> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.lenses.io/latest/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.lenses.io/latest/devx/5.5/user-guide/cli/data/kafka-topics.md).

# Kafka topics

## View all topics <a href="#view-all-topics" id="view-all-topics"></a>

The optional names flag wil display only the names of the topics. If you use the –unwrap flag, each topic name will be displayed on a new line as text:

```bash
lenses-cli topics [--names [--unwrap]]
```

## View a specific topic <a href="#view-a-specific-topic" id="view-a-specific-topic"></a>

```bash
lenses-cli topic --name=reddit_posts
```

## Create topics <a href="#create-topics" id="create-topics"></a>

```bash
lenses-cli topic create \
    --name="topicName" \
    --replication=1 \
    --partitions=1 \
    --configs="{\"max.message.bytes\": \"1000010\"}"
```

Update from a file:

```bash
lenses-cli topic create ./topic.yml
```

Example file:

```yaml
name: topicName
replication: 1
partitions: 1
configs:
  max.message.bytes: "1000010"
```

## Update a topic’s configuration <a href="#update-a-topics-configuration" id="update-a-topics-configuration"></a>

```bash
lenses-cli topic update \
    --name="topic2" \
    --configs="{\"max.message.bytes\": \"1000020\"}"
```

Update from a file:

```bash
lenses-cli topic update ./topic.yaml
```

Example file:

```yaml
name: topicName
replication: 1
partitions: 1
configs:
  max.message.bytes: "1000010"
```

## Update a topic’s metadata configuration <a href="#update-a-topics-metadata-configuration" id="update-a-topics-metadata-configuration"></a>

```bash
# first change the key/value type
lenses-cli topics metadata set \
    --name=topicName \
    --key-type=bytes \
    --value-type=xml

# now you may change its schema
lenses-cli topics metadata set \
    --name=topicName \
    --key-type=bytes \
    --key-schema="{\"type\":\"record\",\"name\":\"lenses_record\",\"namespace\":\"lenses\",\"fields\":[{\"name\":\"keyField\",\"type\":\"string\"}]}" \
    --value-type=xml \
    --value-schema="{\"type\":\"record\",\"name\":\"lenses_record\",\"namespace\":\"lenses\",\"fields\":[{\"name\":\"valueField\",\"type\":\"string\"}]}"
```

Update from a file:

```bash
lenses-cli topic update ./topic.yaml
```

Example file:

```yaml
topicName: topicName
keyType: bytes
valueType: xml
valueSchema: "{\"type\":\"record\",\"name\":\"lenses_record\",\"namespace\":\"lenses\",\"fields\":[{\"name\":\"heading3\",\"type\":\"string\"}]}"
```

## Delete topics <a href="#delete-topics" id="delete-topics"></a>

```bash
lenses-cli topic delete --name="topic2"
```


---

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