Redpanda Console Guide
Explore Redpanda Console, the modern open-source web UI for managing Kafka-compatible clusters. Learn how to install, configure, and leverage its features for both Redpanda and Apache Kafka deployments.
What is Redpanda Console?
Redpanda Console (formerly Kowl) is a free, open-source web UI for exploring and managing Kafka-compatible clusters. While developed by Redpanda, it works seamlessly with Apache Kafka, making it a popular choice for teams using either platform.
Redpanda Console Highlights
Installing Redpanda Console
Docker Installation
# Run Redpanda Console with Docker
docker run -d \
--name redpanda-console \
-p 8080:8080 \
-e KAFKA_BROKERS=broker:9092 \
docker.redpanda.com/redpandadata/console:latestDocker Compose Setup
# docker-compose.yml
version: '3'
services:
console:
image: docker.redpanda.com/redpandadata/console:latest
ports:
- "8080:8080"
environment:
KAFKA_BROKERS: kafka:9092
KAFKA_SCHEMAREGISTRY_ENABLED: "true"
KAFKA_SCHEMAREGISTRY_URLS: http://schema-registry:8081
depends_on:
- kafkaConfiguration with YAML
# config.yaml
kafka:
brokers:
- broker1:9092
- broker2:9092
schemaRegistry:
enabled: true
urls:
- http://schema-registry:8081
protobuf:
enabled: true
schemaRegistry:
enabled: true
connect:
enabled: true
clusters:
- name: production
url: http://kafka-connect:8083Redpanda Console Features
Message Browser
Browse and search messages with rich deserialization support. Handles JSON, Avro, Protobuf, and custom formats with syntax highlighting.
JavaScript Filters
Write JavaScript expressions to filter messages during browsing. Powerful for finding specific records in large topics.
Topic Management
Create, delete, and configure topics. View partition distribution, replica status, and configuration values with easy editing.
Consumer Groups
Monitor consumer group lag, view member assignments, and manage offsets. Real-time lag updates for active groups.
Using with Apache Kafka
While Redpanda Console is developed by Redpanda, it's fully compatible with Apache Kafka. It uses the standard Kafka protocol and works with any Kafka distribution including Apache Kafka, MSK, Confluent Platform, and more.
Apache Kafka Configuration
# For Apache Kafka with SASL/SSL
kafka:
brokers:
- broker1.kafka.example.com:9093
sasl:
enabled: true
mechanism: PLAIN
username: user
password: password
tls:
enabled: true
caFilepath: /etc/ssl/certs/ca.pemRedpanda Console supports all common Kafka authentication methods including SASL/PLAIN, SASL/SCRAM, and mTLS.
Redpanda Console Limitations
No Built-in Metrics
Redpanda Console doesn't collect or display broker metrics like CPU, memory, or throughput. External monitoring is needed for cluster observability.
No Alerting
No native alerting capabilities. You won't be notified when consumer lag grows or when cluster issues occur.
Point-in-Time Views
Shows current state only, without historical trends or time-series data for understanding patterns over time.
Enterprise Features Separate
Some advanced features like SSO and RBAC require Redpanda Enterprise or additional configuration.
Need More Than Redpanda Console?
Redpanda Console is excellent for browsing and basic management, but production Kafka deployments need comprehensive monitoring. KLogic provides the observability layer that Redpanda Console lacks.