Raw or Plaintext Inputs

The raw/plaintext input in Graylog acts as a simple netcat-style listener, accepting any data sent to it without assuming a predefined structure. Because the input does not automatically extract timestamps or fields, messages remain in their original form and can be parsed later through the Graylog processing pipeline.

This input is especially useful for debugging, as it lets you view exactly what an appliance, application, or script is sending. It is also ideal for ingesting logs from sources without a standard format, providing full flexibility to define how messages are interpreted and enriched within Graylog.

Raw/Plaintext inputs are available over multiple transports, including TCP, UDP, Kafka, and AMQP.

Supported Log Types

This input supports collecting the following log types:

  • Raw/Plaintext inputs in Graylog can receive any type of log data, as no predefined structure is required. This makes them suitable for a wide range of log sources.

Input Type

This Input is a listener input type. See Inputs to learn about Input types.

Input Configuration

Follow the input setup instructions. During setup of this input, you can configure the following options:

Next Steps

After you complete input setup, visit Input Diagnosis for testing and validation of the new input. Use this functionality to help troubleshoot any connection issues.

Further Reading

Explore the following additional resources and recommended readings to expand your knowledge on related topics: