Traces and spans

Trace the request path through applications using Traces, which provide the big picture of operations across monoliths or service meshes. Instrument code by initializing a Tracer Provider, which serves as a factory for Tracers and handles Resource and Exporter setup; this lifecycle typically matches the application. Tracers create Spans, the building blocks representing units of work, containing a Name, Parent span ID, Start and End Timestamps, Span Context, Attributes, Events, Links, and Status. Structure these with key attributes like http.route or http.method to capture details such as net.peer.ip. Enable Distributed Tracing via Context Propagation, allowing Spans to be correlated and assembled into a single Trace regardless of where Spans are generated, which allows tracing to represent an end-to-end view of any system. Scope: OpenTelemetry. Reviewed October 4, 2026.