# Documentation on adding new Packetbeat protocols

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/documentation-on-adding-new-packetbeat-protocols/141831>\
**Category:** Beats\
**Created:** [July 26, 2018, 6:15pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/documentation-on-adding-new-packetbeat-protocols/141831 "2018-07-26T18:15:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 3

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**Author:** ![dhughes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@dhughes](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dhughes)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 1:15pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/documentation-on-adding-new-packetbeat-protocols/141831/3 "2018-08-02T13:15:17Z")

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Thanks much for the response. I lieu of any other writeup, I found this post [Packetbeat:How to add a new protocol?](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/packetbeat-how-to-add-a-new-protocol/48372/7) that describes some steps.

Specifically, what I'm looking to do is add a new protocol, that sits above UDP (i.e. application layer).

I don't find a good example to base off of then. I see a DNS UDP implementation but I don't think that this uses the plugin method that seems to be the prescribed way to go. If there's a better example of a protocol to use please indicate (UDP example, if it matters much as different from a protocol that sits above TCP such as HTTP ...)

Just a basic outline as to how to begin would be most helpful, such as in the post above.

Thanks again -

David H.

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