# Elastic Agent otel mode - kafka exporter

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-agent-otel-mode-kafka-exporter/375973>\
**Category:** Elastic Observability\
**Tags:** otel\
**Created:** [March 15, 2025, 4:45pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-agent-otel-mode-kafka-exporter/375973 "2025-03-15T16:45:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![logmanp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@logmanp](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/logmanp)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 4:45pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-agent-otel-mode-kafka-exporter/375973/1 "2025-03-15T16:45:06Z")

</div>

Hi all,

Ive got some concern about OpenTelemetry integration or so called "otel" mode for Elastic Agent.

According to github page: [elastic-agent/internal/pkg/otel/README.md at main · elastic/elastic-agent · GitHub](https://github.com/elastic/elastic-agent/blob/main/internal/pkg/otel/README.md#exporters)

there should be kafka exporter available. However when I configure such exporter I get following error:

```auto
root@mymachine:/opt/elastic-agent-8.17.3-linux-x86_64# ./elastic-agent otel --config ./otel.yml
Starting in otel mode
failed to get config: cannot unmarshal the configuration: decoding failed due to the following error(s):

error decoding 'exporters': unknown type: "kafka" for id: "kafka/otel" (valid values: [file elasticsearch loadbalancing otlphttp otlp debug])

```

I tried 8.17.1, 8.17.2, 8.17.3 versions already.

Did anyone face similar issue?  
I know its in tech preview. Dont want to create github issue yet, maybe Im doing something wrong.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stephenb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/stephenb/32/40856_2.png) [@stephenb](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/stephenb)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 6:14pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-agent-otel-mode-kafka-exporter/375973/2 "2025-03-15T18:14:15Z")

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Hi @logmanp Welcome to the community.

Perhaps if you shared your `otel.yml` we might be able to help

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![logmanp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@logmanp](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/logmanp)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 6:35pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-agent-otel-mode-kafka-exporter/375973/3 "2025-03-15T18:35:41Z")

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@stephenb

Hi, Im pasting otel.yml - exporter part/section as here problem appears.  
With elasticsearch exporters all works fine. When I add kafka definition it all breaks with error given.

```auto
exporters:
  # Exporter to send logs and metrics to Elasticsearch
  elasticsearch/ecs:
    endpoints: ["https://fb380dc5631e41a9b52213b48a31234.ece.domain.changed.net:9243"]
    api_key: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx==
    mapping:
      mode: ecs
    logs_dynamic_index:
      enabled: true
    metrics_dynamic_index:
      enabled: true
    traces_dynamic_index:
      enabled: true
  elasticsearch/otel:
    endpoints: ["https://fb380dc5631e41a9b52213b48a31234.ece.domain.changed.net:9243"]
    api_key: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx==
    mapping:
      mode: otel
    logs_dynamic_index:
      enabled: true
    metrics_dynamic_index:
      enabled: true
    traces_dynamic_index:
      enabled: true
  kafka/otel:
    brokers:
      - broker1:9092
      - broker2:9092
      - broker3:9092
    topic: otel-poc
    protocol_version: 3.2.0
    auth:
      tls:
        insecure: false
        insecure_skip_verify: true
        ca_file: /opt/otel/elastic-otel/certs/ca.cer
        cert_file: /opt/otel/elastic-otel/certs/client.crt
        key_file: /opt/otel/elastic-otel/certs/client.key

```

I have kafka added under service section as well.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stephenb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/stephenb/32/40856_2.png) [@stephenb](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/stephenb)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2025, 6:11pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-agent-otel-mode-kafka-exporter/375973/4 "2025-03-16T18:11:53Z")

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Hi @logmanp

I did some checking if you look at the actual 8.17.3 release kafka exporter is not supported yet

> <https://github.com/elastic/elastic-agent/blob/v8.17.3/internal/pkg/otel/README.md>

Which is also supported by the error message that you got above

You are looking at `main` Branch which not the correct documentation for the 8.17.3 release

I am not sure when the Kafka exporter will be part of the distribution...

I do not see the 8.18 branch yet, not sure if it will be in that or not.

Keep and eye out

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![logmanp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@logmanp](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/logmanp)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2025, 6:24pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-agent-otel-mode-kafka-exporter/375973/5 "2025-03-16T18:24:08Z")

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Hi @stephenb , thanks for quick reply. Yes that was what I suspected looking at error, didnt get through version specific docs though.

Im starting to watch next releases then as otel looks quite promising.

Thanks!