The Complete Production SOP: How to Deploy and Run Argo CD App-of-Apps Pattern & ApplicationSet in Autonomous AI Agents

---
name: "argocd-app-of-apps-pattern"
description: "Manage hundreds of microservices and infrastructure clusters using App-of-Apps and ApplicationSets."
metadata:
  author: "Argo Project"
  version: "1.0.0"
  runtime_compatibility:
    - "codex"
    - "claude-code"
    - "cursor"
    - "windsurf"
triggers:
  - "setup argocd app of apps"
  - "configure argocd applicationset git generator"
  - "deploy multi-cluster gitops"
permissions:
  fs_read: true
  fs_write: "workspace"
  shell_exec: false
  net_access: false
---

# Argo CD App-of-Apps Pattern & ApplicationSet

Architects enterprise Argo CD: implementing the App-of-Apps root pattern, configuring ApplicationSet generators (Git directory generator, List generator, Cluster generator), and progressive rollout strategies.

## When to Invoke
Invoke this skill whenever you need to:
- setup argocd app of apps
- configure argocd applicationset git generator
- deploy multi-cluster gitops

## Execution SOP & Rules
1. Create a root application pointing to a manifests directory containing child Application YAML files.
2. Use ApplicationSet with generators: - git: directories: [{ path: 'apps/*' }] for automatic app provisioning.
3. Configure template parameters like {{path.basename}} in the ApplicationSet spec.
4. Commit a new folder to Git and verify Argo CD automatically provisions the corresponding Application.

## Verification Checklist
- Run local linting, syntax validation, and type-checks before reporting completion.
- Ensure all created or modified files adhere to workspace boundaries and avoid uncommitted secrets.
- Verify tests or build commands exit cleanly with return code 0.

apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1
kind: Application
metadata:
  name: root-application
  namespace: argocd
  finalizers:
    - resources-finalizer.argocd.argoproj.io
spec:
  project: default
  source:
    repoURL: 'https://github.com/my-org/gitops-fleet.git'
    targetRevision: HEAD
    path: bootstrap/applicationsets
  destination:
    server: 'https://kubernetes.default.svc'
    namespace: argocd
  syncPolicy:
    automated:
      prune: true
      selfHeal: true

apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1
kind: ApplicationSet
metadata:
  name: cluster-workloads
  namespace: argocd
spec:
  generators:
    - git:
        repoURL: 'https://github.com/my-org/gitops-fleet.git'
        revision: HEAD
        directories:
          - path: 'apps/*'
  template:
    metadata:
      name: '{{path.basename}}'
      labels:
        app.kubernetes.io/managed-by: argocd
    spec:
      project: default
      source:
        repoURL: 'https://github.com/my-org/gitops-fleet.git'
        targetRevision: HEAD
        path: '{{path}}'
      destination:
        server: 'https://kubernetes.default.svc'
        namespace: '{{path.basename}}'
      syncPolicy:
        automated:
          prune: true
          selfHeal: true
        syncOptions:
          - CreateNamespace=true