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Getting Started Overview

This page is the fastest way to understand how to approach SeaTunnel for the first time. Use it to choose an engine, find the right quick start, and follow a short reading path instead of jumping between unrelated pages.

What SeaTunnel Helps You Do​

SeaTunnel is a distributed data integration platform built for moving data between heterogeneous systems with a unified connector model. In practice, teams use it for:

  • batch synchronization between databases, files, and warehouses
  • CDC and real-time synchronization
  • multi-table or full-database migration
  • multimodal ingestion for structured, unstructured, and binary data

If you are evaluating SeaTunnel for the first time, start with the built-in SeaTunnel Engine (Zeta). It has the shortest setup path and is the default engine for new deployments.

Choose An Engine​

EngineBest forStart here
SeaTunnel Engine (Zeta)New projects, CDC, low-resource environments, quick local validationQuick Start With SeaTunnel Engine
FlinkTeams that already operate Flink clustersQuick Start With Flink
SparkTeams that already operate Spark clustersQuick Start With Spark

For a broader comparison, see Engine Overview.

If you want to validate your installation in the shortest path:

  1. Read Deployment and install the binary package.
  2. Install the sample plugins needed for the first job.
  3. Run the local SeaTunnel Engine quick start with FakeSource -> FieldMapper -> Console.
  4. After the sample succeeds, replace the demo source and sink with real connectors.

Path A: I just want to run my first job​

Path B: I already know the job I want to build​

Path C: I need to understand architecture first​

What You Need Before Using SeaTunnel​

  • Java 8 or Java 11 with JAVA_HOME configured
  • A SeaTunnel binary package from the download page
  • Required connector plugins installed under ${SEATUNNEL_HOME}/connectors/
  • Any third-party driver jars required by your chosen connectors

If you only want to run the sample job, the required plugins are usually connector-fake and connector-console.

After The First Successful Run​

Once the sample job is working, the next step is usually one of these:

  • replace FakeSource and Console with real connectors
  • switch from local validation to a cluster deployment
  • expose REST API and Web UI for operational visibility

Use these pages next: