---
title: How to Reconfigure Kafka Database Clusters
description: Edit your database engine's configuration and parameters via the API.
product: Databases
url: https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/databases/kafka/how-to/reconfigure/
last_updated: "2026-07-31"
---

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# How to Reconfigure Kafka Database Clusters

Kafka is an open-source distributed event and stream-processing platform built to process demanding real-time data feeds. It is inherently scalable, with high throughput and availability.

You can update your database engine’s parameters with the API, such as `compression_type` and `group_min_session_timeout_ms`.

For a full list of the parameters you can edit, see the [control panel](#update-a-databases-configuration-using-the-control-panel) or [API reference](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/api/reference/databases/index.html.md#databases_patch_config), under the **REQUEST BODY SCHEMA** section, click **config**, and then click the **kafka** option. To ensure database stability, you can only edit the parameters listed. To change other Kafka parameters, [contact support](https://cloudsupport.digitalocean.com).

## Update a Database’s Configuration Using the Control Panel

To update a database’s configuration from the [control panel](https://cloud.digitalocean.com//networking/databases), click on the database cluster you want to configure, go to the **Settings** tab, scroll down to the **Advanced Configurations** section, and click **Edit**.

![The advanced configurations section](https://docs.digitalocean.com/screenshots/databases/advanced-config-kafka.6353d2f65beeff25aee7697ac5fd717f16205bec117c02fe33812a5739650352.png)

Browse the list or use the search bar to find the configuration you want to edit, then click the pencil icon. Use the text box or dropdown menu to enter your new configuration, then click **Update** to confirm your changes.

## Update a Database’s Configuration Using the CLI

## How to Update a Database’s Configuration Using the DigitalOcean CLI

1. [Install `doctl`](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/doctl/how-to/install/index.html.md), the official DigitalOcean CLI.
2. [Create a personal access token](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/api/create-personal-access-token/index.html.md) and save it for use with `doctl`.
3. Use the token to grant `doctl` access to your DigitalOcean account.

   ```shell
   doctl auth init
   ```
4. Finally, run `doctl databases configuration update`. Basic usage looks like this, but you can [read the usage docs](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/doctl/reference/databases/configuration/update/index.html.md) for more details:

   ```shell
   doctl databases configuration update <db-id> [flags]
   ```

   The following command updates a MySQL database’s time zone:

   ```shell
   doctl databases configuration update f81d4fae-7dec-11d0-a765-00a0c91e6bf6 --engine mysql --config-json '{"default_time_zone":"Africa/Maputo"}'
   ```

## Update a Database’s Configuration Using the API

## How to Update a Database’s Configuration Using the DigitalOcean API

[Create a personal access token](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/api/create-personal-access-token/index.html.md) and save it for use with the API.

### cURL

Send a PATCH request to [`https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/databases/{database_cluster_uuid}/config`](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/api/reference/databases/index.html.md#databases_patch_config).

Using cURL:

```shell
curl -X PATCH \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"config": {"sql_mode": "ANSI,ERROR_FOR_DIVISION_BY_ZERO,NO_ENGINE_SUBSTITUTION,NO_ZERO_DATE,NO_ZERO_IN_DATE,STRICT_ALL_TABLES","sql_require_primary_key": true}}' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/databases/9cc10173-e9ea-4176-9dbc-a4cee4c4ff30/config"
```

### Python

Using [PyDo](https://github.com/digitalocean/pydo), the official DigitalOcean API client for Python:

```python
import os
from pydo import Client

client = Client(token=os.environ.get("DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN"))

resp = client.databases.patch_config(database_cluster_uuid="a7aba9d")
```