Instrumentation layers

• The API is used by application and library instrumentation.
• The SDK samples, processes, and exports telemetry.
• Instrumentation libraries wrap common HTTP, database, and RPC packages.
• Exporters send telemetry through OTLP or another supported format.

Libraries should depend on the OpenTelemetry API and should not install a global SDK. The application owns SDK configuration because it knows the deployment, sampling, and export policy.

Trace setup shape

resource := resource.NewWithAttributes(
    semconv.SchemaURL,
    semconv.ServiceName("checkout"),
)

provider := sdktrace.NewTracerProvider(
    sdktrace.WithResource(resource),
    sdktrace.WithBatcher(exporter),
)
otel.SetTracerProvider(provider)
defer provider.Shutdown(context.Background())

Exporter construction and package paths vary by transport, so use the matching current OTLP exporter documentation. Always call Shutdown with a bounded context so buffered telemetry gets a chance to flush.

Creating spans

func loadOrder(ctx context.Context, id string) error {
    ctx, span := otel.Tracer("orders").Start(ctx, "load-order")
    defer span.End()

    span.SetAttributes(attribute.String("order.id", id))
    return queryOrder(ctx, id)
}

Pass context.Context through the call chain; it carries the current span. Avoid high-cardinality values such as request IDs in metric attributes. As of the official Go status page, traces and metrics are stable while logs remain beta, so check status before adopting logs-specific APIs.

Further reading: OpenTelemetry Go.