OpenTelemetry config options - AppSignal Documentation

AppSignal can be configured through OpenTelemetry resource attributes. On this page we’ll describe how to configure resource attributes and which attributes can be set.

Configuring OpenTelemetry resource attributes

You can configure OpenTelemetry to send data to AppSignal using resource attributes. Resource attributes are attributes that apply to every trace reported from the application using OpenTelemetry. You can configure resource attributes in your OpenTelemetry configuration file, this is also where you need to set up the OpenTelemetry exporter to send data to the AppSignal collector.

import (
	// Other imports ....
	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk/resource"
	semconv "go.opentelemetry.io/otel/semconv/v1.27.0"
	sdktrace "go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk/trace"
)

res := resource.NewSchemaless(
	// Add resource attributes here
	semconv.ServiceNameKey.String("My service name"),
	resource.WithAttributes(attribute.String("appsignal.config.name", "My app name")),
)

tp := sdktrace.NewTracerProvider(
	// Other .With... calls
	sdktrace.WithResource(res),
)

App name

Attribute name: appsignal.config.name
Or as request header: Appsignal-Config-Name
Type: String
Required: Yes

Name of your application as it should be displayed on AppSignal.com.

attributes = {
    # Add this line to the resource attributes
    "appsignal.config.name": "My awesome app",
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

App environment

Attribute name: appsignal.config.environment
Or as request header: Appsignal-Config-Environment
Type: String
Required: Yes

The environment of the application as it should be displayed on AppSignal.com.

attributes = {
# Add this line to the resource attributes
"appsignal.config.environment": "staging",
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

Push API key

Attribute name: appsignal.config.push_api_key
Or as request header: Appsignal-Config-PushApiKey
Type: String
Required: Yes

The organization-level authentication key to authenticate with our Push API. For detailed information about the AppSignal Push API key, check out our terminology documentation.

attributes = {
    # Add this line to the resource attributes
    "appsignal.config.push_api_key": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

App revision

Attribute name: appsignal.config.revision
Or as request header: Appsignal-Config-Revision
Type: String
Required: Yes

To report new deploys of OpenTelemetry applications, you can use Deploy Markers. Deploy markers can be configured with the revision resource attribute. The value of this attribute will be used to identify new deploys. It needs to be unique per deploy to pick up new deploys. We recommend using Git commit SHAs or a tag in your SCM. This can be used in combination with our backtrace links to directly link from AppSignal back to the source code on platforms like GitHub and GitLab.

import subprocess

attributes = {
    # ...
}

try:
  revision = subprocess.check_output("git rev-parse --short HEAD", shell=True, text=True).strip()
  attributes["appsignal.config.revision"] = revision
except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
  pass

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

Language integration

Attribute name: appsignal.config.language_integration
Or as request header: Appsignal-Config-LanguageIntegration
Type: String
Required: Yes

AppSignal uses the language_integration resource attribute to detect the language of a trace and correctly parse exception backtraces. To set this option, specify the language name in lowercase format, e.g. “python”, “rust”, “ruby”, “elixir”, “go” and “nodejs”.

attributes = {
    # Add this line to the resource attributes
    "appsignal.config.language_integration": "python",
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

OTP app name

Attribute name: appsignal.config.otp_app
Type: String
Required: Yes, for Elixir apps

AppSignal uses the appsignal.config.otp_app resource attribute to detect which backtrace lines from errors belong to the application. You can find the OTP app name for your application by calling IO.inspect(:application.get_application()) in your application and checking the output.

config :opentelemetry,
  resource: [
    {"appsignal.config.otp_app", "OTP app name"},
    # And other resource attributes
  ]

Service name

Attribute name: service.name
Or as request header: OpenTelemetry-ServiceName
Type: String
Required: Yes

The service.name resource attribute helps AppSignal recognize different services for traces and groups the traces automatically in a namespace based on the service name. Choose a name that fits your application, like “Web server”, “Background worker”, “Email service”, “Authentication service”, etc.

import socket

attributes = {
    # Add this line to the resource attributes
    "service.name": "My service name",
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

Hostname

Attribute name: host.name
Or as request header: OpenTelemetry-HostName
Type: String
Required: Yes

The host.name resource attribute helps AppSignal recognize different hosts for traces and tag the traces automatically with the hostname.

import socket

attributes = {
    # Add this line to the resource attributes
    "host.name": socket.gethostname(),
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

App path

Attribute name: appsignal.config.app_path
Type: String
Required: No

The location of the app on the host’s file system. The app_path resource attribute helps AppSignal clean up backtraces by stripping away the absolute app path of backtrace lines. This way only paths within the context of the project directory is shown. This makes our Backtrace links feature possible.

import os

attributes = {
    # Add this line to the resource attributes
    "appsignal.config.app_path": os.getcwd()
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

Filter attributes

Attribute name: appsignal.config.filter_attributes
Type: Array
Required: No

The filter_attributes resource attribute allows you to filter out specific attributes from being reported to AppSignal. This can be useful to filter out sensitive or non-relevant information from being reported. If an attribute is filtered out this way, it will not show up in the interface at all.

attributes = {
    # Add this line to the resource attributes
    "appsignal.config.filter_attributes": ["my.secret.attribute", "some.opentelemetry.attribute"],
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

Filter function parameters

Attribute name: appsignal.config.filter_function_parameters
Type: Array
Default value: Empty
Required: No

The filter_function_parameters resource attribute allows you to filter out any function parameters set in the appsignal.function.parameters span attribute. In the example below, values for the keys listed in the filter_function_parameters config option are replaced with [FILTERED].

# Configure the exporter's resource like so:
attributes = {
    # Add this line to the resource attributes
    "appsignal.config.filter_function_parameters": ["password", "cvv"],
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

# Rest of the exporter config...

# Then in the trace, set the function parameters span attribute
import json
from opentelemetry import trace

tracer = trace.get_tracer(__name__)
with tracer.start_as_current_span("something.custom") as span:
    span.set_attribute("appsignal.function.parameters", json.dumps({
        "password": "super secret",
        "test_param": "test value",
        "nested": {
            "password": "super secret nested",
            "test_param": "test value",
        }
    }))

Filter request query parameters

Attribute name: appsignal.config.filter_request_query_parameters
Type: Array
Default value: Empty
Required: No

The filter_request_query_parameters resource attribute allows you to filter out any request query parameters set in the appsignal.request.query_parameters span attribute. In the example below, values for the keys listed in the filter_request_query_parameters config option are replaced with [FILTERED].

# Configure the exporter's resource like so:
attributes = {
    # Add this line to the resource attributes
    "appsignal.config.filter_request_query_parameters": ["password", "cvv"],
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

# Rest of the exporter config...

# Then in the trace, set the query parameters span attribute
import json
from opentelemetry import trace

tracer = trace.get_tracer(__name__)
with tracer.start_as_current_span("something.custom") as span:
    span.set_attribute("appsignal.request.query_parameters", json.dumps({
        "password": "super secret",
        "test_param": "test value"
    }))

Filter request payload

Attribute name: appsignal.config.filter_request_payload
Type: Array
Default value: Empty
Required: No

The filter_request_payload resource attribute allows you to filter out any request payload data set in the appsignal.request.payload span attribute. In the example below, values for the keys listed in the filter_request_payload config option are replaced with [FILTERED].

# Configure the exporter's resource like so:
attributes = {
    # Add this line to the resource attributes
    "appsignal.config.filter_request_payload": ["password", "cvv"],
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

# Rest of the exporter config...

# Then in the trace, set the request payload span attribute
import json
from opentelemetry import trace

tracer = trace.get_tracer(__name__)
with tracer.start_as_current_span("something.custom") as span:
    span.set_attribute("appsignal.request.payload", json.dumps({
        "password": "super secret",
        "test_param": "test value",
        "nested": {
            "password": "super secret nested",
            "test_param": "test value",
        }
    }))

Filter request session data

Attribute name: appsignal.config.filter_request_session_data
Type: Array
Default value: Empty
Required: No

The filter_request_session_data resource attribute allows you to filter out any request session data set in the appsignal.request.session_data span attribute. In the example below, values for the keys listed in the filter_request_session_data config option are replaced with [FILTERED].

# Configure the exporter's resource like so:
attributes = {
    # Add this line to the resource attributes
    "appsignal.config.filter_request_session_data": ["password", "cvv"],
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

# Rest of the exporter config...

# Then in the trace, set the session data span attribute
import json
from opentelemetry import trace

tracer = trace.get_tracer(__name__)
with tracer.start_as_current_span("something.custom") as span:
    span.set_attribute("appsignal.request.session_data", json.dumps({
        "password": "super secret",
        "test_param": "test value",
        "nested": {
            "password": "super secret nested",
            "test_param": "test value",
        }
    }))

Ignore actions

Attribute name: appsignal.config.ignore_actions
Type: Array of Strings
Required: No

The ignore_actions resource attribute allows you to ignore specific actions from being reported to AppSignal. This can be useful to ignore health check endpoints or other actions that you don’t want to monitor.

attributes = {
    # Add this line to the resource attributes
    "appsignal.config.ignore_actions": ["GET /health_check", "POST /ping"],
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

Ignore errors

Attribute name: appsignal.config.ignore_errors
Type: Array of Strings
Required: No

The ignore_errors resource attribute allows you to ignore specific errors from being reported to AppSignal. This can be useful to ignore expected errors or errors that can’t be solved.

attributes = {
    # Add this line to the resource attributes
    "appsignal.config.ignore_errors": ["MyCustomError", "ExpectedError"],
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

Ignore namespaces

Attribute name: appsignal.config.ignore_namespaces
Type: Array of Strings
Required: No

The ignore_namespaces resource attribute allows you to ignore specific namespaces from being reported to AppSignal. This can be useful to ignore specific parts of your application from being monitored.

attributes = {
    # Add this line to the resource attributes
    "appsignal.config.ignore_namespaces": ["admin" ,"secret"],
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

Response headers

Attribute name: appsignal.config.response_headers
Type: Array of Strings
Default value: ["content-length", "accept", "accept-charset", "accept-encoding", "accept-language", "cache-control", "connection", "range", "host"]
Required: No

Configure which response headers to include when a request is made by an HTTP client. This option is an allowlist. It only includes the headers that are configured. If the list is empty, no headers are included. The response headers are read from the http.response.header.<key> OpenTelemetry span attributes, where <key> is the normalized header name (lowercase). To not set any headers, explicitly set the resource attribute value to an empty array.

attributes = {
    # Only send these specific headers
    "appsignal.config.response_headers": ["accept", "request_method", "content_length"]

    # Do not send any headers
    "appsignal.config.response_headers": []
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

Request headers

Attribute name: appsignal.config.request_headers
Type: Array of Strings
Default value: ["content-length", "accept", "accept-charset", "accept-encoding", "accept-language", "cache-control", "connection", "range", "host"]
Required: No

Configure which request headers to include when a request is made to an HTTP server. This option is an allowlist. It only includes the headers that are configured. If the list is empty, no headers are included. The request headers are read from the http.request.header.<key> OpenTelemetry span attributes, where <key> is the normalized header name (lowercase). To not set any headers, explicitly set the resource attribute value to an empty array.

attributes = {
    # Only send these specific headers
    "appsignal.config.request_headers": ["accept", "request_method", "content_length"]

    # Do not send any headers
    "appsignal.config.response_headers": []
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

Send function parameters

Attribute name: appsignal.config.send_function_parameters
Type: Boolean
Default value: true
Required: No

Configure whether to include function parameters in traces. If set to false no such data is sent to our servers. These values are set with the appsignal.function.parameters span attribute.

attributes = {
    # Add this line to the resource attributes
    "appsignal.config.send_function_parameters": false
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

Send request query parameter

Attribute name: appsignal.config.send_request_query_parameters
Type: Boolean
Default value: true
Required: No

Configure whether to include request query parameters in traces. If set to false no such data is sent to our servers. These values are set with the appsignal.request.query_parameters span attribute. For more information please read about request parameter filtering.

attributes = {
    # Add this line to the resource attributes
    "appsignal.config.send_request_query_parameters": false
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

Send request payload

Attribute name: appsignal.config.send_request_payload
Type: Boolean
Default value: true
Required: No

Configure whether to send request payload data in traces. If set to false no such data is sent to our servers. These values are set with the appsignal.request.payload span attribute.

attributes = {
    # Add this line to the resource attributes
    "appsignal.config.send_request_payload": false
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

Send request session data

Attribute name: appsignal.config.send_request_session_data
Type: Boolean
Default value: true
Required: No

Configure whether to send request session data in traces. If set to false no such data is sent to our servers. These values are set with the appsignal.request.session_data span attribute.

attributes = {
    # Add this line to the resource attributes
    "appsignal.config.send_request_session_data": false
}

resource = Resource(attributes=attributes)

​Configuring OpenTelemetry resource attributes

​App name

​App environment

​Push API key

​App revision

​Language integration

​OTP app name

​Service name

​Hostname

​App path

​Filter attributes

​Filter function parameters

​Filter request query parameters

​Filter request payload

​Filter request session data

​Ignore actions

​Ignore errors

​Ignore namespaces

​Response headers

​Request headers

​Send function parameters

​Send request query parameter

​Send request payload

​Send request session data