Q: Why doesn't key ordering produce a diff?
YAML maps are semantically unordered per the spec. Reordering keys produces an identical parsed structure, so the diff shows nothing. If you care about visual order (some teams alphabetize Kubernetes manifests for review consistency), check it with a text diff in addition.
Q: How are list items (arrays) compared?
By index position. A change at containers[0].imagemeans the first container's image is different. Inserting an item at the beginning will cascade into many false positives downstream — for those cases, sort the lists before diffing or use a tool that performs structural matching (kpt, dyff).
Q: Are anchors and aliases expanded before diffing?
Yes. Both files are parsed first, anchors resolve to their concrete values, then the comparison runs. A file using &defaults compared against one that writes out the same values inline produces no diff — which is usually what you want.
Q: Why are comments missing from the diff?
js-yaml drops comments at parse time, before the diff runs. If comments matter for your review (Helm values with inline docs, for example), use git diff alongside this tool — text diff for prose, structural diff for values.
Q: Is the YAML uploaded to any server?
No. Both files are parsed and compared in your browser. Kubernetes Secrets and sensitive defaults pasted here never travel outside the tab. Verify with the Network panel during a diff if you need confirmation for compliance review.