Lab
Cloud

Consuming Kafka Messages with Confluent REST Proxy

The Confluent REST Proxy provides a "RESTful interface" on top of Kafka, allowing you to produce and consume messages using simple HTTP requests. In this lab, you will have the opportunity to interact with the REST proxy by consuming some existing messages. This will give you some hands-on experience with the requests necessary for consuming Kafka data using REST.

Get started Contact sales

Path Info

Level

Intermediate

Duration

30m

Last updated

Aug 15, 2025

Challenge

Provide the Number of Apples Sold in the Last Week

Create a new consumer and consumer_instance:

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/vnd.kafka.v2+json" 
  --data '{"name": "sales_consumer_instance", "format": "json", "auto.offset.reset": "earliest"}' 
  http://localhost:8082/consumers/sales_json_consumer

Subscribe the consumer to the weekly_sales topic:

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/vnd.kafka.v2+json" --data '{"topics":["weekly_sales"]}' 
  http://localhost:8082/consumers/sales_json_consumer/instances/sales_consumer_instance/subscription

Consume the messages:

curl -X GET -H "Accept: application/vnd.kafka.json.v2+json" 
  http://localhost:8082/consumers/sales_json_consumer/instances/sales_consumer_instance/records

Locate the latest record with a key of apples and copy its value.
Edit the output file:

vi /home/cloud_user/output/apple_sales.txt

Paste in the value from the latest apples record and save the file.

Challenge

Provide the Current Quarterly Balance for Product Purchases

Create a new consumer and consumer_instance:

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/vnd.kafka.v2+json" 
  --data '{"name": "balance_consumer_instance", "format": "json", "auto.offset.reset": "earliest"}' 
  http://localhost:8082/consumers/balance_json_consumer

Subscribe the consumer to the quarterly_purchases topic:

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/vnd.kafka.v2+json" --data '{"topics":["quarterly_purchases"]}' 
  http://localhost:8082/consumers/balance_json_consumer/instances/balance_consumer_instance/subscription

Consume the messages:

curl -X GET -H "Accept: application/vnd.kafka.json.v2+json" 
  http://localhost:8082/consumers/balance_json_consumer/instances/balance_consumer_instance/records

Locate the latest record and copy its value.
Edit the output file:

vi /home/cloud_user/output/quarterly_balance.txt

Paste in the value from the latest record and save the file.

Author

Pluralsight Skills

Pluralsight Skills gives leaders confidence they have the skills needed to execute technology strategy. Technology teams can benchmark expertise across roles, speed up release cycles and build reliable, secure products. By leveraging our expert content, skill assessments and one-of-a-kind analytics, keep up with the pace of change, put the right people on the right projects and boost productivity. It's the most effective path to developing tech skills at scale.

What's a lab?

Hands-on Labs are real environments created by industry experts to help you learn. These environments help you gain knowledge and experience, practice without compromising your system, test without risk, destroy without fear, and let you learn from your mistakes. Hands-on Labs: practice your skills before delivering in the real world.

Provided environment for hands-on practice

We will provide the credentials and environment necessary for you to practice right within your browser.

Guided walkthrough

Follow along with the author’s guided walkthrough and build something new in your provided environment!

Did you know?

On average, you retain 75% more of your learning if you get time for practice.

Ready to get started?

View individual plans View team plans