Helm lint "[ERROR] templates/" failure in CI

By Daniel Zoghalchali·Latchkey

helm lint renders the chart and validates it, reporting [INFO], [WARNING], and [ERROR] lines. Any [ERROR] makes lint exit non-zero, which fails a CI lint gate. The message points at the file and problem.

What this error means

helm lint ends with "[ERROR] templates/: ..." and "Error: 1 chart(s) linted, 1 chart(s) failed", returning a non-zero exit code in CI.

==> Linting ./chart
[ERROR] templates/: template: my-app/templates/service.yaml:12:14: executing ... at
<.Values.service.port>: nil pointer evaluating interface {}.port

Error: 1 chart(s) linted, 1 chart(s) failed

Common causes

A template fails to render

A nil pointer, a missing required value, or invalid YAML in a template renders as an [ERROR] during lint.

Values do not satisfy the schema

When values.schema.json exists, lint validates the supplied values and reports violations as errors.

How to fix it

Lint with the same values CI uses

1. Run lint with the environment values file so it renders like the real deploy.
2. Fix the template or value the [ERROR] line names.
3. Re-run until only [INFO]/[WARNING] remain.

helm lint ./chart -f values-prod.yaml

Treat warnings strictly where wanted

Use --strict to fail on warnings too, so style problems are caught before they become errors.

helm lint ./chart --strict

How to prevent it

• Run helm lint -f <values> for every environment in CI.
• Fix [WARNING] lines before they escalate.
• Keep a values schema so bad values fail lint, not deploy.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

References

• Kubernetes documentation
• GitHub Actions documentation