anchor.diff:  [[avro-as-payload-format]]
   == Using Avro as the payload format
   
  -The `outbox.EventRouter` SMT supports arbitrary payload formats. The `payload` column value in an outbox table is passed on transparently. An alternative to working with JSON is to use Avro.
  +The outbox event router SMT supports arbitrary payload formats. The `payload` column value in an outbox table is passed on transparently. An alternative to working with JSON is to use Avro.
   This can be beneficial for message format governance and for ensuring that outbox event schemas evolve in a backwards-compatible way.
   
   How a source application produces Avro formatted content for outbox message payloads is out of the scope of this documentation.
  
positive.code: }
  ----
  
  A {prodname} connector that is configured to apply the `outbox.EventRouter` SMT generates the above message by transforming a {prodname} raw message like this: 
  
  [source,javascript,indent=0]
  ----
  
negative.code: See link:https://debezium.io/blog/2019/02/19/reliable-microservices-data-exchange-with-the-outbox-pattern/[Reliable Microservices Data Exchange With the Outbox Pattern] to learn about why the outbox pattern is useful and how it works. 
  
  ifdef::community[]
  For an example that you can run, see the  link:https://github.com/debezium/debezium-examples/tree/master/outbox[outbox pattern demo], which is in the {prodname} examples repository. It includes an example of how to configure a {prodname} connector to run the outbox event router SMT. 
  endif::community[]
  
  [NOTE]
  ====
  The outbox event router SMT does *not* support the MongoDB connector.
  ====
  
  ifdef::product[]
  The following topics provide details: 
  
  * xref:example-of-a-debezium-outbox-message[]
  * xref:outbox-table-structure-expected-by-debezium-outbox-event-router-smt[]
  * xref:basic-debezium-outbox-event-router-smt-configuration[]
  * xref:using-avro-as-the-payload-format-in-debezium-outbox-messages[]
  * xref:emitting-additional-fields-in-debezium-outbox-messages[]
  * xref:options-for-configuring-outbox-event-router-transformation[]
  endif::product[]
  
  // Type: concept
  