How to fix ImagePullBackOff error in Kubernetes

Short summary

ImagePullBackOff occurs when Kubernetes cannot pull a container image and backs off retrying. The three most common root causes are typos in image names/tags, missing imagePullSecrets for private registries, or architecture mismatches (ARM vs AMD64). Diagnose with `kubectl describe pod`, apply the appropriate fix, and prevent future incidents by pinning immutable tags, using multi-arch builds, and centralizing pull credentials.

• •Diagnose with kubectl describe pod <pod-name> and read Events section
• •Fix root causes: typo in image name/tag, missing imagePullSecret, or architecture mismatch
• •Preventive habits: pin tags, multi-arch builds, centralize credentials, authenticate all pulls

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