title: Variants And Promotion status: current last_reviewed: 2026-06-14 ---
helm-expt uses two variant layers.
A base variant is a render-time install shape. If the choice changes Helm values, object count, CRDs, generated Secrets, storage shape, HA mode, or provider-specific manifests, it belongs in the recipe/package path and must be rendered again.
A derived ConfigHub variant is a post-render refinement. It is created after the base has been uploaded into ConfigHub. It is appropriate for target, region, environment, customer labels, namespace routing, approvals, views, links, placeholders, TransformPaths, functions, gates, and operational policy.
Promotion is ConfigHub value, not a helm-expt-only trick. Once a chart is represented as ConfigHub Spaces and Units, server-side variant operations should make staging, rollout, review, and promotion available for every suitable chart.
The current caution is that promotion must stay honest about object authority. If a change needs a Helm re-render, it is not a derived-variant promotion.