> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.qovery.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Aiven for Apache Kafka

> Managed Apache Kafka on Aiven (single aiven_kafka service with SASL credentials) via the Aiven Terraform provider

Qovery creates it in your account with a third-party provider, using credentials you enter in the form, as a [Blueprint](https://www.qovery.com/docs/configuration/blueprints.md) service in one of your environments.

| | |
| - | - |
| Catalog name | `aiven-kafka` |
| Category | Messaging & Streaming |
| Provider | EXTERNAL |
| Engine | terraform |
| Major versions (latest release) | `default` (1.0.7) |
| Source | [EXTERNAL/aiven-kafka/default](https://github.com/Qovery/service-catalog/tree/EXTERNAL/aiven-kafka/default/1.0.7/EXTERNAL/aiven-kafka/default) |

> [!TIP]
>
> **New to this?** You don't need to know Terraform or Kubernetes. Qovery sets up Aiven for Apache Kafka in your account with the provider: you fill in a form, or paste the prompt below into your coding agent. The values it publishes, listed under Outputs, reach your other services as environment variables. Qovery tells you when a newer version of the Blueprint is available. Check the requirements in the Reference section before you start, and try it first in a development environment.

## Create it

> [tab] Console
>
> 1. Open the environment, then **New service** › **Blueprint**.
> 2. Find **Aiven for Apache Kafka** in the catalog and pick the major version.
> 3. Fill in the variables. Required ones are marked; the others use their defaults.
> 4. Create the service, and deploy it now or later.

> [tab] CLI and API
>
> List the catalog to get the latest tag, then create the service from it. `qovery api` signs the requests with your CLI session.
>
> ```bash theme={null}
> ORG_ID="REPLACE_WITH_ORGANIZATION_ID"
> ENV_ID="REPLACE_WITH_ENVIRONMENT_ID"
>
> qovery api "organization/$ORG_ID/blueprint/catalog" | jq '.. | objects | select(.name? == "aiven-kafka")'
>
> cat > blueprint.json <<'EOF'
> {
>   "name": "aiven-kafka",
>   "tag": "EXTERNAL/aiven-kafka/default/1.0.7",
>   "icon": "app://qovery-console/aiven",
>   "variables": [
>     {
>       "name": "aiven_api_token",
>       "value": "REPLACE_WITH_AIVEN_API_TOKEN",
>       "is_secret": true
>     },
>     {
>       "name": "project",
>       "value": "REPLACE_WITH_PROJECT"
>     },
>     {
>       "name": "service_name",
>       "value": "REPLACE_WITH_SERVICE_NAME"
>     }
>   ],
>   "spec_overrides": {
>     "engine_version": "1.9.7"
>   }
> }
> EOF
> BLUEPRINT_ID=$(qovery api "environment/$ENV_ID/blueprint" --method POST --input - < blueprint.json | jq -r .id)
> rm blueprint.json   # it can hold secret values
> qovery api "blueprint/$BLUEPRINT_ID/deploy" --method POST
> qovery api "blueprint/$BLUEPRINT_ID"   # status of the latest deployment
> ```
>
> Replace each `REPLACE_WITH_` value. Add optional variables to `variables` the same way.

> [tab] Coding agent
>
> Paste this into Claude Code, Cursor, Codex or another coding agent with the [Qovery agent skills](https://www.qovery.com/docs/getting-started/quickstart/agent-skills.md) installed (`curl -fsSL https://skill.qovery.com/install.sh | bash`).
>
> ```text Prompt wrap theme={null}
> Add the Qovery Blueprint Aiven for Apache Kafka (aiven-kafka) to one of my Qovery environments and deploy it. Ask me for aiven_api_token, project and service_name.
> Ask me before deploying to a production environment.
> Docs: https://www.qovery.com/docs/configuration/blueprints/aiven-kafka.md
> ```

You don't add any file to your repository. Qovery creates the Blueprint from the Console or the API.

## Variables and outputs

Generated from `qbm.yml` at `EXTERNAL/aiven-kafka/default/1.0.7`, the manifest the Console form is built from.

> [accordion] All 6 variables
>
> | Name | Type | Required | Default | Secret | Description |
> | - | - | - | - | - | - |
> | `aiven_api_token` | string | Yes | | Yes | Personal or application token |
> | `project` | string | Yes | | | Existing Aiven project name the service is created in |
> | `service_name` | string | Yes | | | Immutable. Lowercase letters, digits, hyphens; must start with a letter; max 64 chars. |
> | `cloud_name` | string | | `aws-eu-west-1` | | Format \<provider>-\<region>, e.g. aws-eu-west-1 |
> | `plan` | string | | `startup-2` | | Sizing tier, e.g. startup-2, business-4, premium-8 |
> | `kafka_version` | string | | `3.9` | | Apache Kafka version |

Outputs become environment variables that other services in the environment can use. By default Qovery also creates an alias for each output, prefixed with the Blueprint's name; see [Aliases Qovery creates for outputs](https://www.qovery.com/docs/configuration/environment-variables.md#aliases-qovery-creates-for-outputs) for the naming rules and the cases where no alias is created.

> [accordion] All 5 outputs
>
> | Name | Secret | Description |
> | - | - | - |
> | `service_uri` | Yes | Full Kafka connection URI |
> | `host` | | Kafka broker host (bootstrap) |
> | `port` | | Kafka broker port |
> | `username` | | SASL username |
> | `password` | Yes | SASL password |

> [!WARNING]
>
> Secret variables and outputs are encrypted and masked in Qovery, but Terraform can also keep their values, and values derived from them, in its state. With the Qovery-managed state backend (the default), Qovery stores the state. If you use your own backend, protect it and keep state files out of version control.

## Reference

From the Blueprint's [README](https://github.com/Qovery/service-catalog/blob/EXTERNAL/aiven-kafka/default/1.0.7/EXTERNAL/aiven-kafka/default/README.md).

Provisions a managed [Aiven for Apache Kafka](https://aiven.io/kafka) service (`aiven_kafka`) via the official `aiven/aiven` provider (`~> 4.0`). A single resource yields a usable, connectable cluster with SASL credentials.

### Credentials

An **Aiven API token** supplied as the sensitive `aiven_api_token` variable (`credentials.default: env`), plus an existing Aiven `project`.

### Variables

| Name | Type | Sensitive | Default | Description |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| `aiven_api_token` | string | yes | — | Aiven API token (required) |
| `project` | string | | — | Existing Aiven project (required) |
| `service_name` | string | | — | Service name, immutable (required) |
| `cloud_name` | string | | `aws-eu-west-1` | Aiven cloud/region, formatted \<provider>-\<region> (e.g. aws-eu-west-1) |
| `plan` | string | | `startup-2` | Aiven service `plan` / sizing tier (e.g. startup-2, business-4, premium-8) |
| `kafka_version` | string | | `3.9` | Apache Kafka version |

### Outputs

| Name | Sensitive | Description |
| - | - | - |
| `service_uri` | yes | Full Kafka connection URI |
| `host` | | Broker host (bootstrap) |
| `port` | | Broker port |
| `username` | | SASL username |
| `password` | yes | SASL password |

### Notes

* No free tier — the cheapest Kafka plan is `startup-2` (hourly-billed). The Aiven `project` must exist with billing attached.
* Aiven also issues mTLS client certs (`access_cert`/`access_key`) on the service; this blueprint surfaces the SASL host/port/username/password path. Connect with `host:port` + SASL.


## Related topics

- [Blueprints](https://www.qovery.com/docs/configuration/blueprints.md)
- [Confluent Cloud for Apache Kafka](https://www.qovery.com/docs/configuration/blueprints/confluent-kafka.md)
- [Amazon MSK](https://www.qovery.com/docs/configuration/blueprints/aws-msk.md)
- [Application](https://www.qovery.com/docs/configuration/application.md)
- [Redpanda Cloud](https://www.qovery.com/docs/configuration/blueprints/redpanda-kafka.md)


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.