---
name: "xtables-translate"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "iptables"
version: "1:1.8.13-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/xtables-translate"
---

# xtables-translate(8)

translation tool to migrate from iptables to nftables ip6tables-translate — translation tool to migrate from ip6tables to nftables ebtables-translate — translation tool to migrate from ebtables to nftables arptables-translate — translation tool to migrate from arptables to nftables

## NAME

iptables-translate — translation tool to migrate from iptables to nftables

ip6tables-translate — translation tool to migrate from ip6tables to nftables

ebtables-translate — translation tool to migrate from ebtables to nftables

arptables-translate — translation tool to migrate from arptables to nftables

## DESCRIPTION

There is a set of tools to help the system administrator translate a given ruleset from **[iptables(8)](/iptables/8.md)**, **[ip6tables(8)](/ip6tables/8.md)**, **[ebtables(8)](/ebtables/8.md)** and **[arptables(8)](/arptables/8.md)** to **[nftables(8)](/nftables/8.md)**.

The available commands are:

- •

  iptables-translate

- •

  iptables-restore-translate

- •

  ip6tables-translate

- •

  ip6tables-restore-translate

- •

  ebtables-translate

- •

  arptables-translate

## USAGE

They take as input the original **[iptables(8)](/iptables/8.md)**/**[ip6tables(8)](/ip6tables/8.md)**/**[ebtables(8)](/ebtables/8.md)**/**[arptables(8)](/arptables/8.md)** syntax and output the native **[nftables(8)](/nftables/8.md)** syntax.

The **iptables-restore-translate** tool reads a ruleset in the syntax produced by **[iptables-save(8)](/iptables-save/8.md)**. Likewise, the **ip6tables-restore-translate** tool reads one produced by **[ip6tables-save(8)](/ip6tables-save/8.md)**.  No ruleset modifications occur, these tools are text converters only.

The **iptables-translate** reads a command line as if it was entered to **[iptables(8)](/iptables/8.md)**, and **ip6tables-translate** reads a command like as if it was entered to **[ip6tables(8)](/ip6tables/8.md)**.

## EXAMPLES

Basic operation examples.

Single command translation:

```
root@machine:~# iptables-translate -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW -j ACCEPT
nft add rule ip filter INPUT tcp dport 22 ct state new counter accept
root@machine:~# ip6tables-translate -A FORWARD -i eth0 -o eth3 -p udp -m multiport --dports 111,222 -j ACCEPT
nft add rule ip6 filter FORWARD iifname eth0 oifname eth3 meta l4proto udp udp dport { 111,222} counter accept
```

Whole ruleset translation:

```
root@machine:~# iptables-save > save.txt
root@machine:~# cat save.txt
# Generated by iptables-save v1.6.0 on Sat Dec 24 14:26:40 2016
*filter
:INPUT ACCEPT [5166:1752111]
:FORWARD ACCEPT [0:0]
:OUTPUT ACCEPT [5058:628693]
-A FORWARD -p tcp -m tcp --dport 22 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW -j ACCEPT
COMMIT
# Completed on Sat Dec 24 14:26:40 2016
root@machine:~# iptables-restore-translate -f save.txt
# Translated by iptables-restore-translate v1.6.0 on Sat Dec 24 14:26:59 2016
add table ip filter
add chain ip filter INPUT { type filter hook input priority 0; }
add chain ip filter FORWARD { type filter hook forward priority 0; }
add chain ip filter OUTPUT { type filter hook output priority 0; }
add rule ip filter FORWARD tcp dport 22 ct state new counter accept
root@machine:~# iptables-restore-translate -f save.txt > ruleset.nft
root@machine:~# nft -f ruleset.nft
root@machine:~# nft list ruleset
table ip filter {
	chain INPUT {
		type filter hook input priority 0; policy accept;
	}
	chain FORWARD {
		type filter hook forward priority 0; policy accept;
		tcp dport ssh ct state new counter packets 0 bytes 0 accept
	}
	chain OUTPUT {
		type filter hook output priority 0; policy accept;
	}
}
```

## LIMITATIONS

Some (few) extensions may be not supported (or fully-supported) for whatever reason (for example, they were considered obsolete, or we didn't have the time to work on them).

There is no translation available for **[arptables(8)](/arptables/8.md)**.

To get up-to-date information about this, please head to **https://wiki.nftables.org/**.

## SEE ALSO

**[nft(8)](/nft/8.md)**, **[iptables(8)](/iptables/8.md)**

## AUTHORS

The nftables framework is written by the Netfilter project (https://www.netfilter.org).

This manual page was written by Arturo Borrero Gonzalez \<arturo@netfilter.org\>.

This documentation is free/libre under the terms of the GPLv2+.