<a id="connect-install-connectors"></a>

# Install Self-Managed Connectors for Confluent Platform

You can install the connectors by using the Confluent CLI (recommended) or
manually install by downloading the plugin file.

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## Install a connector using Confluent CLI

You can install a connector using the following Confluent CLI command:

```text
confluent connect plugin install <plugin> [flags]
```

For an example and command reference, see the [Confluent CLI command reference](https://docs.confluent.io/confluent-cli/current/command-reference/connect/plugin/confluent_connect_plugin_install.html).

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## Install a connector manually

Connectors are packaged as [Kafka Connect plugins](userguide.html#connect_installing_plugins). Kafka Connect isolates each plugin
so that the plugin libraries do not conflict with each other.

To manually install a connector:

1. Find your connector on [Confluent Marketplace](https://www.confluent.io/hub/) and
   download the connector ZIP file.
2. Extract the ZIP file contents and copy the contents to the desired location.
   For example, you can create a directory named
   `CONFLUENT_HOME/share/kafka/plugins`, and then copy the connector
   plugin contents.
3. Add this to the plugin path in your Connect properties file. For example,
   `plugin.path=/usr/local/share/kafka/plugins`. Kafka Connect finds the
   plugin using the plugin’s path. A plugin path is a comma-separated list of
   directories defined in the [Kafka Connect’s worker configuration](userguide.html#connect_configuring_workers).
4. Start the Connect workers with that configuration. Connect will
   discover all connectors defined within those plugins.
5. Repeat these steps for each machine where Connect is running. Each
   connector must be available on each worker.
