# Configure Cluster Properties

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/llms.txt). Component-specific: [streaming-full.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming-full.txt)

---
title: Configure Cluster Properties
latest-redpanda-tag: v26.1.9
latest-console-tag: v3.7.3
latest-operator-version: v26.1.4
# EOL = End-of-Life (support lifecycle status)
page-is-nearing-eol: "false"
page-is-past-eol: "false"
page-eol-date: March 31, 2027
latest-connect-version: 4.93.0
docname: cluster-maintenance/cluster-property-configuration
page-component-name: streaming
page-version: "26.1"
page-component-version: "26.1"
page-component-title: Streaming
page-relative-src-path: cluster-maintenance/cluster-property-configuration.adoc
page-edit-url: https://github.com/redpanda-data/docs/edit/main/modules/manage/pages/cluster-maintenance/cluster-property-configuration.adoc
description: Learn how to configure cluster properties.
page-git-created-date: "2023-06-02"
page-git-modified-date: "2025-08-15"
support-status: supported
---

<!-- Source: https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/current/manage/cluster-maintenance/cluster-property-configuration.md -->

When you install Redpanda software, cluster configuration properties are automatically set to the default values. Examples of cluster properties include Kafka front-end settings, authentication settings, and settings for enabling features, like Tiered Storage and rack awareness.

Redpanda includes cluster properties, broker properties, and topic properties. Some properties can be configured at either the cluster level or the topic level, such as `retention_bytes` (cluster-level) and `retention.bytes` (topic-level). Topic-level properties override cluster-level properties. Most Redpanda configuration properties are cluster properties.

| Cluster properties | Broker properties |
| --- | --- |
| Cluster properties are stored internally and automatically replicated across all nodes, which ensures that each broker is in sync. | Broker properties are stored in the redpanda.yaml file located in the /etc/redpanda directory for each broker. |

See also:

-   [Cluster configuration properties](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/current/reference/properties/cluster-properties/)

-   [Broker configuration properties](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/current/reference/properties/broker-properties/) and [Configure broker properties](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/current/manage/cluster-maintenance/node-property-configuration/)


## [](#edit-cluster-properties)Edit cluster properties

> 📝 **NOTE**
>
> For Kubernetes deployments, see [Configure Cluster Properties in Kubernetes](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/current/manage/kubernetes/k-configure-helm-chart/).

To change any property settings, edit the configuration from the command line using your default text editor. As you make changes, the Redpanda Admin API verifies that the new value is valid. For example, if you change `fetch_max_bytes` from the default of `57671680` to `5o` (using the letter “o” by mistake), the system displays the following message:

```bash
PROPERTY         PRIOR     NEW
fetch_max_bytes  57671680  5o

Validation errors:
 * fetch_max_bytes: expected type integer

No changes were made.
```

After you save your configuration changes, the new values are automatically applied and a new version number is generated. Any subsequent edits start with the most recent version of the configuration.

> 📝 **NOTE**
>
> Some properties require that you restart the cluster for a change to take effect. The default configuration includes this information in the descriptions for these properties.

To assign new values to cluster properties:

1.  Open a terminal window and log in to a broker on your cluster.

2.  Run `rpk cluster config edit`. To edit tuning properties, run `rpk cluster config edit --all` instead.

3.  Edit the configuration file and set values for the [properties](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/current/reference/properties/cluster-properties/) you want to change.

4.  Save the file and quit the editor.

5.  Run `rpk cluster config status` to see whether the cluster requires a restart. If necessary, you see a message like this:

    ```bash
    $ rpk cluster config status
    NODE  CONFIG-VERSION  NEEDS-RESTART  INVALID  UNKNOWN
    1     4               true           []       []
    ```

6.  If necessary, restart the cluster.


When you finish your edits, the system updates the configuration and displays a message that lists which property settings were changed, along with their prior and new values. The message also includes the new version number of the configuration. For example:

```bash
PROPERTY             PRIOR  NEW
tx_timeout_delay_ms  1000   2000

Successfully updated configuration. New configuration version is 2.
```

> 📝 **NOTE**
>
> You can also change property values using the `rpk cluster config set` command, but this method does not display the current setting or the description.

## [](#view-current-value-of-a-property)View current value of a property

To see the current value of a property, run `rpk cluster config get <property_name>`. For example:

```bash
$ rpk cluster config get log_compression_type
producer
```

## [](#copy-configurations-to-other-clusters)Copy configurations to other clusters

Use the `export` option to save the current cluster configuration to a file. You can then copy this file to other clusters, so they can use the same configuration.

1.  Export the current configuration settings to a YAML file by running `rpk cluster config export --filename <filename>.yaml`. To store the configuration file outside your current working directory, use the full pathname for `--filename`; otherwise, supply the filename to store the file in your current working directory.

2.  Copy `<filename>.yaml` to the other cluster.

3.  Log in to the other cluster, and import the file with the saved configuration by running `rpk cluster config import --filename <filename>.yaml`. This command applies the property settings in `<filename>.yaml` to all nodes in the cluster.


> ⚠️ **CAUTION**
>
> Redpanda does not support importing cluster-specific identification (such as `cluster_id`) with this command.

## [](#remove-cluster-properties-from-redpanda-yaml)Remove cluster properties from redpanda.yaml

If you have a `redpanda.yaml` file that contains both cluster properties and broker properties, the cluster properties are ignored. To remove cluster properties from the `redpanda.yaml` file, run:

```bash
rpk cluster config lint
```

This avoids the issue of referring to a previous version or custom configuration.

## [](#suggested-reading)Suggested reading

-   [rpk cluster config](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/current/reference/rpk/rpk-cluster/rpk-cluster-config/)

-   [Using Raft to centralize cluster configuration in Redpanda](https://redpanda.com/blog/raft-centralized-cluster-configuration-improvements/)


## Suggested labs

-   [Redpanda Iceberg Docker Compose Example](https://docs.redpanda.com/labs/docker-compose/iceberg/)
-   [Enable Unified Identity with Azure Entra ID for Redpanda and Redpanda Console](https://docs.redpanda.com/labs/docker-compose/oidc/)
-   [Owl Shop Example Application in Docker](https://docs.redpanda.com/labs/docker-compose/owl-shop/)
-   [Migrate Data with Redpanda Migrator](https://docs.redpanda.com/labs/docker-compose/redpanda-migrator/)
-   [Start a Single Redpanda Broker with Redpanda Console in Docker](https://docs.redpanda.com/labs/docker-compose/single-broker/)
-   [Start a Cluster of Redpanda Brokers with Redpanda Console in Docker](https://docs.redpanda.com/labs/docker-compose/three-brokers/)
-   [Iceberg Streaming on Kubernetes with Redpanda, MinIO, and Spark](https://docs.redpanda.com/labs/kubernetes/iceberg/)

See more

[Search all labs](https://docs.redpanda.com/labs)