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

# AppSignal Collector configuration

To start collecting and reporting data, the AppSignal collector must be configured.

This documentation explains what options can be configured in the collector and how the configuration is loaded.

## Configuration methods

### Configuration file

The AppSignal collector can be configured with a configuration file. This method is required for the [Linux package installation method][linux package].

You need to find or create the configuration file at `/etc/appsignal-collector.conf`.

Once you've located or created a configuration file, you can configure the collector using the options listed on the [options page][options].

#### Example configuration file

Below is an example of an `appsignal-collector.conf` configuration file.

For the complete list of options, please see the [configuration options][options] page.

<CodeGroup>
  ```toml TOML theme={null}
  # /etc/appsignal-collector.conf
  push_api_key = "0000-0000-0000-0000"
  ```
</CodeGroup>

### System environment variable

Another way of configuring AppSignal is to use system environment variables on the host the application is running on.

This configuration method is used by the [Collector Docker image][docker image].

Ensure these environment variables are configured in the way that's compatible with your Operating System and that the configuration gets loaded before the collector is started.

The [configuration options][options] page lists each config option's equivalent system environment variable. You can use these variables to configure the collector, for example, when configuring your app name:

<CodeGroup>
  ```sh Shell theme={null}
  # Common Bash example
  export APPSIGNAL_PUSH_API_KEY="0000-0000-0000-0000"
  ```
</CodeGroup>

[linux package]: /collector/installation/linux-package.html

[docker image]: /collector/installation/docker-image.html

[options]: /collector/configuration/options.html