Specificationv1.54.0

13 Feb 2026since v1.53.0

11 breaking34 notable45 editorial

From the upstream release notes

Deprecate Jaeger propagator and make propagator implementation optional.
Deprecate OT Trace propagator and make propagator implementation optional.
Add normative language to the Metrics API/SDK spec concurrency requirements.
Add optional Exception parameter to Emit LogRecord.
Add normative language to the Logging API/SDK spec concurrency requirements.
Refine the handling of OTEL_RESOURCE_ATTRIBUTES.
Add string representation guidance for complex attribute value types (byte arrays,
Stabilize Prometheus Counter to OTLP Sum transformation.
Stabilize Prometheus Gauge to OTLP Gauge transformation.
Swap Tracer/Meter/LoggerConfig disabled for enabled to avoid double negatives

Read the full release notes

Breaking11

Requirements added to, removed from, or restrengthened in a document marked Stable.

new rulerequirementlogs/api.md#concurrency-requirementsMUST added: LoggerProvider - all methods MUST be documented that implementations need to be safe for concurrent use by default.
new rulerequirementlogs/api.md#concurrency-requirementsMUST added: Logger - all methods MUST be documented that implementations need to be safe for concurrent use by default.
new rulerequirementlogs/sdk.md#concurrency-requirementsMUST added: LoggerProvider - Logger creation, ForceFlush and Shutdown MUST be safe to be called concurrently.
new rulerequirementlogs/sdk.md#concurrency-requirementsMUST added: Logger - all methods MUST be safe to be called concurrently.
new rulerequirementlogs/sdk.md#concurrency-requirementsMUST added: LogRecordExporter - ForceFlush and Shutdown MUST be safe to be called concurrently.
new rulerequirementlogs/sdk.md#emit-a-logrecordMUST added: Status: Development - If an Exception is provided, the SDK MUST by default set attributes from the exception on the LogRecord with the conventions outlined in the exception semantic conventions.
new rulerequirementlogs/sdk.md#emit-a-logrecordMUST NOT added: User-provided attributes MUST take precedence and MUST NOT be overwritten by exception-derived attributes.
new rulerequirementmetrics/api.md#concurrency-requirementsMUST added: MeterProvider - all methods MUST be documented that implementations need to be safe for concurrent use by default.
new rulerequirementmetrics/api.md#concurrency-requirementsMUST added: Meter - all methods MUST be documented that implementations need to be safe for concurrent use by default.
new rulerequirementmetrics/api.md#concurrency-requirementsMUST added: Instrument - all methods MUST be documented that implementations need to be safe for concurrent use by default.
new rulerequirementresource/sdk.md#specifying-resource-information-via-an-environment-variableMUST added: The , and = characters in keys and values MUST be percent encoded.

Notable34

rule droppedrequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#componentsprovider-operationsMUST removed: The ComponentsProvider MUST provide the following functions:
rule droppedrequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#register-componentproviderMUST removed: The SDK MUST provide a mechanism to register ComponentProvider.
strengthrequirementconfiguration/api.md#get-instrumentation-configMUST relaxed to SHOULD: If the .instrumentation node is not set, get instrumentation config SHOULD return an empty ConfigProperties (as if .instrumentation: {} was set).
stabilitydocumentcompatibility/prometheus_and_openmetrics.mdStatus changed from Development to Mixed.
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#anyvalue-representation-for-non-otlp-protocolsSHOULD added: For protocols that do not natively support some of the AnyValue types, those values SHOULD be represented as strings following the encoding rules below.
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#arraysSHOULD added: Arrays, except for byte arrays, SHOULD be represented as JSON arrays.
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#arraysSHOULD added: Nested byte arrays SHOULD be represented as Base64-encoded JSON strings.
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#arraysSHOULD added: Nested empty values SHOULD be represented as JSON null.
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#arraysSHOULD added: The special floating point values NaN and Infinity SHOULD be represented as JSON strings "NaN", "Infinity", and "-Infinity".
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#booleansSHOULD added: Booleans SHOULD be represented as JSON booleans.
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#byte-arraysSHOULD added: Byte arrays SHOULD be Base64-encoded.
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#byte-arraysSHOULD NOT added: They SHOULD NOT be encoded as JSON strings (with explicit surrounding quotes).
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#empty-valuesSHOULD added: Empty values SHOULD be represented as the empty string.
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#empty-valuesSHOULD NOT added: They SHOULD NOT be encoded as a JSON string (with explicit surrounding quotes).
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#floating-point-numbersSHOULD added: Floating point numbers SHOULD be represented as JSON numbers.
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#floating-point-numbersSHOULD added: The special floating point values NaN and Infinity SHOULD be represented as NaN, Infinity, and -Infinity.
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#floating-point-numbersSHOULD NOT added: They SHOULD NOT be encoded as JSON strings (with explicit surrounding quotes).
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#integersSHOULD added: Integers SHOULD be represented as JSON numbers.
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#mapsSHOULD added: Maps SHOULD be represented as JSON objects.
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#mapsSHOULD added: Nested byte arrays SHOULD be represented as Base64-encoded JSON strings.
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#mapsSHOULD added: Nested empty values SHOULD be represented as JSON null.
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#mapsSHOULD added: The special floating point values NaN and Infinity SHOULD be represented as JSON strings "NaN", "Infinity", and "-Infinity".
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#stringsSHOULD added: Strings SHOULD be represented as-is without any additional encoding.
new rulerequirementcommon/README.md#stringsSHOULD NOT added: They SHOULD NOT be encoded as JSON strings (with explicit surrounding quotes).
new rulerequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#plugincomponentprovider-operationsMUST added: The PluginComponentProvider MUST provide the following functions:
new rulerequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#register-plugincomponentproviderMUST added: The SDK MUST provide a mechanism to register PluginComponentProvider.
new rulerequirementlogs/api.md#emit-a-logrecordMAY added: Status: Development - The API MAY accept the following parameter:
new rulerequirementlogs/sdk.md#emit-a-logrecordMAY added: Note: For performance optimization, SDKs MAY take the configured attribute limits into consideration when generating large exception attributes (e.g., exception.stacktrace).
new rulerequirementmetrics/sdk.md#concurrency-requirementsMUST added: MeterProvider - Meter creation, ForceFlush and Shutdown MUST be safe to be called concurrently.
new rulerequirementmetrics/sdk.md#concurrency-requirementsMUST added: ExemplarReservoir - all methods MUST be safe to be called concurrently.
new rulerequirementmetrics/sdk.md#concurrency-requirementsMUST added: MetricReader - Collect, ForceFlush (for periodic exporting MetricReader) and Shutdown MUST be safe to be called concurrently.
new rulerequirementmetrics/sdk.md#concurrency-requirementsMUST added: MetricExporter - ForceFlush and Shutdown MUST be safe to be called concurrently.
new rulerequirementresource/sdk.md#specifying-resource-information-via-an-environment-variableMAY added: Other characters MAY be percent-encoded, e.g. values outside the ANSI characters set.
new rulerequirementresource/sdk.md#specifying-resource-information-via-an-environment-variableSHOULD added: In case of any error, e.g. failure during the decoding process, the entire environment variable value SHOULD be discarded and an error SHOULD be reported following the Error Handling principles.

Editorial45

removedsectionconfiguration/sdk.md#componentproviderSection "ComponentProvider" removed.
removedsectionconfiguration/sdk.md#componentsprovider-operationsSection "ComponentsProvider operations" removed.
removedsectionconfiguration/sdk.md#create-pluginSection "Create Plugin" removed.
removedsectionconfiguration/sdk.md#register-componentproviderSection "Register ComponentProvider" removed.
removedsectionconfiguration/sdk.md#supported-sdk-extension-pluginsSection "Supported SDK extension plugins" removed.
rule droppedrequirementcommon/README.md#anyvalueSHOULD removed: For protocols that do not natively support some of the value types, corresponding values SHOULD be represented as JSON-encoded strings.
rule droppedrequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#supported-sdk-extension-pluginsSHOULD removed: The configuration data model SHOULD support configuration of all SDK extension plugin interfaces.
rule droppedrequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#supported-sdk-extension-pluginsSHOULD removed: SDKs SHOULD support registration of custom implementations of SDK extension plugin interfaces via the ComponentProvider mechanism.
new rulerequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#sdk-extension-componentsSHOULD added: The configuration data model SHOULD define specific types for built-in implementations of these plugin components.
rewordedrequirementcompatibility/opencensus.md#opencensus-binary-context-propagationMUST reworded: This adapter MUST provide an implementation of OpenCensus BinaryPropagator to write OpenCensus binary format using OpenTelemetry's context.
rewordedrequirementcompatibility/opentracing.md#start-a-new-spanMUST reworded: If no such list of references is specified, the current Baggage MUST be used as the initial value of the newly created Span.
rewordedrequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#createMUST reworded: When encountering a reference to an SDK plugin component which is not built in to the SDK, Create MUST resolve the component using Create Component of the PluginComponentProvider of the correspondi...
rewordedrequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#createSHOULD reworded: If no PluginComponentProvider is registered with the type and name, Create SHOULD return an error.
rewordedrequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#createSHOULD reworded: If Create Component returns an error, Create SHOULD propagate the error.
rewordedrequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#parseMUST reworded: When encountering a reference to a SDK extension component which is not built in to the SDK, Parse MUST resolve corresponding configuration to a generic ConfigProperties representation as described i...
rewordedrequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#sdk-extension-componentsSHOULD reworded: The schema SHOULD support the ability to specify custom implementations of plugin components defined by libraries or users.
rewordedrequirementlogs/sdk.md#loggerconfigSHOULD reworded: If not explicitly set, the enabled parameter SHOULD default to true ( i.e. Loggers are enabled by default).
rewordedrequirementmetrics/sdk.md#meterconfigSHOULD reworded: If not explicitly set, the enabled parameter SHOULD default to true ( i.e. Meters are enabled by default).
rewordedrequirementmetrics/sdk.md#meterconfigMUST reworded: The value of enabled MUST be used to resolve whether an instrument is Enabled.
rewordedrequirementresource/sdk.md#specifying-resource-information-via-an-environment-variableMUST reworded: All attribute values MUST be considered strings.
rewordedrequirementtrace/sdk.md#tracerconfigSHOULD reworded: If not explicitly set, the enabled parameter SHOULD default to true ( i.e. Tracers are enabled by default).
rewordedrequirementtrace/sdk.md#tracerconfigMUST reworded: The value of enabled MUST be used to resolve whether a Tracer is Enabled.
movedrequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#create-componentMAY moved here from "create-plugin": The plugin component MAY have properties which are optional or required, and have specific requirements around type or format.
movedrequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#create-componentSHOULD moved here from "create-plugin": A PluginComponentProvider SHOULD document its configuration schema and include examples.
movedrequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#create-componentSHOULD moved here from "create-plugin": If this fails (e.g. a required property is not present, a type is mismatches, etc.), Create Component SHOULD return an error.
movedrequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#plugincomponentproviderMAY moved here from "componentprovider": This MAY be done automatically or require manual intervention by the user based on what is possible and idiomatic in the language ecosystem.
movedrequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#register-plugincomponentproviderMAY moved here from "register-componentprovider": The mechanism MAY be language-specific and automatic.
movedrequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#register-plugincomponentproviderMUST moved here from "register-componentprovider": Register MUST return an error if it is called multiple times with the same type and name combination.
movedrequirementconfiguration/sdk.md#register-plugincomponentproviderSHOULD moved here from "register-componentprovider": SDKs SHOULD represent type in a manner that is idiomatic for their language.
addedsectioncommon/README.md#anyvalue-representation-for-non-otlp-protocolsNew section "AnyValue representation for non-OTLP protocols".
addedsectioncommon/README.md#arraysNew section "Arrays".
addedsectioncommon/README.md#booleansNew section "Booleans".
addedsectioncommon/README.md#byte-arraysNew section "Byte Arrays".
addedsectioncommon/README.md#empty-valuesNew section "Empty Values".
addedsectioncommon/README.md#floating-point-numbersNew section "Floating Point Numbers".
addedsectioncommon/README.md#integersNew section "Integers".
addedsectioncommon/README.md#mapsNew section "Maps".
addedsectioncommon/README.md#stringsNew section "Strings".
addedsectionconfiguration/sdk.md#create-componentNew section "Create Component".
addedsectionconfiguration/sdk.md#plugincomponentproviderNew section "PluginComponentProvider".
addedsectionconfiguration/sdk.md#plugincomponentprovider-operationsNew section "PluginComponentProvider operations".
addedsectionconfiguration/sdk.md#register-plugincomponentproviderNew section "Register PluginComponentProvider".
addedsectionconfiguration/sdk.md#supported-sdk-plugin-componentsNew section "Supported SDK plugin components".
addedsectionlogs/sdk.md#concurrency-requirementsNew section "Concurrency requirements".
rewrittensectionlogs/sdk.md#emit-a-logrecord"Emit a LogRecord" substantially rewritten (843 to 1606 characters).