---
layout: 'docs'
page_title: 'Using Kubernetes Auth Method'
sidebar_current: 'docs-platform-k8s-examples-kubernetes-auth'
description: |-
  Describes how to set up Kubernetes Auth method
---

# Bootstrapping Kubernetes Auth Method

@include 'helm/version.mdx'

In this example, we will walk through how to set up the [Kubernetes Auth Method](/vault/docs/auth/kubernetes).

This assumes the following commands will be run inside a Vault pod running in Kubernetes.

You will optionally need the following variables:

```bash
# JWT is a service account token that has access to the Kubernetes TokenReview API
# You can retrieve this from inside a pod at: /var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/token
JWT=$(cat /var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/token)

# Address of Kubernetes itself as viewed from inside a running pod
KUBERNETES_HOST=https://${KUBERNETES_PORT_443_TCP_ADDR}:443

# Kubernetes internal CA
KUBERNETES_CA_CERT=$(cat /var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/ca.crt)
```

Exec into the Vault pod:

```bash
kubectl exec -it vault-0 /bin/sh
```

Then run the following command to configure the Kubernetes Auth Method:

```bash
vault write auth/kubernetes/config \
   token_reviewer_jwt="$(cat /var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/token)" \
   kubernetes_host=https://${KUBERNETES_PORT_443_TCP_ADDR}:443 \
   kubernetes_ca_cert=@/var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/ca.crt
```

From here you can continue to configure Vault from the [Kubernetes Auth Method](/vault/docs/auth/kubernetes) documentation.
