# Input

[Fluent Bit](http://fluentbit.io) provides input plugins to gather information from different sources. Some plugins collect data from log files, while others can gather metrics information from the operating system. There are many plugins to suit different needs.

{% @mermaid/diagram content="graph LR
accTitle: Fluent Bit data pipeline
accDescr: A diagram of the Fluent Bit data pipeline, which includes input, a parser, a filter, a buffer, routing, and various outputs.
A\[Input] --> B\[Parser]
B --> C\[Filter]
C --> D\[Buffer]
D --> E((Routing))
E --> F\[Output 1]
E --> G\[Output 2]
E --> H\[Output 3]
style A stroke:darkred,stroke-width:2px;" %}

When an input plugin loads, an internal *instance* is created. Each instance has its own independent configuration. Configuration keys are often called *properties*.

Every input plugin has its own documentation section that specifies how to use it and what properties are available.

For more details, see [Input Plugins](https://docs.fluentbit.io/manual/pipeline/inputs).