# Environment variables for Kafka

These variables are made available to your application when Kafka is enabled.

| Variable name | Description |
| :--- | :--- |
| `KAFKA_BROKERS` | Comma-separated list of HOST:PORT pairs to Kafka brokers |
| `KAFKA_SCHEMA_REGISTRY` | URL to schema registry |
| `KAFKA_SCHEMA_REGISTRY_USER` | Username to use with schema registry |
| `KAFKA_SCHEMA_REGISTRY_PASSWORD` | Password to use with schema registry |
| `KAFKA_CERTIFICATE` | Client certificate for connecting to the Kafka brokers, as string data |
| `KAFKA_CERTIFICATE_PATH` | Client certificate for connecting to the Kafka brokers, as file |
| `KAFKA_PRIVATE_KEY` | Client certificate key for connecting to the Kafka brokers, as string data |
| `KAFKA_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH` | Client certificate key for connecting to the Kafka brokers, as file |
| `KAFKA_CA` | Certificate authority used to validate the Kafka brokers, as string data |
| `KAFKA_CA_PATH` | Certificate authority used to validate the Kafka brokers, as file |
| `KAFKA_CREDSTORE_PASSWORD` | Password needed to use the keystore and truststore |
| `KAFKA_KEYSTORE_PATH` | PKCS#12 keystore for use with Java clients, as file |
| `KAFKA_TRUSTSTORE_PATH` | JKS truststore for use with Java clients, as file |
| `AIVEN_SECRET_UPDATED` | A timestamp of when the secret was created |

Aiven has written several articles on how to configure your application.
We use SSL, so ignore the SASL-SSL examples:

- [Java](https://aiven.io/docs/products/kafka/howto/connect-with-java)
- [Python](https://aiven.io/docs/products/kafka/howto/connect-with-python)
- [Node.js](https://aiven.io/docs/products/kafka/howto/connect-with-nodejs)
- [Go](https://aiven.io/docs/products/kafka/howto/connect-with-go)