website/docs/user-guide/kubectl/kubectl_label.md

---
layout: docwithnav
title: "kubectl label"
---
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## kubectl label

Update the labels on a resource

### Synopsis


Update the labels on a resource.

A label must begin with a letter or number, and may contain letters, numbers, hyphens, dots, and underscores, up to 63 characters.
If --overwrite is true, then existing labels can be overwritten, otherwise attempting to overwrite a label will result in an error.
If --resource-version is specified, then updates will use this resource version, otherwise the existing resource-version will be used.

```
{% raw %}
kubectl label [--overwrite] (-f FILENAME | TYPE NAME) KEY_1=VAL_1 ... KEY_N=VAL_N [--resource-version=version]
{% endraw %}
```

### Examples

```
{% raw %}
# Update pod 'foo' with the label 'unhealthy' and the value 'true'.
$ kubectl label pods foo unhealthy=true

# Update pod 'foo' with the label 'status' and the value 'unhealthy', overwriting any existing value.
$ kubectl label --overwrite pods foo status=unhealthy

# Update all pods in the namespace
$ kubectl label pods --all status=unhealthy

# Update a pod identified by the type and name in "pod.json"
$ kubectl label -f pod.json status=unhealthy

# Update pod 'foo' only if the resource is unchanged from version 1.
$ kubectl label pods foo status=unhealthy --resource-version=1

# Update pod 'foo' by removing a label named 'bar' if it exists.
# Does not require the --overwrite flag.
$ kubectl label pods foo bar-
{% endraw %}
```

### Options

```
{% raw %}
      --all[=false]: select all resources in the namespace of the specified resource types
      --dry-run[=false]: If true, only print the object that would be sent, without sending it.
  -f, --filename=[]: Filename, directory, or URL to a file identifying the resource to update the labels
      --no-headers[=false]: When using the default output, don't print headers.
  -o, --output="": Output format. One of: json|yaml|wide|name|go-template=...|go-template-file=...|jsonpath=...|jsonpath-file=... See golang template [http://golang.org/pkg/text/template/#pkg-overview] and jsonpath template [http://releases.k8s.io/release-1.1/docs/user-guide/jsonpath.md].
      --output-version="": Output the formatted object with the given version (default api-version).
      --overwrite[=false]: If true, allow labels to be overwritten, otherwise reject label updates that overwrite existing labels.
      --resource-version="": If non-empty, the labels update will only succeed if this is the current resource-version for the object. Only valid when specifying a single resource.
  -l, --selector="": Selector (label query) to filter on
  -a, --show-all[=false]: When printing, show all resources (default hide terminated pods.)
      --sort-by="": If non-empty, sort list types using this field specification.  The field specification is expressed as a JSONPath expression (e.g. 'ObjectMeta.Name'). The field in the API resource specified by this JSONPath expression must be an integer or a string.
      --template="": Template string or path to template file to use when -o=go-template, -o=go-template-file. The template format is golang templates [http://golang.org/pkg/text/template/#pkg-overview].
{% endraw %}
```

### Options inherited from parent commands

```
{% raw %}
      --alsologtostderr[=false]: log to standard error as well as files
      --api-version="": The API version to use when talking to the server
      --certificate-authority="": Path to a cert. file for the certificate authority.
      --client-certificate="": Path to a client key file for TLS.
      --client-key="": Path to a client key file for TLS.
      --cluster="": The name of the kubeconfig cluster to use
      --context="": The name of the kubeconfig context to use
      --insecure-skip-tls-verify[=false]: If true, the server's certificate will not be checked for validity. This will make your HTTPS connections insecure.
      --kubeconfig="": Path to the kubeconfig file to use for CLI requests.
      --log-backtrace-at=:0: when logging hits line file:N, emit a stack trace
      --log-dir="": If non-empty, write log files in this directory
      --log-flush-frequency=5s: Maximum number of seconds between log flushes
      --logtostderr[=true]: log to standard error instead of files
      --match-server-version[=false]: Require server version to match client version
      --namespace="": If present, the namespace scope for this CLI request.
      --password="": Password for basic authentication to the API server.
  -s, --server="": The address and port of the Kubernetes API server
      --stderrthreshold=2: logs at or above this threshold go to stderr
      --token="": Bearer token for authentication to the API server.
      --user="": The name of the kubeconfig user to use
      --username="": Username for basic authentication to the API server.
      --v=0: log level for V logs
      --vmodule=: comma-separated list of pattern=N settings for file-filtered logging
{% endraw %}
```

### SEE ALSO

* [kubectl](kubectl.html)	 - kubectl controls the Kubernetes cluster manager

###### Auto generated by spf13/cobra at 2015-09-25 23:39:47.89548479 +0000 UTC



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