---
layout: docs
page_title: Consul API Gateway GatewayClass
description:  >-
  Consul API Gateway GatewayClass
---

# GatewayClass

This topic provides full details about the `GatewayClass` resource

## Introduction

The `GatewayClass` resource is used as a template for creating `Gateway` resources.
The specification includes the name of the controller (`controllerName`) and an API object containing controller-specific configuration resources within the cluster (`parametersRef`).
The value of the `controllerName` field must be set to `hashicorp.com/consul-api-gateway-controller`.

When gateways are created from a `GatewayClass`, they use the parameters specified in the `GatewayClass` at the time of instantiation.

The `GatewayClass` resource is a generic kubernetes gateway object. For configuration specific to Consul API Gateway, see [GatewayClassConfig](/docs/api-gateway/configuration/gatewayclassconfig).

## Configuration model

* (`controllerName`)[###controllerName]: string | required
* (`parametersRef`)[###parametersRef]: object | optional
  * (`group`)[###parametersRef.group]: Group | required is parametersRef is set
  * (`kind`)[###parametersRef.kind]: Kind | required is parametersRef is set
  * (`name`)[###parametersRef.name]: string | required is parametersRef is set
* (`description`)[###description]: string | optional

## Specification

This topic provides details about the configuration parameters.

### controllerName
The name of the controller that is managing the gateways of this class. When using Consul API Gateway, this value should be equal to `'hashicorp.com/consul-api-gateway-controller'`
* Type: string
* Required: required

### parametersRef
An object that defines additional configuration required by the gateway controller.
* Type: object
* Required: required

### parametersRef.group
The Kubernetes group of the `parametersRef`. This value will always be the same across all deployments of Consul API Gateway.
* Type: Group
* Required: required

You must specify the following value:
* `api-gateway.consul.hashicorp.com`

### parametersRef.kind
The Kubernetes kind of the `parametersRef`. This value will always be the same across all deployments of Consul API Gateway.
* Type: Kind
* Required: required

You must specify the following value:
* `GatewayClassConfig`

### parametersRef.name
The name of the `GatewayClassConfig` object
* Type: object
* Required: required

### description
Helps describe a gateway class with more details
* Type: string
* Required: optional

## Complete Configuration
The following example creates a gateway class called `test-gateway-class`:

<CodeBlockConfig filename="gateway.yaml">

  ```yaml
  apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2
  kind: GatewayClass
  metadata:
    name: test-gateway-class
  spec:
    controllerName: 'hashicorp.com/consul-api-gateway-controller'
    parametersRef:
      group: api-gateway.consul.hashicorp.com
      kind: GatewayClassConfig
      name: test-gateway-class-config
```
</CodeBlockConfig>

Refer to the [Kubernetes Gateway API documentation](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/v1alpha2/references/spec/#gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1alpha2.GatewayClass) for details about configuring gateway classes.