:_mod-docs-content-type: CONCEPT

// This assembly is included in the following assemblies:
//
// assembly-deploy-kafka-connect-with-plugins.adoc

[id='con-switching-api-to-kafka-connector-{context}']
= Switching to KafkaConnector custom resources

[role="_abstract"]
You can switch from using the Kafka Connect API to using `KafkaConnector` custom resources to manage your connectors.
To make the switch, do the following in the order shown:

. Deploy `KafkaConnector` resources with the configuration to create your connector instances.
. Enable `KafkaConnector` resources in your Kafka Connect configuration by setting the `strimzi.io/use-connector-resources` annotation to `true`.

WARNING: If you enable `KafkaConnector` resources before creating them, you delete all connectors.

To switch from using `KafkaConnector` resources to using the Kafka Connect API, first remove the annotation that enables the `KafkaConnector` resources from your Kafka Connect configuration.
Otherwise, manual changes made directly using the Kafka Connect REST API are reverted by the Cluster Operator.

When making the switch, xref:con-custom-resources-status-str[check the status of the `KafkaConnect` resource].
The value of `metadata.generation` (the current version of the deployment) must match `status.observedGeneration` (the latest reconciliation of the resource).  
When the Kafka Connect cluster is `Ready`, you can delete the `KafkaConnector` resources. 