---
title: "otelcol.receiver.fluentforward | Grafana Alloy documentation"
description: "Learn about otelcol.receiver.fluentforward"
---

# `otelcol.receiver.fluentforward`

> **EXPERIMENTAL**: This is an [experimental](/docs/release-life-cycle/) component. Experimental components are subject to frequent breaking changes, and may be removed with no equivalent replacement. To enable and use an experimental component, you must set the `stability.level` [flag](/docs/alloy/next/reference/cli/run/) to `experimental`.

`otelcol.receiver.fluentforward` accepts log messages over a TCP connection via the [Fluent Forward Protocol](https://github.com/fluent/fluentd/wiki/Forward-Protocol-Specification-v1) and forwards them as logs to other `otelcol.*` components.

> Note
> 
> `otelcol.receiver.fluentforward` is a wrapper over the upstream OpenTelemetry Collector [`fluentforward`](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/tree/v0.147.0/receiver/fluentforwardreceiver) receiver. Bug reports or feature requests will be redirected to the upstream repository, if necessary.

You can specify multiple `otelcol.receiver.fluentforward` components by giving them different labels.

## Usage

Alloy ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```alloy
otelcol.receiver.fluentforward "<LABEL>" {
  endpoint = "<IP_ADDRESS:PORT>"

  output {
    logs    = [...]
  }
}
```

## Arguments

You can use the following arguments with `otelcol.receiver.fluentforward`:

Expand table

| Name       | Type     | Description                                                                            | Default | Required |
|------------|----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|----------|
| `endpoint` | `string` | The `<HOST:PORT>` or `unix://<path to socket>` address to listen to for logs messages. |         | yes      |

## Blocks

You can use the following blocks with `otelcol.receiver.fluentforward`:

No valid configuration blocks found.

### `output`

Required

The `output` block configures a set of components to forward resulting telemetry data to.

The following arguments are supported:

Expand table

| Name   | Type                     | Description                        | Default | Required |
|--------|--------------------------|------------------------------------|---------|----------|
| `logs` | `list(otelcol.Consumer)` | List of consumers to send logs to. | `[]`    | no       |

You must specify the `output` block, but all its arguments are optional. By default, telemetry data is dropped. Configure the `logs` argument accordingly to send telemetry data to other components, .

### `debug_metrics`

The `debug_metrics` block configures the metrics that this component generates to monitor its state.

The following arguments are supported:

Expand table

| Name                               | Type      | Description                                          | Default | Required |
|------------------------------------|-----------|------------------------------------------------------|---------|----------|
| `disable_high_cardinality_metrics` | `boolean` | Whether to disable certain high cardinality metrics. | `true`  | no       |

`disable_high_cardinality_metrics` is the Alloy equivalent to the `telemetry.disableHighCardinalityMetrics` feature gate in the OpenTelemetry Collector. It removes attributes that could cause high cardinality metrics. For example, attributes with IP addresses and port numbers in metrics about HTTP and gRPC connections are removed.

> Note
> 
> If configured, `disable_high_cardinality_metrics` only applies to `otelcol.exporter.*` and `otelcol.receiver.*` components.

## Exported fields

`otelcol.receiver.fluentforward` doesn’t export any fields.

## Component health

`otelcol.receiver.fluentforward` is only reported as unhealthy if given an invalid configuration.

## Debug information

`otelcol.receiver.fluentforward` doesn’t expose any component-specific debug information.

## Debug metrics

`otelcol.receiver.fluentforward` doesn’t expose any component-specific debug metrics.

## Example

This example receives log messages using Fluent Forward Protocol on TCP port 8006 and logs them.

Alloy ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```alloy
otelcol.receiver.fluentforward "default" {
    endpoint = "localhost:8006"
    output {
        logs = [otelcol.exporter.debug.default.input]
    }
}

otelcol.exporter.debug "default" {}
```

## Compatible components

`otelcol.receiver.fluentforward` can accept arguments from the following components:

- Components that export [OpenTelemetry `otelcol.Consumer`](../../../compatibility/#opentelemetry-otelcolconsumer-exporters)

> Note
> 
> Connecting some components may not be sensible or components may require further configuration to make the connection work correctly. Refer to the linked documentation for more details.