---
title: Telegraf Documentation
description: Telegraf plugin for sending metrics to File
url: https://docs.influxdata.com/telegraf/v1/output-plugins/file/
estimated_tokens: 1475
product: Telegraf
version: v1
---

-   Telegraf v0.10.3+

# File Output Plugin

This plugin writes metrics to one or more local files in one of the supported [data formats](/telegraf/v1/data_formats/output).

**Introduced in:** Telegraf v0.10.3 **Tags:** system **OS support:** all

## Global configuration options

Plugins support additional global and plugin configuration settings for tasks such as modifying metrics, tags, and fields, creating aliases, and configuring plugin ordering. See [CONFIGURATION.md](/telegraf/v1/configuration/#plugins) for more details.

## Configuration

```toml
# Send telegraf metrics to file(s)
[[outputs.file]]
  ## Files to write to, "stdout" is a specially handled file.
  files = ["stdout", "/tmp/metrics.out"]

  ## Use batch serialization format instead of line based delimiting.  The
  ## batch format allows for the production of non line based output formats and
  ## may more efficiently encode and write metrics.
  # use_batch_format = false

  ## The file will be rotated after the time interval specified.  When set
  ## to 0 no time based rotation is performed.
  # rotation_interval = "0h"

  ## The logfile will be rotated when it becomes larger than the specified
  ## size.  When set to 0 no size based rotation is performed.
  # rotation_max_size = "0MB"

  ## Maximum number of rotated archives to keep, any older logs are deleted.
  ## If set to -1, no archives are removed.
  # rotation_max_archives = 5

  ## Data format to output.
  ## Each data format has its own unique set of configuration options, read
  ## more about them here:
  ## https://github.com/influxdata/telegraf/blob/master/docs/DATA_FORMATS_OUTPUT.md
  data_format = "influx"

  ## Compress output data with the specified algorithm.
  ## If empty, compression will be disabled and files will be plain text.
  ## Supported algorithms are "zstd", "gzip" and "zlib".
  # compression_algorithm = ""

  ## Compression level for the algorithm above.
  ## Please note that different algorithms support different levels:
  ##   zstd  -- supports levels 1, 3, 7 and 11.
  ##   gzip -- supports levels 0, 1 and 9.
  ##   zlib -- supports levels 0, 1, and 9.
  ## By default the default compression level for each algorithm is used.
  # compression_level = -1
```

#### Related

-   [Configure plugins](/telegraf/v1/configure_plugins/)
-   [File Plugin Source](https://github.com/influxdata/telegraf/tree/v1.38.4/plugins/outputs/file/README.md)