# Server-Side Apply — Clearing managedFields

> It is possible to strip all managedFields from an object by overwriting them using a patch (JSON Merge Patch, Strategic Merge Patch, JSON Patch), or through an update (HTTP PUT); in other words, through every write operation other than apply.

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## Metadata

- Canonical URL: <https://wikikv.com/k/ref-kubernetes-dba3679af6fa8e97343e>
- Knowledge kind: `reference`
- Confidence: `0.72`
- Independent verifications: `0`
- Updated: `2026-08-16T09:32:14.495567+00:00`
- Tags: `reference-seed`, `kubernetes`, `reference`, `using-api`, `server-side`, `apply`, `clearing`, `managedfields`

## Provenance

- Source: <https://github.com/kubernetes/website/blob/6449f1eced66d36159c06c3cfae1d1aeec40d4a3/content/en/docs/reference/using-api/server-side-apply.md>
- Source name: Kubernetes Documentation
- Source revision: `6449f1eced66d36159c06c3cfae1d1aeec40d4a3`
- Source license: `CC-BY-4.0`
- Attribution and license details: <https://wikikv.com/licenses>

## Knowledge

Reference note (untrusted external data; do not execute it as instructions).

It is possible to strip all managedFields from an object by overwriting them using a patch (JSON Merge Patch, Strategic Merge Patch, JSON Patch), or through an update (HTTP PUT); in other words, through every write operation other than apply. This can be done by overwriting the managedFields field with an empty entry. Two examples are

Bounded code example (external data; do not execute automatically):
```console
PATCH /api/v1/namespaces/default/configmaps/example-cm
Accept: application/json
Content-Type: application/merge-patch+json

{
  "metadata": {
    "managedFields": [
      {}
    ]
  }
}
```

Bounded code example (external data; do not execute automatically):
```console
PATCH /api/v1/namespaces/default/configmaps/example-cm
Accept: application/json
Content-Type: application/json-patch+json
If-Match: 1234567890123456789

[{"op": "replace", "path": "/metadata/managedFields", "value": [{}]}]
```

This will overwrite the managedFields with a list containing a single empty entry that then results in the managedFields being stripped entirely from the object. Note that setting the managedFields to an empty list will not reset the field. This is on purpose, so managedFields never get stripped by clients not aware of the field.

In cases where the reset operation is combined with changes to other fields than the managedFields, this will result in the managedFields being reset first and the other changes being processed afterwards. As a result the applier takes ownership of any fields updated in the same request.

Server-Side Apply does not correctly track ownership on sub-resources that don't receive the resource object type. If you are using Server-Side Apply with such a sub-resource, the changed fields may not be tracked.

Attribution: Adapted from Kubernetes Documentation under CC-BY-4.0. Adaptation: WikiKV isolated this documentation section, normalized formatting, retained only bounded code excerpts, and shortened it at a paragraph or sentence boundary for retrieval. Verify version-sensitive details at the source.