# How to Auto-Reload Logstash Configuration

To enable Logstash to detect and reload the configuration file automatically, you can use the `--config.reload.automatic` option when starting Logstash.  Here's how to activate it.

When launching Logstash, include the `--config.reload.automatic` flag in your command:

```command
bin/logstash -f <path-to-logstash-conf>.config --config.reload.automatic
```

If you've followed [our installation guide](https://betterstack.com/community/guides/logging/logstash-explained/#installing-logstash), your command might look like:

```command
sudo -u logstash /usr/share/logstash/bin/logstash -f /etc/logstash/conf.d/logstash.conf --config.reload.automatic
```

The option tells Logstash to periodically check the configuration file for any changes, typically every 3 seconds by default. To adjust the frequency of these checks, use the `config.reload.interval <interval>` option, substituting `<interval>` with the desired time frame in seconds.

If Logstash is already running without the `--config.reload.automatic` option, you can force a configuration file to reload by sending a SIGHUP (signal hangup) to the Logstash process:

```command
kill -SIGHUP <25473>
```

Replace the `<25473>` with the actual process ID of your Logstash instance.

To learn more about Logstash, check out [our comprehensive guide](https://betterstack.com/community/guides/logging/logstash-explained/). It provides detailed insights into collecting, transforming, and forwarding logs to various destinations.