Definition. An operating model in which the desired state of infrastructure and applications is described entirely in a Git repository. A reconciler (e.g. Argo CD, Flux) continuously aligns the cluster with the state in Git. Changes are made through pull requests and are therefore reviewable, auditable and reversible.

Why it matters. For small teams, GitOps is deployment tool, audit trail and disaster recovery tool at once. The cluster can be rebuilt from the repository without anyone having to remember what is currently running.

Related. Declarative Infrastructure, Immutable Infrastructure, Platform Engineering