> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://filament.getgalaxy.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connectors Overview

> How sources and sinks plug into Filament.

A connector is a source, a sink, or both. Sources implement `Source`
(described in [Writing a source](/pages/connectors/building-a-connector/writing-a-source));
sinks implement `Sink` (described in [Writing a
sink](/pages/connectors/building-a-connector/writing-a-sink)). Some connectors —
PostgreSQL and MySQL today — ship both, as separate packages
(`connectors/postgres/source`, `connectors/postgres/sink`).

## Self-description

Every connector describes itself through its spec — `ConnectorSpec` for
sources, `SinkSpec` for sinks — covering identity, config schema, and
capabilities. This is what powers the catalog: the API server's
`ListConnectors` RPC (see [API Reference](/pages/api-reference/service/providers)) surfaces
exactly this metadata to the UI, so a new connector shows up automatically
once it's registered, with no separate catalog to update by hand.

## Self-registration

Connectors self-register via a blank import (see [Embedding as a
library](/pages/guides/deployment/embedding-as-a-library)):

```go theme={"theme":"vitesse-black"}
_ "github.com/galaxy-io/filament/connectors/postgres"
```

## Browse by direction

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Sources" icon="download" href="/pages/connectors/sources/overview">
    Connectors that read data: PostgreSQL, MySQL, five manifest-driven SaaS
    apps (Attio, GitHub, Linear, Notion, Slack), and Sample.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Sinks" icon="upload" href="/pages/connectors/sinks/overview">
    Connectors that write data: PostgreSQL, MySQL, Iceberg, AWS S3, and Stdout.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

Want to add one? Start at [Writing a
source](/pages/connectors/building-a-connector/writing-a-source) or [Writing a
sink](/pages/connectors/building-a-connector/writing-a-sink). Adding a new
SaaS API specifically is usually just a new
[HTTP](/pages/connectors/sources/http) manifest — see that page before
reaching for a full custom connector.