Configurable OpenTelemetry setup for .NET applications providing tracing, metrics, and logging via OTLP, configurable through code or appsettings.json.

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✨ Features

• One-call setup — tracing, metrics and logging via a single AddTelemetry(), configured from appsettings.json or code
• All three signals over OTLP — HTTP/protobuf or gRPC, to any OTLP-compatible backend
• Built-in instrumentation — HttpClient and .NET runtime metrics everywhere; ASP.NET Core instrumentation on web targets — each toggleable. Database instrumentation is opt-in via a one-liner (see Databases)
• Sensible defaults — configurable sampling, health-check path exclusion and exception recording work out of the box
• Startup validation — misconfiguration fails fast with a clear error
• Extensible — ConfigureTracing/ConfigureMetrics/ConfigureLogging hooks for custom sources, meters and providers
• Works on any .NET — ASP.NET Core, WPF, console and more; the netstandard2.0 build pulls no ASP.NET Core dependencies

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✅ Requirements

• A .NET target compatible with netstandard2.0 — i.e. .NET Framework 4.6.1+, .NET 6/8/9/10, or directly the net8.0 / net10.0 builds.
• An OTLP-compatible backend to receive the telemetry (collector, Jaeger, OpenObserve, the .NET Aspire Dashboard, …). See Running Locally with a Backend.
• ASP.NET Core instrumentation requires a modern .NET target (net8.0 or net10.0 build); it is not included in the netstandard2.0 build used by WPF/console apps.

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📦 Installation

dotnet add package OpenTelemetryExtension.Configuration

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🚀 Quick Start

1. Register

builder.Services.AddTelemetry(builder.Configuration);

2. Configure (appsettings.json)

{
  "Telemetry": {
    "Endpoint": "http://localhost:4318",
    "ServiceName": "my-api"
  }
}

That's it — tracing, metrics and logging are exported via OTLP.

You need an OTLP-compatible backend listening at Endpoint. No backend yet? See Running Locally with a Backend for one-command setups.

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⚙️ Configuration

All options live under the Telemetry key in appsettings.json.

Property	Type	Default	Description
Enabled	bool	true	Set to false to disable telemetry (no OpenTelemetry services are registered).
Endpoint	Uri	(required)	OTLP collector endpoint, e.g. http://localhost:4318.
Headers	string	""	Exporter headers. Format: key1=value1,key2=value2.
Protocol	string	HttpProtobuf	HttpProtobuf (port 4318) or Grpc (port 4317).
ServiceName	string?	null	Service name shown in the backend.
ResourceAttributes	object	{}	Extra resource attributes, e.g. { "deployment.environment": "production", "team": "backend" }.
AdditionalTracingSources	string[]	[]	Extra ActivitySource names to collect (e.g. "Npgsql", your own app sources) — registered via AddSource.
AdditionalMeters	string[]	[]	Extra Meter names to collect (e.g. "MyApp.Orders") — registered via AddMeter.
SampleRatio	double	1.0	Fraction of traces to sample. 0.1 = 10%, 1.0 = all.
EnableTracing	bool	true	Enables distributed tracing.
EnableMetrics	bool	true	Enables metrics collection.
EnableLogging	bool	true	Enables log export via OTLP.
EnableAspNetCoreInstrumentation	bool	true	Instruments incoming HTTP requests.
EnableHttpClientInstrumentation	bool	true	Instruments outgoing HttpClient requests.
EnableRuntimeInstrumentation	bool	true	Collects GC, memory and thread pool metrics.
RecordExceptions	bool	true	Records exception stack traces on spans.
ExcludedPaths	string[]	["/health"]	Paths excluded from tracing.
IncludeScopes	bool	true	Includes log scopes in exported log records.
IncludeFormattedMessage	bool	true	Includes the formatted message in exported log records.

ConfigureTracing, ConfigureMetrics and ConfigureLogging are code-only callbacks — see Code configuration.

For every key with its default value, see the Full configuration reference below.

Custom section name

The section defaults to Telemetry, but you can bind any section by passing its name:

builder.Services.AddTelemetry(builder.Configuration, "MyTelemetry");
// or together with a code callback:
builder.Services.AddTelemetry(builder.Configuration, o => { /* ... */ }, "MyTelemetry");

{
  "MyTelemetry": {
    "Endpoint": "http://localhost:4318",
    "ServiceName": "my-api"
  }
}

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🧩 Code Configuration

Configure entirely in code instead of appsettings.json:

builder.Services.AddTelemetry(o =>
{
    o.Endpoint        = new Uri("http://localhost:4318");
    o.ServiceName     = "my-api";
    o.ResourceAttributes = new() { ["deployment.environment"] = "production" };
    o.SampleRatio     = 0.1;

    // Code-only: register additional instrumentation
    o.ConfigureTracing = tracing => tracing.AddSource("MyApp");
    o.ConfigureMetrics = metrics => metrics.AddMeter("MyApp");
    o.ConfigureLogging = logging => logging.AddConsole();
});

Or bind appsettings.json first and layer code-only options on top — both sources are combined, and bound values can still be overridden in the callback:

builder.Services.AddTelemetry(builder.Configuration, o =>
{
    // Everything from appsettings.json is already bound here.
    o.ConfigureTracing = tracing => tracing.AddSource("MyApp");
    o.ConfigureMetrics = metrics => metrics.AddMeter("MyApp");
    o.ConfigureLogging = logging => logging.AddConsole();
});

The Configure* hooks — Sources & Meters

The three callbacks are the extension points for your own telemetry. The built-in instrumentation (ASP.NET Core, HttpClient, SQL, runtime) is wired up automatically; these hooks let you add the signals your application emits itself.

Hook	Builder	Used to register
ConfigureTracing	TracerProviderBuilder	Activity Sources via AddSource("Name")
ConfigureMetrics	MeterProviderBuilder	Meters via AddMeter("Name")
ConfigureLogging	ILoggingBuilder	extra logging providers, filters, etc.

What is a Meter? A Meter (from System.Diagnostics.Metrics) is the factory you create instruments (counters, histograms, gauges) from. Each Meter has a name, and OpenTelemetry only collects metrics from meters you have explicitly registered with AddMeter("That.Name"). Without that call, your custom metrics are never exported.

// 1. Create a Meter and an instrument somewhere in your app
private static readonly Meter Meter = new("MyApp.Orders");
private static readonly Counter<long> OrdersPlaced = Meter.CreateCounter<long>("orders.placed");

// ... later
OrdersPlaced.Add(1);

// 2. Register the meter's name so it gets exported
o.ConfigureMetrics = metrics => metrics.AddMeter("MyApp.Orders");

What is a Source? An ActivitySource is the tracing equivalent: it creates Activity objects (= spans). Register its name with AddSource("MyApp") so your custom spans are sampled and exported.

private static readonly ActivitySource Activity = new("MyApp");

using var span = Activity.StartActivity("ProcessOrder");
// ... work being traced

o.ConfigureTracing = tracing => tracing.AddSource("MyApp");

The string passed to AddMeter/AddSource must exactly match the name you gave the Meter/ActivitySource — that name is how OpenTelemetry routes the data.

Databases

Database instrumentation is not built in — it depends entirely on your driver, so it is added through the ConfigureTracing hook. This keeps the package free of database-specific dependencies; you only pull in what you use.

// SQL Server — install the package, then register it:
//   dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.SqlClient
o.ConfigureTracing = t => t.AddSqlClientInstrumentation();

// EF Core — dedicated instrumentation package:
//   dotnet add package OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.EntityFrameworkCore
o.ConfigureTracing = t => t.AddEntityFrameworkCoreInstrumentation();

// Drivers with a built-in ActivitySource — just register its name:
o.ConfigureTracing = t => t.AddSource("Npgsql");          // PostgreSQL (Npgsql)
o.ConfigureTracing = t => t.AddSource("MySqlConnector");  // MySQL (MySqlConnector)

Oracle (Oracle.ManagedDataAccess.Core) emits an ActivitySource in recent versions and is wired up the same way via AddSource(...).

No code for source-based drivers: if the driver only needs an ActivitySource name (Npgsql, MySqlConnector, Oracle, your own app sources), you can enable it purely from appsettings.json — no ConfigureTracing call required:

{
  "Telemetry": {
    "Endpoint": "http://localhost:4318",
    "AdditionalTracingSources": [ "Npgsql", "MyApp" ],
    "AdditionalMeters": [ "MyApp.Orders" ]
  }
}

Package-based instrumentation (SQL Server, EF Core) still needs the one-line ConfigureTracing call above, because it requires its NuGet package — a config string alone can't pull in a dependency.

Toggling SQL instrumentation from appsettings.json

Because EnableSqlClientInstrumentation is not part of TelemetryOptions (the package is optional), you can add it as a custom key and read it in the callback:

appsettings.json:

{
  "Telemetry": {
    "Endpoint": "http://localhost:4318",
    "ServiceName": "my-api",
    "EnableSqlClientInstrumentation": true
  }
}

Program.cs:

builder.Services.AddTelemetry(builder.Configuration, opt =>
    opt.ConfigureTracing = tracing =>
    {
        if (builder.Configuration.GetValue<bool>("Telemetry:EnableSqlClientInstrumentation"))
        {
            // Microsoft SQL Server / System.Data.SqlClient
            // NuGet: OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.SqlClient
            tracing.AddSqlClientInstrumentation(sql => sql.RecordException = opt.RecordExceptions);

            // PostgreSQL (Npgsql)
            // NuGet: OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.Npgsql
            tracing.AddNpgsql();

            // MySQL (MySqlConnector)
            // NuGet: OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.MySqlData
            tracing.AddMySqlDataInstrumentation();
        }
    });

This keeps the on/off switch in config while the package dependency stays explicit in code.

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🖥️ Using outside the Generic Host

AddTelemetry() works with any IServiceCollection — ASP.NET Core, WPF, WinForms, console, MAUI/WinUI, UWP, worker services, etc.

With the Generic Host (recommended for desktop/console — Host.CreateApplicationBuilder()), the providers start and flush automatically:

var builder = Host.CreateApplicationBuilder(args);
builder.Services.AddTelemetry(builder.Configuration);
using var host = builder.Build();
await host.RunAsync();   // telemetry starts here and flushes on shutdown

Without a host (e.g. a bare ServiceCollection in UWP or a minimal app), build the provider and dispose it on exit so buffered telemetry is flushed:

var services = new ServiceCollection();
services.AddTelemetry(o =>
{
    o.Endpoint    = new Uri("http://localhost:4318");
    o.ServiceName = "my-desktop-app";
});

var provider = services.BuildServiceProvider();
// ... app runs ...
provider.Dispose();      // flushes traces, metrics and logs

ASP.NET Core instrumentation is only in the net10.0 build. On the netstandard2.0 build (WPF/WinForms/console/UWP) it is simply absent — setting EnableAspNetCoreInstrumentation there is a harmless no-op.

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📋 Full Configuration Reference

Every key with its default value (only Endpoint is required to get started — telemetry is enabled by default):

{
  "Telemetry": {
    "Enabled": true,                           // master switch — set false to disable
    "Endpoint": "http://localhost:4318",       // OTLP collector endpoint (required)
    "Headers": "",                             // exporter headers: "key1=value1,key2=value2"
    "Protocol": "HttpProtobuf",                // "HttpProtobuf" (4318) or "Grpc" (4317)
    "ServiceName": null,                        // service name shown in the backend
    "ResourceAttributes": {},                   // extra attributes, e.g. { "deployment.environment": "production" }
    "AdditionalTracingSources": [],             // extra ActivitySource names, e.g. [ "Npgsql", "MyApp" ]
    "AdditionalMeters": [],                     // extra Meter names, e.g. [ "MyApp.Orders" ]
    "SampleRatio": 1.0,                         // 0.1 = 10% of traces, 1.0 = all
    "EnableTracing": true,                      // distributed tracing
    "EnableMetrics": true,                      // metrics collection
    "EnableLogging": true,                      // log export via OTLP
    "EnableAspNetCoreInstrumentation": true,    // incoming HTTP requests
    "EnableHttpClientInstrumentation": true,    // outgoing HttpClient requests
    "EnableRuntimeInstrumentation": true,       // GC, memory, thread pool metrics
    "RecordExceptions": true,                   // exception stack traces on spans
    "ExcludedPaths": [ "/health" ],             // paths excluded from tracing
    "IncludeScopes": true,                      // log scopes in exported records
    "IncludeFormattedMessage": true             // formatted message in exported records
  }
}

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🧪 Samples

Two runnable samples live under src/:

Sample	Project	Demonstrates
Web API	…Sample.WebApi	ASP.NET Core minimal API configured from appsettings.json, ready-to-run backend profiles, EF Core and opt-in SQL instrumentation.
WPF	…Sample.Wpf	Desktop app wiring AddTelemetry() through the Generic Host, emitting a custom ActivitySource/Meter and an HttpClient span on a button click.

The Web API sample drives the backend walkthrough below; the WPF sample exports to http://localhost:4318 by default — point it at any of the backends here.

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🔌 Running Locally with a Backend

The Web API sample ships ready-to-run configurations for several popular backends (the three below are documented in full; more start scripts live in infrastructure/). Each backend has:

1. an infrastructure start script (Docker Compose or Helm) in infrastructure/,
2. a launch profile that selects the matching appsettings.<env>.json,
3. a UI where the exported traces, metrics and logs show up.

Steps

1. Start the backend infrastructure — run the script for your backend (see table).
   • Docker scripts live in infrastructure/docker and need Docker.
   • Helm scripts live in infrastructure/helm and need a local Kubernetes cluster (e.g. k3s in WSL2).
2. Run the sample with the matching profile:

   cd src/OpenTelemetryExtension.Configuration.Sample.WebApi
   dotnet run --launch-profile "Start Aspire"

   Or pick the profile from the run dropdown in Visual Studio / Rider.
3. Generate traffic — the app opens Swagger at https://localhost:5073/swagger; call an endpoint.
4. Open the backend UI (see table) to inspect the telemetry.

Backend overview

Backend	Start infrastructure	Launch profile	Backend UI
.NET Aspire Dashboard	infrastructure/docker/docker-install-aspire-dashboard.cmd (or Helm: helm/helm-install-aspire-dashboard.cmd)	Start Aspire	http://localhost:31888
Jaeger	infrastructure/docker/docker-install-jaeger.cmd	Start Jaeger	http://localhost:16686
OpenObserve	infrastructure/helm/helm-install-openobserve.cmd	Start OpenObserve Http / Start OpenObserve Grpc	http://localhost:30117 (admin@web.de/admin)

Tip — viewing logs in the Aspire Dashboard: after starting the app with the Start Aspire profile, open http://localhost:31888, then go to the Structured (logs), Traces or Metrics tab. Data appears as soon as you hit a Swagger endpoint.

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📝 Sample Backend Configurations

These are the exact appsettings.<env>.json files used by the sample's launch profiles.

.NET Aspire Dashboard — appsettings.aspire.json

The dashboard requires an API key on the OTLP endpoint (x-otlp-api-key). The gRPC endpoint is exposed on NodePort 31889 (Helm) or host port 31889 (Docker).

{
  "Telemetry": {
    "Protocol": "Grpc",
    "Endpoint": "http://localhost:31889",
    "Headers": "x-otlp-api-key=aspire"
  }
}

Traces, metrics and logs from the sample app shown live in the Aspire Dashboard UI:

Jaeger — appsettings.jaeger.json

{
  "Telemetry": {
    "Protocol": "Grpc",
    "Endpoint": "http://localhost:4317"
  }
}

Traces from the sample app shown in the Jaeger UI:

OpenObserve — HTTP/protobuf — appsettings.openobserve-http.json

{
  "Telemetry": {
    "Protocol": "HttpProtobuf",
    "Endpoint": "http://localhost:30117/api/default",
    "Headers": "Authorization=Basic YWRtaW5Ad2ViLmRlOmFkbWlu,stream-name=default"
  }
}

The same telemetry explored in the OpenObserve UI:

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📚 References

• OpenTelemetry .NET — official docs · GitHub
• .NET observability (Microsoft Learn) — Metrics · Distributed tracing · Logging
• APIs — Meter · ActivitySource
• OTLP exporter — configuration reference · environment variables

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🤝 Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md.

🐛 Report a Bug

Open an issue.