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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/kubernetes-retired/dashboard/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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Introduction

The Kubernetes Dashboard API is a RESTful API that provides programmatic access to Kubernetes cluster resources through a unified interface. The API acts as a proxy between clients and the Kubernetes API server, offering enhanced features like metrics aggregation, resource management, and web terminal access.

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Base URL

All API endpoints are prefixed with: 
/api/v1

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Example

https://dashboard.example.com/api/v1/pod

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Architecture

The Dashboard API consists of several key components:
  • API Handler: Core request routing and processing (apihandler.go)
  • Resource Handlers: Kubernetes resource-specific endpoints
  • Integration Manager: Metrics and external service integration
  • Authentication: Bearer token-based authentication
  • WebSocket Support: Real-time terminal and log streaming via SockJS

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Server Configuration

The API server can be configured with the following options:
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--bind-address
string
default:"0.0.0.0"
The IP address on which to serve HTTPS (set to 0.0.0.0 for all interfaces)
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--port
number
default:"8443"
The secure port to listen on for HTTPS
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--insecure-bind-address
string
The IP address on which to serve HTTP (disabled by default)
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--insecure-port
number
default:"8080"
The port to listen on for HTTP
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--metrics-provider
string
default:"sidecar"
Metrics provider for resource metrics (options: sidecar, none)
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--sidecar-host
string
The metrics-scraper sidecar host URL

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OpenAPI Documentation

When enabled, the API provides OpenAPI/Swagger documentation at: 
/apidocs.json
Enable OpenAPI documentation with the --enable-openapi flag.

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Common Query Parameters

Many list endpoints support the following query parameters for filtering, sorting, and pagination:
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filterBy
string
Comma-delimited string for filtering: propertyName,filterValueExample: filterBy=name,nginx
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sortBy
string
Column name to sort byExample: sortBy=creationTimestamp
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itemsPerPage
number
default:"10"
Number of items to return per page
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page
number
default:"1"
Page number for pagination
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metricNames
string
Comma-separated list of metric names to downloadExample: metricNames=cpu/usage,memory/usage
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aggregations
string
Aggregation methods for metrics (default: sum)Options: sum, avg, min, max

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Response Format

All API responses are in JSON format with the following general structure:

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Success Response

{
  "listMeta": {
    "totalItems": 100
  },
  "items": [...],
  "errors": []
}

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Error Response

{
  "status": "Failure",
  "message": "Error message",
  "reason": "BadRequest",
  "code": 400
}

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Content Types

The API accepts and returns the following content types:
  • Accept: application/json
  • Content-Type: application/json

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Rate Limiting

The API implements client-side rate limiting with configurable QPS (queries per second) and burst settings:
  • Default QPS: Follows Kubernetes client-go defaults
  • Configurable via server startup parameters

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CSRF Protection

POST requests require CSRF token validation. Obtain a CSRF token using: 
GET /api/v1/csrftoken/{action}
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token
string
One-time CSRF token for the specified action
Include the token in the X-CSRF-TOKEN header for POST requests.

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Metrics Integration

The API supports metrics collection through the metrics-scraper sidecar:
  • CPU usage: cpu/usage
  • Memory usage: memory/usage
  • Custom metrics: Extensible through integrations

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Proxy Mode

The API can run in proxy mode for development and testing, bypassing in-cluster authentication.

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Next Steps

Authentication

Learn about API authentication mechanisms

Resources

Explore Kubernetes resource endpoints

Handlers

Discover special handlers for terminal and logs

Metrics

Access metrics and monitoring data