---
title: Configure the Kibana endpoint
description: Here’s a sample configuration: You can specify the following options in the apm-server.kibana section of the apm-server.yml config file. These options...
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/solutions/observability/apm/apm-server/configure-kibana-endpoint
products:
  - APM
  - Elastic Observability
applies_to:
  - Elastic Stack: Generally available
---

# Configure the Kibana endpoint
<note>
  ![supported deployment methods](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/solutions/images/observability-binary-yes-fm-no.svg)You must configure the Kibana endpoint when running the APM Server binary with a non-Elasticsearch output. Configuring the Kibana endpoint allows the APM Server to communicate with Kibana and ensure that the APM integration was properly set up. It is also required for APM agent configuration when using an output other than Elasticsearch.For all other use-cases, starting in version 8.7.0, APM agent configurations is fetched directly from Elasticsearch. Configuring and enabling the Kibana endpoint is only used as a fallback. See [APM agent central configuration](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/solutions/observability/apm/apm-server/apm-agent-central-configuration) instead.
</note>

Here’s a sample configuration:
```yaml
apm-server.kibana.enabled: true
apm-server.kibana.host: "http://localhost:5601"
```


## Kibana endpoint configuration options

You can specify the following options in the `apm-server.kibana` section of the `apm-server.yml` config file. These options are not required for a Fleet-managed APM Server.

### `apm-server.kibana.enabled`

Defaults to `false`. Must be `true` to use APM Agent configuration.

### `apm-server.kibana.host`

The Kibana host that APM Server will communicate with. The default is `127.0.0.1:5601`. The value of `host` can be a `URL` or `IP:PORT`. For example: `http://192.15.3.2`, `192:15.3.2:5601` or `http://192.15.3.2:6701/path`. If no port is specified, `5601` is used.
<note>
  When a node is defined as an `IP:PORT`, the *scheme* and *path* are taken from the [apm-server.kibana.protocol](#apm-kibana-protocol-option) and [apm-server.kibana.path](#apm-kibana-path-option) config options.
</note>

IPv6 addresses must be defined using the following format: `https://[2001:db8::1]:5601`.

### `apm-server.kibana.protocol`

The name of the protocol Kibana is reachable on. The options are: `http` or `https`. The default is `http`. However, if you specify a URL for host, the value of `protocol` is overridden by whatever scheme you specify in the URL.
Example config:
```yaml
apm-server.kibana.host: "192.0.2.255:5601"
apm-server.kibana.protocol: "http"
apm-server.kibana.path: /kibana
```


### `apm-server.kibana.username`

The basic authentication username for connecting to Kibana.

### `apm-server.kibana.password`

The basic authentication password for connecting to Kibana.

### `apm-server.kibana.api_key`

Authentication with an API key. Formatted as `id:api_key`

### `apm-server.kibana.path`

An HTTP path prefix that is prepended to the HTTP API calls. This is useful for the cases where Kibana listens behind an HTTP reverse proxy that exports the API under a custom prefix.

### `apm-server.kibana.ssl.enabled`

Enables APM Server to use SSL settings when connecting to Kibana via HTTPS. If you configure APM Server to connect over HTTPS, this setting defaults to `true` and APM Server uses the default SSL settings.
Example configuration:
```yaml
apm-server.kibana.host: "https://192.0.2.255:5601"
apm-server.kibana.ssl.enabled: true
apm-server.kibana.ssl.certificate_authorities: ["/etc/pki/root/ca.pem"]
apm-server.kibana.ssl.certificate: "/etc/pki/client/cert.pem"
apm-server.kibana.ssl.key: "/etc/pki/client/cert.key"
```

For information on the additional SSL configuration options, see [SSL/TLS output settings](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/solutions/observability/apm/apm-server/ssl-tls-output-settings).