Documentation for Kong Gateway (OSS)
Installation
You can install Kong Gateway (OSS) on most Linux distributions. We even provide the source so you can compile it yourself.
Install Kong Gateway (OSS) →Getting Started
Whether you’re an open-source or a Kong Konnect user, use this guide to familiarize yourself with API gateway concepts and learn how to use important features and capabilities.
Get started →DB-less & Declarative Configuration
Learn how to leverage the declarative configuration format for using Kong Gateway (OSS) without a database, using in-memory storage only.
Read the tutorial →Upgrade Guide
Already using Kong Gateway (OSS), and wanting to upgrade? Here's the step-by-step guide.
Read the upgrade guide →5-Minute Quickstart Guide
Check out this guide if you just need the absolute basics: start Kong Gateway (OSS), add a Service, enable plugins, and add consumers.
Start using Kong Gateway (OSS) →Configuration Reference
Want to further optimize your Kong Gateway (OSS) cluster, database, or configure NGINX? Dive into the configuration.
Start configuration →CLI Reference
Want a better understanding of the CLI tool and its options? Browse the detailed command reference.
Use the CLI →Admin API Reference
Ready to learn the underlying interface? Browse the Admin API reference to learn how to start making requests.
Explore the interface →Proxy Reference
Learn every way to configure proxies for your Services, serve them over SSL, or use WebSockets.
Read the Proxy Reference →Load Balancing Reference
Learn how to load balance traffic through replicas of your upstream services.
Read the Load balancing Reference →Health Checks & Circuit Breakers
Let the gateway monitor the availability of your services and adjust its load balancing accordingly.
Learn about health checks and circuit breakers →Clustering
If you are starting more than one node, you must use clustering to make sure all the nodes belong to the same cluster.
Read the clustering reference →Write Your Own Plugins
Looking for something Kong Gateway (OSS) does not do for you? Easy: write it as a plugin. Learn how to write your own plugins for Kong Gateway (OSS).
Read the plugin development guide →Go Plugins
You can also write plugins using the Go programming language. Here's how to get started.
Read the guide →Hybrid Mode
Get started with Hybrid Mode, through which you can configure nodes with dedicated roles: you can have Control Plane nodes using a database and Data Plane nodes using DB-less mode.
Read the tutorial →