---
title: "Custom BGP Configuration"
description: "Override the default BIRD BGP templates in a Calico Cloud connected cluster to access advanced BIRD features for proof-of-concept and special-case routing."
product: "Calico Cloud"
version: "v23.0.1"
section: "Networking"
canonical_url: "https://docs.tigera.io/calico-cloud/networking/configuring/custom-bgp-config"
---

# Custom BGP Configuration

## Big picture

Use customized BIRD configuration files to enable specialized use-cases.

## Concepts

In Calico Cloud, BGP is handled by [BIRD](https://github.com/projectcalico/bird). The BIRD configurations are templated out through [confd](https://github.com/projectcalico/confd). You can modify the BIRD configuration to use BIRD features which are not typically exposed using the default configuration provided with Calico Cloud.

Customization of BGP templates should be done only with the help of your Tigera Support representative.

## Before you begin

**Required**

- Calico CNI

## How to

- [Update BGP configuration](#update-bgp-configuration)
- [Apply BGP customizations](#apply-bgp-customizations) based on how you've deployed Calico Cloud:

### Update BGP configuration

Using the directions provided with the templates, set the correct values for the BGP configuration using these resources:

- [BGP Configuration](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-cloud/reference/resources/bgpconfig.md)
- [BGP Peer](https://docs.tigera.io/calico-cloud/reference/resources/bgppeer.md)

### Apply BGP Customizations

1. Create your confd templates.
2. Create a ConfigMap from the templates.

```text
kubectl create configmap bird-templates -n tigera-operator --from-file=<path to directory of templates>
```

The created config map will be used to populate the Calico Cloud BIRD configuration file templates. If a template with the same name already exists within the node container, it will be overwritten with the contents from the config map.