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Doppler Integration#

This page shows how Reloader works alongside the Doppler Kubernetes operator to trigger rolling restarts when secrets change in Doppler.

How the integration works#

The Doppler Kubernetes operator syncs secrets from Doppler into standard Kubernetes Secret objects using the DopplerSecret CRD. Reloader watches those Kubernetes Secrets. When the operator updates a Secret after a change in Doppler, Reloader detects the data change and triggers a rolling restart of any annotated workloads.

Doppler (cloud)
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Doppler Kubernetes operator syncs secret (every 60s by default)
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Kubernetes Secret updated
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Reloader detects data change
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Rolling restart of annotated workloads

Integration patterns#

Pattern Use case Guide
Reloader with Doppler operator All workload types including StatefulSets, Daemonsets, and Argo Rollouts; ConfigMap reload; consistent reload across multiple secret backends Doppler Operator Guide

Doppler operator's built-in reload#

The Doppler Kubernetes operator includes a built-in reload feature for Deployment resources. When secrets.doppler.com/reload: "true" is set on a Deployment's pod template, the operator triggers a rolling restart after it updates the managed Kubernetes Secret.

The Doppler documentation explicitly recommends using Stakater Reloader for workloads beyond Deployments. Reloader is the right choice when:

  • You use StatefulSets, Daemonsets, or Argo Rollouts — the Doppler operator's built-in reload only supports Deployments
  • You need ConfigMap reload — the Doppler operator does not sync to ConfigMaps; Reloader watches ConfigMaps
  • You run multiple secret backends (for example, Doppler alongside AWS Secrets Manager via ESO) and want a single consistent reload mechanism across all of them
  • You need per-workload cooldowns, namespace scoping, Prometheus metrics, or webhook alerts
  • You need Reloader Enterprise for hardened images, commercial SLA, or regulated environment requirements

See Reloader vs Doppler Built-In Reload for a detailed comparison.

Guides#