Plugins enable API hub to connect and ingest API metadata from various Google Cloud services and API gateways where your APIs are managed or defined. They simplify and enhance the process of bringing your API metadata directly into API hub.
Plugins serve as the underlying framework or capability that allows API hub to understand and integrate with different API management platforms and sources. They define how API hub can connect to a particular data source.
A plugin instance represents a configured and active connection between API hub and a specific API data source, facilitated by its associated plugin. It stores the unique configuration details required to connect to the data source, including connection credentials, curation settings, and any data import schedules. Each plugin instance serves as the entry point for collecting API metadata from its designated source.
Plugin instances are the configured deployments of a plugin. The actual ingestion of data and the registration of APIs as API resources in API hub is managed through plugin instances. Each instance serves as an active entry point for metadata collection from its designated source.
Depending on the source, plugin instances are created in the following ways:
The following plugin types are supported in API hub:
| Plugin type | Description | Supported API sources |
|---|---|---|
| Google Cloud plugins | These plugins are created and maintained by API hub to integrate with specific Google Cloud services and gateways. Plugin instances for these plugins are created automatically when you associate a Google Cloud runtime project with API hub. For more information, see Manage project associations. |
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| Third-party plugins | These plugins enable you to connect with third-party gateways and bring your API metadata to API hub. You can create and manage plugin instances for these plugins from the API hub > Settings > Plugins page. For more information, see Create plugin instance. |
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| Custom plugins | These plugins enable you to connect with your custom on-premises or multi-cloud to API hub. You can create and manage plugin instances for these plugins from the API hub > Settings > Plugins page. For more information, see Create custom plugins. |
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The following data ingestion methods are available for plugins:
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Last updated 2026-06-09 UTC.
