ESO operator doesn't open the port 8443 for the metrics. So the prometheus can't connect the 8443 ports.
    

cv:4.19.0-0.nightly-2025-08-05-174154
eso:external-secrets-operator.v0.1.0
    

always
    

    1. enable the userworkload
oc create -f cluster-monitoring-config.yaml
##################################
apiVersion: v1
kind: ConfigMap
metadata:
  name: cluster-monitoring-config
  namespace: openshift-monitoring
data:
  config.yaml: |
    enableUserWorkload: true
##################################
    2. create servicemonitor for external-secrets-operator
oc create -f servicemonitor-external-secrets-operator.yaml
###################################
apiVersion: monitoring.coreos.com/v1
kind: ServiceMonitor
metadata:
  labels:
    app: external-secrets-operator
    app.kubernetes.io/instance: external-secrets-operator
    app.kubernetes.io/name: external-secrets-operator
  name: external-secrets-operator
  namespace: external-secrets-operator
spec:
  endpoints:
    - honorLabels: false
      interval: 60s
      path: /metrics
      scrapeTimeout: 30s
      port: https
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app.kubernetes.io/name: external-secrets-operator
###################################

    3. monitor the target metrics
    

The Metrics targets of servicemonitor external-secrets-operator is down
Get "http://10.131.0.30:8443/metrics": dial tcp 10.131.0.30:8443: connect: connection refused
    

The Metrics targets of servicemonitor external-secrets-operator should be up
    

The operands of ESO open the metric ports.