How to fix Error: release: not found in Kubernetes

KubernetesBEGINNERMEDIUM

Helm cannot find the release you're trying to upgrade, rollback, or delete. This usually means the release was never installed or was in a different namespace.

What this error means

Helm stores release metadata in the cluster (typically in Secrets or ConfigMaps). If a release was not properly installed or was installed in a different namespace, helm list won't show it and operations on it will fail. This is common when managing releases across namespaces.

Typical symptoms

helm upgrade fails with "release: not found"
helm delete or helm rollback fails for release
helm status shows release doesn't exist
Release not in helm list output
Created in different namespace than expected
Release secrets deleted manually

Common causes

Release was never installed with helm install
Release is in a different namespace
Release was deleted but attempting to use it again
Release metadata was manually deleted
Using wrong release name (case sensitive)
Different Helm client versions (data compatibility)

How to fix "Error: release: not found"

1List all Helm releases

Check what releases exist:

bash

helm list -A

Look for the release name across all namespaces.

2Specify the correct namespace

If the release is in a different namespace:

bash

helm list -n NAMESPACE
helm status RELEASE_NAME -n NAMESPACE

3Check release history

View release revisions:

bash

helm history RELEASE_NAME -n NAMESPACE

If empty, the release wasn't installed via Helm.

4Install the release if not present

If the release doesn't exist, install it:

bash

helm install RELEASE_NAME CHART_NAME -n NAMESPACE --create-namespace

Advanced notes

Helm release names are case-sensitive. Always use helm list -A to verify where releases are installed. For GitOps workflows (ArgoCD, Flux), let the operator manage releases instead of manual helm commands. Use helm template locally to test chart rendering before installation. Consider using Helm hooks for pre/post install validation.

Related errors

Official resources & further reading

📚Kubernetes Official Documentation
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Helm: helm list documentation(Official Docs)
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Helm: Release management(Official Docs)
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Helm: Using Helm(Official Docs)