Documentation

Telegraf commands and flags

The telegraf command starts and runs all the processes necessary for Telegraf to function.

Usage

telegraf [commands]
telegraf [flags]

Commands

CommandDescription
configGenerate and migrate Telegraf configurations
secretsManage secrets in secret stores
pluginsPrint available plugins
versionPrint current version to stdout

Global flags

FlagDescription
--config <file>Configuration file to load.
--config-directory <directory>Directory containing additional *.conf files.
--test-waitNumber of seconds to wait for service inputs to complete in test or once mode.
--usage <plugin>Print plugin usage (example: telegraf --usage mysql).
--pprof-addr <address>pprof address to listen on. Disabled by default.
--watch-configRestart Telegraf on local configuration changes. Use either fs notifications (notify) or polling (poll). Disabled by default.
--pidfile <file>File to write PID to.
--password <password>Password to unlock secret stores.
--old-env-behaviorSwitch back to pre-v1.27 environment replacement behavior.
--onceGather metrics once, write them, and exit.
--debugEnable debug logging.
--quietRun in quiet mode.
--unprotectedDo not protect secrets in memory.
--testGather metrics once and print them.
--deprecation-listPrint all deprecated plugins or plugin options.
--input-listPrint available input plugins.
--output-listPrint available output plugins.
--version(Deprecated) Print Telegraf version.
--sample-config(Deprecated) Print full sample configuration.
--plugin-directory <directory>(Deprecated) Directory containing *.so files to search recursively for plugins. Found plugins are loaded, tagged, and identified.
--section-filter <filter>Filter configuration sections to output (agent, global_tags, outputs, processors, aggregators and inputs). Separator is :.
--input-filter <filter>Filter input plugins to enable. Separator is :.
--output-filterFilter output plugins to enable. Separator is :.
--aggregator-filter <filter>Filter aggregators to enable. Separator is :.
--processor-filter <filter>Filter processor plugins to enable. Separator is :.
--secretstore-filter <filter>Filter secretstore plugins to enable. Separator is :.

Examples

Generate a Telegraf configuration file

telegraf config > telegraf.conf

Generate a configuration with only specific plugins

telegraf config \
  --input-filter cpu \
  --output-filter influxdb

Run a single Telegraf configuration and output metrics to stdout

telegraf --config telegraf.conf --test

Run Telegraf with all plugins defined in configuration file

telegraf --config telegraf.conf

Run Telegraf, but only enable specific plugins

telegraf \
  --config telegraf.conf \
  --input-filter cpu:mem \
  --output-filter influxdb

Run Telegraf with pprof

telegraf \
  --config telegraf.conf \
  --pprof-addr localhost:6060

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InfluxDB OSS 2.9.0: API tokens are hashed by default

Stronger token security in InfluxDB OSS 2.9.0 — tokens are hashed on disk by default. Existing tokens are hashed on first startup and can’t be recovered afterward. Capture any plaintext tokens you still need before you upgrade.

View InfluxDB OSS 2.9.0 release notes

Hashed tokens authenticate exactly like unhashed tokens — clients and integrations keep working.

Also new in 2.9.0:

  • Configurable backup compression
  • Restore support for backups containing hashed tokens
  • Tighter Edge Data Replication queue validation
  • Flux upgrade
  • Compaction reliability improvements

Key enhancements in Explorer 1.9

Explorer 1.9 is now available with InfluxQL support, an AI-assisted Flux to SQL converter (beta), and new live sample data simulators.

View Explorer 1.9 release notes

Explorer 1.9 includes new features and improvements that make it easier to query, visualize, and manage data.

Highlights:

  • Flux to SQL converter (beta): Convert Flux queries to SQL with an AI-assisted converter.
  • InfluxQL support: Query data with InfluxQL in the Data Explorer and dashboards, and save and load InfluxQL queries.
  • InfluxQL visualizations: Render line and bar charts from InfluxQL results with per-tag series grouping.
  • Query error history: Review a history of query errors in the query tool.
  • Live sample data simulators: Generate continuous live sample data with new bird data and signal generator simulators.

For more details, see Explorer 1.9 release notes

InfluxDB 3.10 is now available

InfluxDB 3 Core 3.10 adds an automatic catalog format upgrade, a configurable query-concurrency limit, and processing engine improvements.

Key updates in InfluxDB 3 Core 3.10:

  • Catalog format upgrade: the on-disk catalog automatically upgrades from format v2 to v3 on first 3.10 startup. Migration is one-way—back up your catalog before upgrading.
  • --max-concurrent-queries: limit concurrent queries (adjustable at runtime).
  • GET /ready endpoint for readiness probes.
  • Processing engine: cross-database queries and trigger lockdown flags.

For more information, see the InfluxDB 3 Core release notes.

InfluxDB 3.10 is now available

InfluxDB 3 Enterprise 3.10 adds automated backup and restore, row-level deletions, and user management, with an automatic catalog format upgrade and performance preview improvements.

Key updates in InfluxDB 3 Enterprise 3.10:

  • Catalog format upgrade: the on-disk catalog automatically upgrades from format v2 to v3 on first 3.10 startup. Migration is one-way—back up your catalog before upgrading.
  • Automated backup and restore (beta)
  • Row-level deletions
  • User management (authentication and RBAC) — preview
  • Performance preview improvements

Backup and restore, row-level deletions, and the performance preview require the Enterprise storage engine upgrade (opt-in beta). Beta and preview features are subject to breaking changes and aren’t recommended for production use.

For more information, see the InfluxDB 3 Enterprise release notes

Telegraf Enterprise is now generally available

Telegraf Enterprise is now generally available, along with Telegraf Controller v1.0.

Telegraf Enterprise combines Telegraf Controller, a centralized management console for Telegraf, with official support from InfluxData. Manage configurations, monitor fleet health, and operate tens of thousands of Telegraf agents from a single system.

InfluxDB Docker latest tag changing to InfluxDB 3 Core

On September 15, 2026, the latest tag for InfluxDB Docker images will point to InfluxDB 3 Core. To avoid unexpected upgrades, use specific version tags in your Docker deployments.

If using Docker to install and run InfluxDB, the latest tag will point to InfluxDB 3 Core. To avoid unexpected upgrades, use specific version tags in your Docker deployments. For example, if using Docker to run InfluxDB v2, replace the latest version tag with a specific version tag in your Docker pull command–for example:

docker pull influxdb:2