Python

Automatic traces, metrics and logs for Django, Flask, FastAPI, requests, httpx, SQLAlchemy, psycopg, Redis, Celery and more, with no code changes.

Prerequisites

An OpenTelemetry Stream and an ingest key for that Stream. See OpenTelemetry → Prerequisites.

1. Install

pip install opentelemetry-distro opentelemetry-exporter-otlp
opentelemetry-bootstrap -a install

opentelemetry-bootstrap looks at installed packages and installs the matching instrumentation.

2. Configure

OTEL_SERVICE_NAME=checkout-api
OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_PROTOCOL=http/protobuf
OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT=https://ws.latency.app/v1/ingest
OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_HEADERS=authorization=Bearer%20lit_XXXXXXXXXXX
OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_METRICS_TEMPORALITY_PREFERENCE=delta
OTEL_PYTHON_LOGGING_AUTO_INSTRUMENTATION_ENABLED=true

Don't skip the protocol

Python sends over gRPC unless told otherwise, and our ingest only accepts HTTP. Keep OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_PROTOCOL=http/protobuf.

Only sending traces? Add OTEL_METRICS_EXPORTER=none and OTEL_LOGS_EXPORTER=none.

3. Run

Put opentelemetry-instrument in front of the usual start command:

Script

opentelemetry-instrument python app.py

FastAPI

opentelemetry-instrument uvicorn main:app

Flask

opentelemetry-instrument flask run

Django

opentelemetry-instrument python manage.py runserver --noreload

Django's auto-reloader starts the app in a second process that skips instrumentation, so use --noreload in development.

4. Check it's working

Make a few requests to the app, then open Telemetry in the Console, pick the Stream and choose Traces. Traces show up within seconds. Metrics follow within a minute.

Custom spans

from opentelemetry import trace

tracer = trace.get_tracer("checkout")

with tracer.start_as_current_span("charge-card") as span:
    span.set_attribute("order.id", order.id)
    charge_card(order)

Custom metrics

from opentelemetry import metrics

meter = metrics.get_meter("checkout")
orders = meter.create_counter("orders.placed")
duration = meter.create_histogram("checkout.duration", unit="ms")

orders.add(1, {"plan": "pro"})
duration.record(182, {"route": "/pay"})

Logs

Everything logged with Python's standard logging module goes to the Stream's logs, linked to the surrounding trace. Nothing else to set up.