Comprehensive Guide to Kafka Commands (2026 Edition)

1. Check Kafka version

kafka-topics.sh --version

Output example:

3.8.0

2. Create a topic

kafka-topics.sh \
  --create \
  --topic order \
  --bootstrap-server localhost:9092 \
  --partitions 3 \
  --replication-factor 2

Result:

Created topic order-topic.

3. List all topics

kafka-topics.sh --list --bootstrap-server localhost:9092

Result: a list of topic names such as user-topic, order-topic, pay-topic.

4. Describe a topic

kafka-topics.sh --describe --topic order --bootstrap-server localhost:9092

Result shows partition count, leader, ISR, and replica distribution, e.g. PartitionCount: 3, ReplicationFactor: 2.

5. Delete a topic

kafka-topics.sh --delete --topic order --bootstrap-server localhost:9092

Result:

Topic order-topic marked for deletion.

6. Increase topic partitions

kafka-topics.sh --alter --topic order \
  --partitions 6 \
  --bootstrap-server localhost:9092

Note: Kafka only allows increasing partitions; decreasing is not permitted.

7. List consumer groups

kafka-consumer-groups.sh --list --bootstrap-server localhost:9092

Result: a list of consumer‑group IDs such as order-group, user-group.

8. Describe a consumer group

kafka-consumer-groups.sh --describe --group order-group \
  --bootstrap-server localhost:9092

Result includes lag, offset, and partition assignment for each member.

9. Reset consumer offsets to earliest

kafka-consumer-groups.sh --reset-offsets \
  --group order-group \
  --to-earliest \
  --execute --all-topics \
  --bootstrap-server localhost:9092

Typical use cases: data replay, test‑environment recovery.

10. Start a console producer

kafka-console-producer.sh --topic order --bootstrap-server localhost:9092

Input messages (e.g., order001, order002, order003) are sent to the specified topic.

11. Start a console consumer

kafka-console-consumer.sh --topic order \
  --from-beginning \
  --bootstrap-server localhost:9092

Outputs the messages previously produced.

12. Query broker API versions

kafka-broker-api-versions.sh --bootstrap-server localhost:9092

Shows supported protocol versions, e.g. Produce API 0‑9, Fetch API 1‑13, useful for client‑compatibility checks.

13. Get topic offset information

kafka-run-class.sh kafka.tools.GetOffsetShell \
  --broker-list localhost:9092 \
  --topic order

Result example: order-0:10000 (partition 0 current offset).

14. View cluster metadata

kafka-metadata-quorum.sh --bootstrap-server localhost:9092 --describe --status

In KRaft mode the output includes ClusterId, LeaderId, and overall cluster health.

15. Trigger preferred leader election

kafka-leader-election.sh --bootstrap-server localhost:9092 \
  --election-type preferred \
  --all-topics --partitions

Applicable after broker recovery or for load‑balancing leader distribution.

16. Inspect log‑directory usage

kafka-log-dirs.sh --bootstrap-server localhost:9092 --describe

Returns JSON with broker ID and each log directory path, aiding disk‑capacity planning and hotspot detection.

The article also provides a concise table summarising command categories (Topic management, Consumer‑group management, Message testing, Cluster management, Operational monitoring, Offset management) and their core commands.