Amazon MSK Connect adds in-place plugin and worker-configuration updates

AWS announced on October 29, 2026, that Amazon MSK Connect supports updating an existing connector’s custom plugin and worker configuration in place. Previously, either change required deleting and recreating the connector, according to the AWS announcement.

What changes for connector maintenance

Plugin updates let teams move to a new version of connector code, including releases with updated dependencies. Worker-configuration updates cover worker-level settings, such as switching key and value converters or tuning producer and consumer properties for throughput and latency.

AWS says the connector retains its committed offsets, allowing tasks to continue processing from where they left off once the update completes. These are the update scenarios and offset behavior described in the launch announcement.

Preserved offsets do not replace compatibility checks

The operational gain is avoiding connector recreation for these changes—not eliminating the need to validate them. Before updating, engineers should check the new plugin against representative existing records and verify that converter changes match the serialization expectations of connected systems. Those checks address application behavior, rather than just where processing resumes.

Likewise, offset retention should not be treated as a guarantee of uninterrupted processing. AWS describes tasks continuing once the update completes. For latency-sensitive workloads, teams should validate update behavior rather than assume that “in place” means no interruption.

Availability and pricing

At launch, AWS said the capability was available in all AWS Regions where Amazon MSK Connect is supported, at no additional cost. That statement applies specifically to the update capability.