---
title: Configure plugins
description: Telegraf is a server-based agent for collecting and sending metrics and events from databases, systems, and IoT sensors. <div class="children-links"> <h2 id="collect-data-with-input-plugins"><a href="/telegraf/v1/configure_plugins/input_plugins/" target="">Collect data with input plugins</a></h2> <p>Collect data from a variety of sources with Telegraf input plugins.</p> <h2 id="integrate-with-external-plugins"><a href="/telegraf/v1/configure_plugins/external_plugins/" target="">Integrate with ex
url: https://docs.influxdata.com/telegraf/v1/configure_plugins/
estimated_tokens: 405
product: Telegraf
version: v1
---

# Configure plugins

Telegraf is a server-based agent for collecting and sending metrics and events from databases, systems, and IoT sensors.

## [Collect data with input plugins](/telegraf/v1/configure_plugins/input_plugins/)

Collect data from a variety of sources with Telegraf input plugins.

## [Integrate with external plugins](/telegraf/v1/configure_plugins/external_plugins/)

External plugins are external programs that are built outside of Telegraf that can run through an `execd` plugin.

## [Telegraf template patterns](/telegraf/v1/configure_plugins/template-patterns/)

Template patterns describe how a dot-delimited string should be mapped to and from Telegraf metrics.

## [Transform data with aggregator and processor plugins](/telegraf/v1/configure_plugins/aggregator_processor/)

Aggregator and processor plugins aggregate and process metrics.

## [Troubleshoot Telegraf](/telegraf/v1/configure_plugins/troubleshoot/)

Resolve common issues with Telegraf.

## [Write data with output plugins](/telegraf/v1/configure_plugins/output_plugins/)

Output plugins define where Telegraf delivers the collected metrics.