diff --git a/apps/emqx_bridge/etc/emqx_bridge.conf b/apps/emqx_bridge/etc/emqx_bridge.conf
index c04abf82a..4eddcb320 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_bridge/etc/emqx_bridge.conf
+++ b/apps/emqx_bridge/etc/emqx_bridge.conf
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ bridges.mqtt.my_mqtt_bridge_to_aws {
         certfile = "{{ platform_etc_dir }}/certs/client-cert.pem"
         cacertfile = "{{ platform_etc_dir }}/certs/cacert.pem"
     }
-    ## we will create one MQTT connection for each element of the `message_in`
-    message_in: [{
+    ## we will create one MQTT connection for each element of the `ingress_channels`
+    ingress_channels: [{
         ## the `id` will be used as part of the clientid
         id = "pull_msgs_from_aws"
         subscribe_remote_topic = "aws/#"
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ bridges.mqtt.my_mqtt_bridge_to_aws {
         qos = "${qos}"
         retain = "${retain}"
     }]
-    ## we will create one MQTT connection for each element of the `message_out`
-    message_out: [{
+    ## we will create one MQTT connection for each element of the `egress_channels`
+    egress_channels: [{
         ## the `id` will be used as part of the clientid
         id = "push_msgs_to_aws"
         subscribe_local_topic = "emqx/#"
diff --git a/apps/emqx_bridge/src/emqx_bridge.erl b/apps/emqx_bridge/src/emqx_bridge.erl
index badf97515..adc5592cd 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_bridge/src/emqx_bridge.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_bridge/src/emqx_bridge.erl
@@ -154,8 +154,8 @@ update_bridge(Type, Name, Conf) ->
     %%
     %% - if the connection related configs like `username` is updated, we should restart/start
     %% or stop bridges according to the change.
-    %% - if the connection related configs are not update, but channel configs `message_in` or
-    %% `message_out` are changed, then we should not restart the bridge, we only restart/start
+    %% - if the connection related configs are not update, but channel configs `ingress_channels` or
+    %% `egress_channels` are changed, then we should not restart the bridge, we only restart/start
     %% the channels.
     %%
     logger:info("update ~p bridge ~p use config: ~p", [Type, Name, Conf]),
diff --git a/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector_mqtt.erl b/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector_mqtt.erl
index 4f4d3e5c8..95d19d5e8 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector_mqtt.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector_mqtt.erl
@@ -89,8 +89,8 @@ on_start(InstId, Conf) ->
     NamePrefix = binary_to_list(InstId),
     BasicConf = basic_config(Conf),
     InitRes = {ok, #{name_prefix => NamePrefix, baisc_conf => BasicConf, sub_bridges => []}},
-    InOutConfigs = check_channel_id_dup(maps:get(message_in, Conf, [])
-                                        ++ maps:get(message_out, Conf, [])),
+    InOutConfigs = check_channel_id_dup(maps:get(ingress_channels, Conf, [])
+                                        ++ maps:get(egress_channels, Conf, [])),
     lists:foldl(fun
             (_InOutConf, {error, Reason}) ->
                 {error, Reason};
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ on_stop(InstId, #{sub_bridges := NameList}) ->
         end, NameList).
 
 %% TODO: let the emqx_resource trigger on_query/4 automatically according to the
-%%  `message_in` and `message_out` config
+%%  `ingress_channels` and `egress_channels` config
 on_query(_InstId, {create_channel, Conf}, _AfterQuery, #{name_prefix := Prefix,
         baisc_conf := BasicConf}) ->
     create_channel(Conf, Prefix, BasicConf);
@@ -133,21 +133,21 @@ check_channel_id_dup(Confs) ->
         end, Confs),
     Confs.
 
-%% this is an `message_in` bridge
+%% this is an `ingress_channels` bridge
 create_channel(#{subscribe_remote_topic := RemoteT, local_topic := LocalT, id := Id} = InConf,
         NamePrefix, BasicConf) ->
     Name = bridge_name(NamePrefix, Id),
-    logger:info("creating 'message_in' channel ~p, remote ~s -> local ~s",
+    logger:info("creating ingress channel ~p, remote ~s -> local ~s",
         [Name, RemoteT, LocalT]),
     create_sub_bridge(BasicConf#{
         name => Name,
         clientid => clientid(Id),
         subscriptions => InConf, forwards => undefined});
-%% this is an `message_out` bridge
+%% this is an `egress_channels` bridge
 create_channel(#{subscribe_local_topic := LocalT, remote_topic := RemoteT, id := Id} = OutConf,
         NamePrefix, BasicConf) ->
     Name = bridge_name(NamePrefix, Id),
-    logger:info("creating 'message_out' channel ~p, local ~s -> remote ~s",
+    logger:info("creating egress channel ~p, local ~s -> remote ~s",
         [Name, LocalT, RemoteT]),
     create_sub_bridge(BasicConf#{
         name => bridge_name(NamePrefix, Id),
diff --git a/apps/emqx_connector/src/mqtt/emqx_connector_mqtt_schema.erl b/apps/emqx_connector/src/mqtt/emqx_connector_mqtt_schema.erl
index 184a8610c..28995b666 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_connector/src/mqtt/emqx_connector_mqtt_schema.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_connector/src/mqtt/emqx_connector_mqtt_schema.erl
@@ -38,17 +38,17 @@ fields("config") ->
     , {retry_interval, hoconsc:mk(emqx_schema:duration_ms(), #{default => "30s"})}
     , {max_inflight, hoconsc:mk(integer(), #{default => 32})}
     , {replayq, hoconsc:mk(hoconsc:ref(?MODULE, "replayq"))}
-    , {message_in, hoconsc:mk(hoconsc:array(hoconsc:ref(?MODULE, "message_in")), #{default => []})}
-    , {message_out, hoconsc:mk(hoconsc:array(hoconsc:ref(?MODULE, "message_out")), #{default => []})}
+    , {ingress_channels, hoconsc:mk(hoconsc:array(hoconsc:ref(?MODULE, "ingress_channels")), #{default => []})}
+    , {egress_channels, hoconsc:mk(hoconsc:array(hoconsc:ref(?MODULE, "egress_channels")), #{default => []})}
     ] ++ emqx_connector_schema_lib:ssl_fields();
 
-fields("message_in") ->
+fields("ingress_channels") ->
     [ {subscribe_remote_topic, #{type => binary(), nullable => false}}
     , {local_topic, hoconsc:mk(binary(), #{default => <<"${topic}">>})}
     , {subscribe_qos, hoconsc:mk(qos(), #{default => 1})}
     ] ++ common_inout_confs();
 
-fields("message_out") ->
+fields("egress_channels") ->
     [ {subscribe_local_topic, #{type => binary(), nullable => false}}
     , {remote_topic, hoconsc:mk(binary(), #{default => <<"${topic}">>})}
     ] ++ common_inout_confs();