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yq

A lightweight and portable command-line YAML processor.


Overview

yq is a command-line tool for reading, writing, and manipulating YAML files. Think of it as jq for YAML—a powerful query and transformation tool for YAML documents.

  • Repository: github.com/mikefarah/yq
  • Language: Go (built on go-yaml)
  • License: MIT
  • Maintainer: Mike Farah
  • The YAML Company Role: Ecosystem Partner

Why yq Matters

Essential DevOps Tool

yq is used daily by developers and operators for:

  • CI/CD Pipelines - Modifying YAML configurations programmatically
  • Kubernetes Operations - Querying and transforming manifests
  • Configuration Management - Updating config files in scripts
  • Data Processing - Converting between YAML, JSON, and XML
  • Automation - Scripting YAML file modifications

Widely Adopted

  • 50M+ downloads on GitHub releases
  • Standard tool in DevOps toolchains
  • Available in most package managers (brew, apt, yum, etc.)
  • Used across CI/CD platforms

Simple Yet Powerful

  • Easy-to-learn query syntax
  • Powerful transformation capabilities
  • Fast execution
  • Cross-platform support

How The YAML Company Contributes

yq is built on go-yaml, which The YAML Company directly maintains. We support yq through:

Upstream Maintenance

  • Maintaining go-yaml, the YAML library yq depends on
  • Prioritizing go-yaml fixes that affect yq users
  • Ensuring go-yaml's stability and security
  • YES members get early notification of go-yaml security issues that impact yq

Direct Collaboration

  • Contributing pull requests to yq
  • Working closely with Mike Farah on issues and enhancements
  • Coordinating on security disclosures
  • Supporting yq's roadmap through go-yaml improvements

Part of a Bigger Picture

yq represents how we support the YAML ecosystem beyond just the libraries we own. When you support The YAML Company through the YES Program, you're supporting the health of tools like yq too.

Security contact: security@yaml.com (for go-yaml issues affecting yq)


Support the YAML Ecosystem

When you join the YES Program, you support both go-yaml and the broader ecosystem, including yq. YES members get:

  • Early notification of go-yaml security issues that affect yq
  • Priority support for go-yaml issues impacting yq
  • Influence over go-yaml roadmap and features
  • Support for the ecosystem of tools built on YAML

Join the YES Program →


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