> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.fluentbit.io/manual/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.fluentbit.io/manual/4.0/administration/configuring-fluent-bit/yaml/parsers-section.md).

# Parsers

Parsers enable Fluent Bit components to transform unstructured data into a structured internal representation. You can define YAML parsers either directly in the main configuration file or in separate external files for better organization.

This page provides a general overview of how to declare parsers.

The main section name is `parsers`, and it lets you define a list of parser configurations. The following example demonstrates how to set up two basic parsers:

```yaml
parsers:
  - name: json
    format: json

  - name: docker
    format: json
    time_key: time
    time_format: "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S.%L"
    time_keep: true
```

You can define multiple parsers sections, either within the main configuration file or distributed across included files.

For more detailed information on parser options and advanced configurations, refer to the [Configuring Parsers](/manual/4.0/data-pipeline/parsers/configuring-parser.md) documentation.


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