← Back to all fixes
Kubernetes

Pod stuck in ImagePullBackOff or ErrImagePull

The Issue

`kubectl get pods` shows ErrImagePull or ImagePullBackOff. Pod never starts.

Root Cause

Kubernetes cannot fetch the image. Usually: wrong image name/tag, private registry without credentials, or image was never pushed.

How to Fix
  1. Check the exact error: `kubectl describe pod <pod>` and look at Events section
  2. Verify the image exists: `docker pull <image>:<tag>` from your local machine
  3. For private registries, create a Secret: `kubectl create secret docker-registry regcred --docker-server=... --docker-username=... --docker-password=...`
  4. Reference the secret in your pod spec under `imagePullSecrets:`
  5. Check your Deployment YAML for typos in the image name or tag
← More fixes