities/environment.md) created in your project **Additional for Standard Flow:** * At least two target clusters (e.g., dev and prod) * GitHub account with access to clone and modify repositories {% hint style="info" %} ApplicationSets are project-scoped entities. All applications generated by an ApplicationSet belong to the same Harness project as the ApplicationSet itself. {% endhint %} ### ApplicationSet overview An ApplicationSet is a Kubernetes custom resource that enables you to automatically generate and manage multiple Argo CD applications from a single manifest. It consists of two main components: * **Generator**: Defines the source of parameters used to create applications (e.g., Git repositories, clusters, lists) * **Template**: Defines the application structure with parameterized fields that get substituted with values from the generator For more information about ApplicationSet concepts, see [ApplicationSet basics](/continuous-delivery/use-gitops/applicationsets/appset-basics.md). *** ### Create and Manage ApplicationSets {% hint style="info" %} **SELECT YOUR FLOW** Choose the appropriate tab below: * **First-Class Support**: If you have access to the enhanced UI wizard (recommended) * **Standard Flow**: If you're using the standard ApplicationSet creation method {% endhint %} {% tabs %} {% tab title="First-Class Support (Recommended)" %} {% hint style="info" %} This flow requires the feature flag `GITOPS_APPLICATIONSET_FIRST_CLASS_SUPPORT` to be enabled. If you don't have access to the ApplicationSet wizard, use the [Standard Flow](#create-applicationset-standard-flow) tab or contact [Harness Support](mailto:support@harness.io) to enable this feature. {% endhint %} ### Navigate to ApplicationSets 1. In your Harness project, go to **Deployments** > **GitOps**. 2. Select **Applications** from the left navigation. 3. Switch to the **Application Set** tab. You'll see a list of all ApplicationSets in your project. ### Create an ApplicationSet #### Step 1: Start the ApplicationSet wizard 1. On the **Application Set** tab, select **+ New Application Set**. 2. The ApplicationSet creation wizard opens with four tabs: **Overview**, **Sync Policy**, **Configuration**, and **Preview**.

#### Step 2: Configure Overview settings On the **Overview** tab, provide the following details: * **App Set Name**: Enter a unique name for your ApplicationSet. * **GitOps Operator**: Select **Argo**. Argo CD is the only supported GitOps reconciler. Flux is not supported. * **GitOps Agent**: Select the GitOps Agent that will manage this ApplicationSet. * **Service**: Select the Harness Service associated with this ApplicationSet. This enables PR pipeline integration, service dashboard visibility, and RBAC policies. * **Environment**: Select the Harness Environment associated with this ApplicationSet. This enables environment-based filtering and PR pipeline configuration.

{% hint style="info" %} The Service and Environment selections automatically add `harness.io/serviceRef` and `harness.io/envRef` labels to the ApplicationSet template, enabling integration with Harness pipelines and RBAC policies. {% endhint %} Select **Continue** to proceed to the next step. #### Step 3: Configure Sync Policy On the **Sync Policy** tab, define the sync policy that governs the relationship between the ApplicationSet and its child applications. **Sync Options** * **Preserve Resource On Deletion**: Check this option if you want to preserve Kubernetes resources when the application is deleted from Argo CD. **Applications Sync** Select the sync policy for applications created by this ApplicationSet. **Application Sync Options**: * **Create-Only**: Only create applications; don't update or delete them automatically. * **Create-Update**: Create new applications and update existing ones. * **Create-Delete**: Create new applications and delete removed ones. * **Sync**: Fully automated sync with create, update, and delete operations.

Select **Continue** to proceed to configuration. #### Step 4: Configure Generator and Template The **Configuration** tab is where you define the generator and template for your ApplicationSet. **Select Generator Type** Choose the generator type from the dropdown. Harness supports all Argo CD generator types: * **Git**: Generate applications from files or directories in a Git repository * **List**: Generate applications from a static list of parameters * **Cluster**: Generate applications for each cluster registered in Argo CD * **Matrix**: Combine multiple generators * **Pull Request**: Generate applications from pull requests * **SCM Provider**: Generate applications from repositories in an SCM provider * **Cluster Decision Resource**: Generate applications based on custom Kubernetes resources * **Plugin**: Use custom generator plugins For more information on supported generator types, see [Argo CD Generator Types](https://argoproj.github.io/argo-cd/user-guide/applicationset/generators/). When you select a generator type, Harness automatically generates a template skeleton for that generator.

**Configure Generator** The generator configuration appears in a YAML editor. Modify the template according to your needs. **Example: List Generator** ```yaml generators: - list: elements: - ns: engineering-dev url: https://kubernetes.default.svc - ns: engineering-prod url: https://kubernetes.default.svc - ns: engineering-check1 url: https://kubernetes.default.svc ``` **Configure Template** Below the generator configuration, you'll see the template section with automatically added labels for Harness integration: ```yaml template: metadata: name: "{{.ns}}-guestbook" labels: harness.io/serviceRef: guestbook harness.io/envRef: dev annotations: argocd.argoproj.io/sync-options: CreateNamespace=true spec: project: default source: repoURL: https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd.git path: applicationset/examples/list-generator/guestbook/{{.ns}} targetRevision: HEAD destination: server: https://kubernetes.default.svc namespace: "{{.ns}}" syncPolicy: automated: prune: true selfHeal: true syncOptions: - CreateNamespace=true ``` The template includes: * **harness.io/serviceRef**: References the Service you selected in the Overview step. This label is added to the ApplicationSet template metadata and will be inherited by all child applications generated from this ApplicationSet. * **harness.io/envRef**: References the Environment you selected in the Overview step. This label is added to the ApplicationSet template metadata and will be inherited by all child applications generated from this ApplicationSet. * **project**: The Argo CD project where the ApplicationSet is created. This is usually auto-populated based on the project where the ApplicationSet is created. You can also get this value from the agent details under **Mapped Harness Project** → **Argo Projects**. The sample generator and template refer to the sample Argo CD guestbook ApplicationSet provided in the [Argo CD GitHub repository](https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/tree/master/applicationset/examples/list-generator/guestbook). **How these labels are used:** The `harness.io/serviceRef` and `harness.io/envRef` labels are applied to all child applications generated by the ApplicationSet. These labels enable: * **Service Dashboard Tracking**: Applications appear in the Harness Service dashboard for the referenced service * **PR Pipeline Configuration**: The Fetch Linked Apps step in PR pipelines uses these labels to identify applications associated with a service * **Environment-based Filtering**: Filter and organize applications by service and environment in the Harness UI You can use variables in the format `{{.variableName}}` throughout the template. These variables will be substituted with values from the generator. #### Step 5: Preview and Validate On the **Preview** tab, you can review the complete ApplicationSet manifest before creating it. **Validate the Manifest** 1. Review the generated YAML manifest. 2. Click **Validate** to check the manifest for: * Syntax errors * Template variable substitution issues * Service and Environment references * Repository and cluster access permissions 3. If validation succeeds, you'll see a success message. 4. If validation fails, review the error messages and go back to fix the configuration.

**Create the ApplicationSet** Once validation passes, select **Finish** to create the ApplicationSet. ### View ApplicationSet Details After creating the ApplicationSet, you can view its details and monitor the applications it generates. #### ApplicationSet Dashboard 1. The ApplicationSet dashboard displays all ApplicationSets in the project, along with basic information such as: * Applications within each ApplicationSet * Labels * The agent used to create the ApplicationSet

2. Click on the ApplicationSet you created to view its details. On the **App Set Details** page, you can see: * ApplicationSet name * GitOps agent used * Labels and annotations * Generator details * Template generated based on the generator * Sync options and policies

3. Click on the **Resource View** tab to view the generated applications. The **Resource View** shows: * The ApplicationSet as the parent resource * All applications generated by the ApplicationSet * The sync status and health of each application You can: * Click on any generated application to view its details * Monitor the sync status and health of all applications * See which applications are healthy, progressing, or degraded {% hint style="info" %} **RESOURCE TREE REFRESH** When viewing the ApplicationSet resource tree, child application objects may appear out of sync even if the individual application page shows a synced status. This is because the ApplicationSet resource tree refreshes every 3 minutes by default. For the most up-to-date status of a specific application, click on the application to view its dedicated details page. {% endhint %}

4. Click on the **Manifest** tab to see the complete manifest generated for the ApplicationSet.

If you want more details about the applications created by the ApplicationSet, navigate to the **Applications** page. Filter by the agent and cluster to view the applications created by the ApplicationSet. Typically, all applications created by an ApplicationSet will use the same agent and cluster. ### Auto-create services and environments When importing Argo CD projects through a [Bring Your Own Argo CD (BYOA) setup](/continuous-delivery/use-gitops/connect-and-manage/multiple-argo-to-single-harness.md), Harness can automatically create services and environments in the target Harness project based on the `harness.io/serviceRef` and `harness.io/envRef` labels defined in your ApplicationSet template. If a service or environment matching the label value already exists, the application is mapped to it. If it does not exist, Harness creates it automatically and maps it to the application. {% hint style="warning" %} **IDENTIFIER NAMING RULES** The `harness.io/serviceRef` and `harness.io/envRef` label values become Harness entity identifiers. They must follow these rules: * Must start with a letter or underscore (not a number or `$`). * Can only contain alphanumeric characters, underscores (`_`), and dollar signs (`$`). * Maximum length: 128 characters. * Cannot use reserved keywords: `or`, `and`, `eq`, `ne`, `lt`, `gt`, `le`, `ge`, `div`, `mod`, `not`, `null`, `true`, `false`, `new`, `var`, `return`, `step`, `parallel`, `stepGroup`, `org`, `account`, `class`, `shellScriptProvisioner`. **Valid examples:** `my_service`, `MyService123`, `_internal_service`, `service_v2$backup` **Invalid examples:** `123service` (starts with number), `$service` (starts with `$`), `my-service` (contains hyphen), `my.service` (contains dot), `org` (reserved keyword) If a label value does not follow these rules, the auto-creation fails silently for that application. {% endhint %} To use this with ApplicationSets: 1. **Define labels in your ApplicationSet template:** Add `harness.io/serviceRef` and `harness.io/envRef` labels to the `template.metadata.labels` section. You can templatize these values so each generated application gets its own service and environment reference. 2. **Enable the toggle on the Map Projects screen:** When importing the Argo CD project during the BYOA agent setup, turn on the **Enables automatic creation of service environments** toggle.

3. **Import the project:** Select **Import & Continue**. Harness processes all applications generated by the ApplicationSet. The import summary shows the number of services, environments, and cluster links that were created or mapped.

Example ApplicationSet YAML with serviceRef and envRef labels

```yaml apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1 kind: ApplicationSet metadata: name: dev-microservices namespace: argocd spec: goTemplate: true goTemplateOptions: - missingkey=error generators: - list: elements: - domain: corporate-banking service: compliance-service namespace: corporate-banking serviceRef: cbcomplianceservice envRef: Dev_GitOps_Product_Demo - domain: corporate-banking service: corp-banking-api namespace: corporate-banking serviceRef: cbcorpbankapi envRef: Dev_GitOps_Product_Demo - domain: corporate-banking service: treasury-service namespace: corporate-banking serviceRef: cbtreasuryservice envRef: Dev_GitOps_Product_Demo - domain: retail-banking service: account-service namespace: retail-banking serviceRef: rbaccountservice envRef: Dev_GitOps_Product_Demo - domain: retail-banking service: transaction-service namespace: retail-banking serviceRef: rbtransactionservice envRef: Dev_GitOps_Product_Demo - domain: loans service: loans-api namespace: loans serviceRef: loansapi envRef: Dev_GitOps_Product_Demo template: metadata: name: "dev-{{.service}}" labels: environment: "dev" app: "{{.service}}" harness.io/serviceRef: "{{.serviceRef}}" harness.io/envRef: "{{.envRef}}" spec: project: banking source: repoURL: https://github.com/example-org/gitops-demo targetRevision: main path: "services/{{.domain}}/{{.service}}/overlays/dev" destination: server: "https://kubernetes.default.svc" namespace: "{{.namespace}}" syncPolicy: automated: prune: true selfHeal: true syncOptions: - CreateNamespace=true ```

In this example, each element in the list generator defines a `serviceRef` and `envRef` that are substituted into the template labels. When the BYOA import runs with auto-creation enabled, Harness creates a service and environment for each unique `serviceRef`/`envRef` value and maps the generated applications accordingly. ### Filter ApplicationSets You can filter ApplicationSets in the list view using: * **Search**: Enter text to search by ApplicationSet name * **Agent**: Filter by GitOps Agent * **Sync Status**: Filter by sync status (Synced, OutOfSync, Unknown) * **Health Status**: Filter by health status (Healthy, Progressing, Degraded, Suspended, Missing) ### Edit ApplicationSets To edit an existing ApplicationSet: 1. Go to the **Application Set** tab. 2. Select your ApplicationSet. 3. Select the **Manifest** tab. 4. Select **Edit** to modify the manifest. 5. Make your changes and select **Save**. {% hint style="warning" %} Editing an ApplicationSet may cause applications to be created, updated, or deleted based on the changes you make to the generator or template. {% endhint %} ### Delete ApplicationSets To delete an ApplicationSet: 1. Go to the **Application Set** tab. 2. Find your ApplicationSet in the list. 3. Select the three vertical dots (⋮) next to the ApplicationSet. 4. Select **Delete**. 5. In the **Delete Application Set** dialog, configure the deletion options: **Propagation Policy**: Select how the deletion should be handled: * **Foreground** (recommended): Deletes the ApplicationSet first, then waits for all child applications and their resources to be deleted. This ensures a clean, ordered deletion process. * **Background**: Deletes the ApplicationSet immediately and removes child applications asynchronously in the background. The ApplicationSet is removed from the UI before all resources are fully cleaned up. * **Non-cascading**: Deletes only the ApplicationSet itself without deleting child applications. The applications become orphaned and continue running independently. **Remove any existing finalizer**: Check this option to remove Kubernetes finalizers and force immediate deletion. Only use this if the ApplicationSet is stuck in a deleting state. 6. Click **Confirm** to proceed with the deletion.

{% hint style="danger" %} Deleting an ApplicationSet with **Foreground** or **Background** propagation will also delete all applications generated by it and their deployed resources, unless you've configured the sync policy to preserve resources or you select **Non-cascading**. {% endhint %} {% endtab %} {% tab title="Standard Flow" %} ### Create ApplicationSet (Standard Flow) If you don't have the `GITOPS_APPLICATIONSET_FIRST_CLASS_SUPPORT` feature flag enabled, follow this standard flow to create ApplicationSets. {% hint style="info" %} **UPGRADE RECOMMENDATION** We recommend requesting the first-class ApplicationSet support feature flag for a better experience with enhanced UI, Service/Environment integration, and improved management capabilities. Contact [Harness Support](mailto:support@harness.io) to enable it. {% endhint %} #### Step 1: Update manifests in Git The following example uses a [Git generator](https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/operator-manual/applicationset/Generators-Git/) from the [Argo Project's public repository](https://github.com/argoproj/applicationset/tree/master/examples/git-generator-files-discovery). 1. Clone the [ApplicationSet repository](https://github.com/argoproj/applicationset) and navigate to the example directory. 2. Update `git-generator-files.yaml` with the following YAML configuration: ```yaml apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1 kind: ApplicationSet metadata: name: guestbook spec: generators: - git: repoURL: https://github.com//applicationset.git revision: HEAD files: - path: "examples/git-generator-files-discovery/cluster-config/**/config.json" template: metadata: name: '{{cluster.name}}-guestbook' labels: harness.io/envRef: '{{envTag}}' harness.io/serviceRef: '{{serviceTag}}' harness.io/buildRef: '{{releaseTag}}' spec: project: source: repoURL: https://github.com//applicationset.git targetRevision: HEAD path: "examples/git-generator-files-discovery/apps/guestbook" destination: server: '{{cluster.address}}' namespace: default syncPolicy: automated: {} ``` 3. To get the project ID: * Go to **Deployments** > **GitOps** > **Settings** > **GitOps Agents** * Find the Argo Project ID you want to use to create the ApplicationSet

4. Navigate to `applicationset/examples/git-generator-files-discovery/cluster-config/engineering/dev/config.json` 5. Replace `"address": "https://1.2.3.4"` with the Endpoint IP address for your **dev** target cluster. Ensure you use the `https://` scheme.

This cluster must be created in Harness beforehand.

6. Repeat for the **prod** target cluster by modifying `applicationset/examples/git-generator-files-discovery/cluster-config/engineering/prod/config.json` Here's an example of the cluster configuration:

{% hint style="info" %} Both JSON and YAML formats are supported for ApplicationSet configuration files. {% endhint %} #### Step 2: Create the ApplicationSet application 1. In your Harness project, go to **Deployments** > **GitOps**. 2. Select **Applications** from the left navigation. 3. Click **New Application**. 4. Enter the following details: * **Application Name**: Enter a name for your ApplicationSet * **GitOps Agent**: Select the agent that will manage this ApplicationSet * **Sync Policy**: Leave the default settings or configure as needed 5. Click **Continue**. 6. In the **Source** section, configure: * **Repository URL**: Select the GitOps repository you added earlier * **Target Revision**: Select **master** or your main branch * **Path**: Enter `examples/git-generator-files-discovery`

7. Click **Continue**. 8. In the **Destination** section: * **Cluster**: Select the cluster where your GitOps agent is installed * **Namespace**: Select the namespace where your GitOps agent is installed 9. Click **Save** to create the ApplicationSet application. #### Step 3: Sync the ApplicationSet application You can sync the ApplicationSet from two places: the **Applications** view or a PR pipeline. **Sync from Applications View** From the **Applications** view, you can sync the Harness ApplicationSet application or the individual child applications independently.

**Automatic Syncing** If you configure automatic syncing in the ApplicationSet template, the applications sync automatically. See `syncPolicy.automated` in the following example: ```yaml template: metadata: name: '{{cluster.name}}-guestbook' spec: project: 191b68fc source: repoURL: https://github.com/johndoe/applicationset.git targetRevision: HEAD path: "examples/git-generator-files-discovery/apps/guestbook" destination: server: '{{cluster.address}}' namespace: default syncPolicy: automated: {} ``` **Sync via PR Pipeline** For syncing ApplicationSets through PR pipelines, refer to [Sync GitOps applications](/continuous-delivery/use-gitops/application/sync-gitops-applications.md). {% hint style="info" %} **UPGRADE TO FIRST-CLASS SUPPORT** Consider enabling the `GITOPS_APPLICATIONSET_FIRST_CLASS_SUPPORT` feature flag to access the enhanced ApplicationSet experience with a dedicated UI wizard, Service/Environment integration, and better management capabilities. {% endhint %} {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} *** ### Next Steps * Learn about [ApplicationSet basics](/continuous-delivery/use-gitops/applicationsets/appset-basics.md) * Explore [PR Pipelines with ApplicationSets](/continuous-delivery/use-gitops/pr-pipelines/pr-pipelines-basics.md) * Understand [GitOps Application management](/continuous-delivery/use-gitops/application/manage-gitops-applications.md)