---
page_title: Route traffic to peered services
description: Learn how to configure Consul API gateway to route traffic to services connected to the mesh through a peering connection.
---

# Route traffic to peered services

This topic describes how to configure Consul API Gateway to route traffic to services connected to the mesh through a cluster peering connection.

## Requirements

- Consul v1.14 or later
- Verify that the [requirements](/consul/docs/north-south/api-gateway/k8s/tech-specs) have been met.
- Verify that the Consul API Gateway CRDs and controller have been installed and applied. Refer to [Installation](/consul/docs/north-south/api-gateway/k8s/enable) for details.
- A peering connection must already be established between Consul clusters. Refer to [Cluster Peering on Kubernetes](/consul/docs/east-west/cluster-peering/tech-specs/k8s) for instructions.
- The Consul service that you want to route traffic to must be exported to the cluster containing your `Gateway`. Refer to [Cluster Peering on Kubernetes](/consul/docs/east-west/cluster-peering/tech-specs/k8s) for instructions.
- A `ServiceResolver` for the Consul service you want to route traffic to must be created in the cluster that contains your `Gateway`. Refer to [Service Resolver Configuration Entry](/consul/docs/reference/config-entry/service-resolver) for instructions.

## Configuration

Specify the following fields in your `MeshService` configuration to use this feature. Refer to the [MeshService configuration reference](/consul/docs/reference/k8s/api-gateway/meshservice) for details about the parameters.

- [`name`](/consul/docs/connect/gateways/api-gateway/configuration/meshservice#name)
- [`peer`](/consul/docs/connect/gateways/api-gateway/configuration/meshservice#peer)

## Example

In the following example, routes that use `example-mesh-service` as a backend are configured to send requests to the `echo` service exported by the peered Consul cluster `cluster-02`.

<CodeBlockConfig filename="serviceresolver.yaml">

```yaml hideClipboard
apiVersion: consul.hashicorp.com/v1alpha1
kind: ServiceResolver
metadata:
  name: echo
spec:
  redirect:
    peer: cluster-02
    service: echo
```
</CodeBlockConfig>

<CodeBlockConfig filename="meshservice.yaml">

```yaml hideClipboard
apiVersion: api-gateway.consul.hashicorp.com/v1alpha1
kind: MeshService
metadata:
  name: example-mesh-service
spec:
  name: echo
  peer: cluster-02
```
</CodeBlockConfig>

After applying the `meshservice.yaml` configuration, an `HTTPRoute` may then reference `example-mesh-service` as its `backendRef`.

<CodeBlockConfig filename="route.yaml">

```yaml hideClipboard
apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1beta1
kind: HTTPRoute
metadata:
  name: example-route
spec:
  ...
  rules:
    - backendRefs:
        - group: consul.hashicorp.com
          kind: MeshService
          name: example-mesh-service
          port: 3000
      ...
```
</CodeBlockConfig>