The `MeshService` resource specifies a service running outside the Kubernetes cluster but in the same datacenter where the Consul API Gateway is deployed. Learn about its configuration model and reference specifications.
A `MeshService` is a resource in the Kubernetes cluster that enables Kubernetes configuration models, such as `HTTPRoute` and `TCPRoute`, to reference services that only exist in Consul.
A `MeshService` represents a service in the Consul service mesh outside the Kubernetes cluster where Consul API Gateway is deployed.
The service represented by the `MeshService` resource must either be in the same Consul datacenter as the Kubernetes cluster or imported from a peered Consul cluster.
The following outline shows how to format the configurations in the `MeshService` object. Click on a property name to view details about the configuration.
Specifies the name of the peered Consul cluster that exported the service. If not specified, Consul defaults to the local datacenter.
You must apply a [`ServiceResolver`](/docs/connect/config-entries/service-resolver) for the referenced service. The `ServiceResolver` configuration entry enables Consul to resolve routes to upstream service instances.
- Type: string
- Required: optional
## Example Configuration
The following example creates a mesh service called `example-mesh-service`. Routes that use `example-mesh-service` as a backend route traffic to the Consul service in the local datacenter named `echo`.
