---
layout: docs
page_title: Consul API Gateway Basic Usage
description:  >-
  Consul API Gateway Basic Usage
---


# Basic Usage

1. Verify that the [requirements](/docs/api-gateway/consul-api-gateway-install#requirments) have been met.
1. Verify that the Consul API Gateway CRDs and controller have been installed and applied (see [Installation](/docs/api-gateway/consul-api-gateway-install)).
1. Configure the artifacts as describe in the [Configuration](/docs/api-gateway/configuration) section.

<CodeBlockConfig hideClipboard filename="values.yaml">

  ```yaml
  apiGateway:
    enabled: true
    managedGatewayClass:
  ```

</CodeBlockConfig>

1. Issue the `kubectl apply` command to implement the configurations, e.g.:

```shell-session
$ kubectl apply -f gateway.yaml routes.yaml
```

<!--- Commented out per https://github.com/hashicorp/consul/pull/11951/files#r791204596

### Using the Consul API Gateway Binary

You can download the Consul API Gateway binary and use it to manually start the control plane server.

1. Download the binary from the [Consul API Gateway repository](https://github.com/hashicorp/consul-api-gateway).
1. Navigate to the `consul-api-gateway-main` directory and build the binary:

```shell-session
$ go build
```

1.  (Optional) Copy the binary to the execution path, e.g.:

```shell-session
$ cp consul-api-gateway /usr/bin
```

1.  Use the `server` command to interact with the Consul API Gateway binary:

```shell-session
$ ./consul-api-gateway server <options>
```

The following options are supported:

| Option                 | Description                                                                                                                                                                           | Required | Default                                                                 |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `-ca-file`             | String value that specifies the path to the CA for the Consul server.                                                                                                                 | Required | none                                                                    |
| `-ca-secret`           | String value that specifies the CA secret for the Consul server.                                                                                                                      | Required | none                                                                    |
| `-ca-secret-namespace` | String value that specifies the CA secret namespace for the Consul server.                                                                                                            | Required | none                                                                    |
| `-k8-context`          | String value that specifies the Kubernetes context to use when starting the Consul server.                                                                                            | Optional | current context                                                         |
| `-k8-namespace`        | String value that specifies the Kubernetes namespace to use when starting the Consul server.                                                                                          | Optional | `default`                                                               |
| `-log-json`            | Boolean value that enables or disables JSON format for the log output.                                                                                                                | Required | `false`                                                                 |
| `-log-level`           | String value that specifies the logging level. The following values are supported: <br/>- `trace` (highest level of detail) <br/>- `debug` <br/>- `info` <br/>- `warn` <br/>- `error` | Optional | `info`                                                                  |
| `-metrics-port`        | Integer value that specifies the port number for collecting metrics.                                                                                                                  | Optional | none                                                                    |
| `-pprof`               | Integer value that specifies the Go pprof port number for collecting metrics.                                                                                                         | Optional | none                                                                    |
| `-sds-server-host`     | String value that specifies the host server for the secret discovery service (SDS).                                                                                                   | Optional | `consul-api-gateway-controller.default.`<br/>`svc.cluster.`<br/>`local` |
| `-sds-server-host`     | Integer value that specifies the port number for the secret discovery service (SDS).                                                                                                  | Optional | `9090`                                                                  |

You can also issue the `version` command to print the Consul API Gateway version to the console:

```shell-session
$ ./consul-api-gateway version
consul-api-gateway 0.1.0
```
--->

## Error Messages

If the error message is not listed on this page, it may be listed on the main [Consul Common errors][consul-common-errors] page. If the error message is not listed on that page either, please consider following our general [Troubleshooting Guide][troubleshooting] or reach out to us in [Discuss](https://discuss.hashicorp.com/).

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Each common error should have its own section on this page. Each section
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Two examples:
    ### Failed opening file during installation
    ### Message: "Can't connect to repository" when running Helm chart

******** Template for new Error Messages ********
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### Title for this error

```
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```
**Conditions:**
REPLACE THIS with description of when and why the error is typically seen

**Impact:**
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--->

### Helm installation failed: "no matches for kind"

```log
Error: INSTALLATION FAILED: unable to build kubernetes objects from release manifest: [unable to recognize "": no matches for kind "GatewayClass" in version "gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2", unable to recognize "": no matches for kind "GatewayClassConfig" in version "api-gateway.consul.hashicorp.com/v1alpha1"]
```
**Conditions:**
Consul API Gateway generates this error when the required CRD files have not been installed in Kubernetes prior to installing Consul API Gateway. 

**Impact:**
The installation process typically fails after this error message is generated.

**Recommended Action:**
Install the required CRDs by using the command in Step 1 of the [Consul API Gateway installation instructions](/docs/api-gateway/consul-api-gateway-install) and then retry installing Consul API Gateway.