Last update: 2025-12-11T19:06:55.000Z
Content:
---
title: "Kafka connector guides · Tinybird Docs"
theme-color: "#171612"
description: "Comprehensive Kafka connector guides for setup, configuration, and optimization. Connect to Confluent Cloud, AWS MSK, Redpanda, and other Kafka platforms with step-by-step tutorials."
inkeep:version: "forward"
---




# Kafka connector guides [¶](https://www.tinybird.co/docs/forward/get-data-in/connectors/kafka/guides#kafka-connector-guides)

Copy as MD This section contains detailed guides for setting up, configuring, and optimizing your Kafka connector. Each guide focuses on a specific aspect of working with Kafka in Tinybird.

## Setup guides [¶](https://www.tinybird.co/docs/forward/get-data-in/connectors/kafka/guides#setup-guides)

### Vendor-specific setup [¶](https://www.tinybird.co/docs/forward/get-data-in/connectors/kafka/guides#vendor-specific-setup)

- **[  Confluent Cloud setup](/docs/forward/get-data-in/connectors/kafka/guides/confluent-cloud-setup)**   - Connect Tinybird to your Confluent Cloud cluster with step-by-step instructions for authentication, SSL configuration, and testing.
- **[  AWS MSK setup](/docs/forward/get-data-in/connectors/kafka/guides/aws-msk-setup)**   - Integrate Tinybird with Amazon MSK, including IAM authentication, security group configuration, and connection testing.
- **[  Redpanda setup](/docs/forward/get-data-in/connectors/kafka/guides/redpanda-setup)**   - Connect to your Redpanda cluster, configure authentication, and set up your first Data Source.
- **[  Local development](/docs/forward/get-data-in/connectors/kafka/guides/local-development)**   - Set up a local Kafka environment using Docker Compose for development and testing.

## Configuration and management [¶](https://www.tinybird.co/docs/forward/get-data-in/connectors/kafka/guides#configuration-and-management)

- **[  CI/CD and version control](/docs/forward/get-data-in/connectors/kafka/guides/cicd-version-control)**   - Manage Kafka connector configurations in CI/CD pipelines, handle environment-specific settings, and implement best practices for version control.
- **[  Schema management](/docs/forward/get-data-in/connectors/kafka/guides/schema-management)**   - Understand schema evolution, handle Avro and JSON Schema formats, and implement schema versioning strategies.

## Performance and optimization [¶](https://www.tinybird.co/docs/forward/get-data-in/connectors/kafka/guides#performance-and-optimization)

- **[  Partitioning strategies](/docs/forward/get-data-in/connectors/kafka/guides/partitioning-strategies)**   - Learn best practices for Kafka topic partitioning, understand partition assignment, and optimize for performance.
- **[  Message size handling](/docs/forward/get-data-in/connectors/kafka/guides/message-size-handling)**   - Handle large Kafka messages, implement compression strategies, and work within message size limits.
- **[  Performance optimization](/docs/forward/get-data-in/connectors/kafka/guides/performance-optimization)**   - Optimize throughput, reduce consumer lag, scale consumers effectively, and tune your Kafka connector for maximum performance.

## Related documentation [¶](https://www.tinybird.co/docs/forward/get-data-in/connectors/kafka/guides#related-documentation)

- [  Kafka connector documentation](/docs/forward/get-data-in/connectors/kafka)   - Main setup and configuration guide
- [  Troubleshooting guide](/docs/forward/get-data-in/connectors/kafka/troubleshooting)   - Comprehensive troubleshooting for common issues
- [  Monitor Kafka connectors](/docs/forward/monitoring/kafka-clickhouse-monitoring)   - Monitoring and alerting


