Connect with Cluster Watcher
Cluster Watcher provides the fastest, lowest-friction way to discover and onboard APIs from your Kubernetes deployments into the API Catalog. It’s designed for teams that need quick API discovery without complex setup or elevated access requirements.
To use Cluster Watcher, reach out to Postman support to have it enabled for your organization.
Cluster Watcher solves the common challenge of getting started with API discovery when you:
- Deploy APIs in Kubernetes environments.
- Need quick onboarding without extensive configuration.
- Can’t or don’t want to grant elevated cluster access.
- Want to connect your deployments to Git repositories.
- Prioritize shipping speed over spec-first development.
Cluster Watcher operates as a Custom Resource Definition (CRD) that:
- Installs at cluster control plane level — No sidecars, pods, or traffic interception needed.
- Reads Kubernetes APIs only — Discovers deployments through standard API calls.
- Sends metadata to Postman — Automatically populates the API Catalog.
- Links deployments to Git — Captures commit IDs and branch information for CI integration.
Get started
To get started with Cluster Watcher, ensure you have the following prerequisites:
- Kubernetes cluster with API access
- Postman organization with API Catalog enabled
- Git repositories connected to your deployments
Then, follow these steps to set up Cluster Watcher:
- Install Cluster Watcher.
- Verify discovery — Check that deployments appear in the API Catalog. Go to the API Catalog and click Service discovery, then select Cluster Watcher as the source.
- Select the deployments you want to add to the API Catalog and click Import Service.
- Review Git integration — Confirm commit and branch information is captured.
- Explore discovered APIs &mdash in **Integrated services; Use the catalog to understand your API landscape.
Cluster Watcher works alongside other discovery methods. You can start here and add more comprehensive monitoring later as your API governance matures.
Cluster Watcher captures the following information about your deployments:
- Deployment metadata — Names, namespaces, and cluster information
- Git information — Commit IDs and branch details for each deployment
- CI linkage — Connects deployments back to your CI pipeline and Git repositories
Cluster Watcher focuses on deployment discovery and Git integration. It doesn’t capture live traffic or endpoint details like other discovery methods.
Compare with other discovery methods
While Cluster Watcher excels at lightweight discovery, you might consider alternatives for specific needs:
You can start with Cluster Watcher for immediate API discovery, then consider the following as your API governance matures:
- Insights Agent — When you need traffic monitoring and performance analytics
- API Gateway integration — When you have established gateway infrastructure and specifications