Blog post for OpenTracing compatibility deprecation

content/en/blog/2026/deprecating-opentracing-compatibility.md

@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+---
+title: Deprecating OpenTracing compatibility requirements
+linkTitle: Deprecating OpenTracing compatibility
+date: 2026-04-14
+author: '[Amol Patil](https://github.com/adp2201)'
+issue: 9385
+sig: Specification
+cSpell:ignore: Patil
+---
+
+On March 19, 2026, the OpenTelemetry Specification project merged
+[PR #4938](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-specification/pull/4938),
+deprecating OpenTracing compatibility requirements in the specification.
+
+This change updates the specification to match where the ecosystem already is:
+OpenTracing has been archived for years, and new integrations are expected to
+use native OpenTelemetry APIs and SDKs instead of building on OpenTracing shim
+requirements.
+
+This is a deprecation of specification requirements, not an immediate removal of
+compatibility material and not a requirement to remove existing shim artifacts
+right away.
+
+## What is changing?
+
+- OpenTracing compatibility requirements in the specification are deprecated.
+- Implementing new OpenTracing compatibility is no longer required for new SDKs
+  or implementations.
+- Existing OpenTracing shims can continue to be supported for backwards
+  compatibility during the deprecation period.
+- New work should target native OpenTelemetry APIs, SDKs, and OTLP-based
+  workflows instead of introducing new OpenTracing dependencies.
+
+## Why now?
+
+OpenTracing itself has been archived for years, and ecosystem adoption has
+converged around native OpenTelemetry APIs and OTLP-based workflows. The project
+also has precedent for this staged approach from prior deprecation work, such as
+Zipkin exporter deprecation in
+[PR #4715](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-specification/pull/4715).
+
+## Timeline and policy
+
+- **Specification deprecation**: effective as of **March 2026**.
+- **Earliest specification removal**: **no earlier than March 2027**, as stated
+  in the merged spec text.
+- **Follow-up work**: additional migration guidance and future removal
+  discussions continue in
+  [issue #4849](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-specification/issues/4849).
+
+## What should users do?
+
+If you still depend on an OpenTracing shim, now is the right time to plan
+migration to native OpenTelemetry APIs and SDKs.
+
+If your current shim-based setup is stable, this announcement does not require
+an immediate change. However, you should avoid introducing new dependencies on
+OpenTracing compatibility and plan your migration path during the deprecation
+window.
+
+Start by reviewing:
+
+- [Migrating from OpenTracing](/docs/compatibility/migration/opentracing/)
+- [OpenTracing compatibility spec page](/docs/specs/otel/compatibility/opentracing/)
+
+## Questions and feedback
+
+Please share feedback in the specification repository:
+
+- [Issue #4849](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-specification/issues/4849)
+- [PR #4938](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-specification/pull/4938)

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