.. _connect_install_connectors:

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Install Connectors
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You can install the connectors by using the Confluent Hub client (recommended) or manually install by downloading
the plugin file.

Install Connector with Confluent Hub
************************************

To install a connector by using Confluent Hub, see the :ref:`installation instructions <confluent_hub_client>`.

Install Connector Manually
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Connectors are packaged as :ref:`Kafka Connect plugins <connect_installing_plugins>`. |kconnect-long| isolates each plugin
so that the plugin libraries do not conflict with each other.

To manually install a connector:

#.  Find your connector on `Confluent Hub <https://www.confluent.io/hub/>`_ and download the connector ZIP file.
#.  Extract the ZIP file contents and copy the contents to the desired location. For example, you can create a directory
    named ``<path-to-confluent>/share/kafka/plugins`` then copy the connector plugin contents.
#.  Add this to the plugin path in your Connect properties file. For example, ``plugin.path=/usr/local/share/kafka/plugins``.
    |kconnect-long| finds the plugins using its plugin path. A plugin path is a comma-separated list of directories defined
    in the :ref:`Kafka Connect's worker configuration <connect_configuring_workers>`.
#.  Start the |kconnect| workers with that configuration. |kconnect| will discover all connectors defined within
    those plugins.
#.  Repeat these steps for each machine where |kconnect| is running. Each connector must be available on each worker.