Installing Your First App Without Touching YAML or the Terminal

Welcome to Episode 7 of the Zero to Hero with Rancher series.

In this post, we're going to install an application on Kubernetes using only the Rancher UI—no terminal, no YAML, just a few clicks. The app we’ll be deploying is WordPress, and by the end of this walkthrough, you’ll have it up and running in your cluster.

Let’s get started.

Why Use the Rancher App Catalog?

Rancher includes a built-in catalog powered by Helm charts. You can think of it as a visual app store for Kubernetes—a curated set of popular applications like:

• WordPress
• Redis
• Prometheus
• MariaDB

Each of these apps can be deployed with minimal configuration using Rancher’s UI, making the process far simpler and faster than writing Helm commands or Kubernetes manifests manually.

Step 1: Open Your Cluster and Go to Charts

Start by logging into the Rancher dashboard and selecting the Kubernetes cluster you want to work with.

In the sidebar, go to Apps → Charts. This will bring up the list of available applications. You can scroll through, filter by category, or search directly by name—for example, "WordPress."

Step 2: Understanding Chart Repositories in Rancher

By default, Rancher includes its own curated chart repository, which contains several commonly used applications. But you’re not limited to that—you can also add your own custom or external repositories.

For example, you may want to:

• Use Helm charts from Bitnami
• Integrate your organization’s private chart repository
• Add an OCI-based chart registry

To add a new repository:

1. Go to Apps → Repositories
2. Click Create
3. Fill in the following details:
   • Name: A short, meaningful label for the UI
   • Description: Optional, but helpful when managing multiple sources
   • Repository Type: Choose between standard Helm, Git-based, or OCI (experimental)
   • URL: The endpoint of the Helm or OCI repository
   • Authentication: Leave as "None" for public repositories

Click Create, and Rancher will sync the repository and show the new charts in your catalog.

Step 3: Installing WordPress from an OCI Helm Chart

Now that the repository is added and synced, search for "WordPress" in the Charts section.

1. Click the chart
2. Select a version (you can stick with the default if unsure)
3. Click Install

This will take you to a configuration page where you can customize the deployment.

Step 4: Configure the Installation

On the configuration screen, you’ll set a few key values:

• Release Name: e.g., my-wordpress
• Namespace: You can use an existing one or create a new namespace
• Values Configuration:
  • Set a WordPress admin password
  • Optionally increase the replica count if you want more than one pod

In this example, we’re keeping things simple: just setting the password and setting replicas to 2.

Once you’re satisfied with the settings, click Submit. Rancher will begin deploying the chart to your Kubernetes cluster.

Step 5: Access the Deployed Application

When the deployment completes:

1. Go to Workloads → Services
2. Find the WordPress service—this will typically be exposed via a LoadBalancer or NodePort
3. Copy the external URL
4. Paste it into your browser

You should now see your WordPress site running—hosted on Kubernetes, deployed through Rancher, no YAML or terminal involved.

Final Thoughts

Rancher makes it incredibly easy to deploy production-grade applications without needing to touch the command line. It abstracts away the complexity of Helm while giving you complete control over configuration.

This approach is perfect for teams onboarding into Kubernetes, for non-developers, or simply for saving time when you just want to get something running.

If you found this helpful, consider subscribing to the series. Questions or suggestions for future episodes? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear your feedback.