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Split multi use gen-ai spans in to 2 distinct spans #2467 #2484

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78941e5
Split multi use gen-ai spans in to 2 distinct #2467
thompson-tomo Jul 26, 2025
11e3420
Doc fixes
thompson-tomo Aug 3, 2025
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22 changes: 22 additions & 0 deletions .chloggen/split_multiUseSpans.yaml
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# Use this changelog template to create an entry for release notes.
#
# If your change doesn't affect end users you should instead start
# your pull request title with [chore] or use the "Skip Changelog" label.

# One of 'breaking', 'deprecation', 'new_component', 'enhancement', 'bug_fix'
change_type: enhancement

# The name of the area of concern in the attributes-registry, (e.g. http, cloud, db)
component: gen-ai

# A brief description of the change. Surround your text with quotes ("") if it needs to start with a backtick (`).
note: Gen-ai Spans are now defined with only 1 span kind in mind

# Mandatory: One or more tracking issues related to the change. You can use the PR number here if no issue exists.
# The values here must be integers.
issues: [2467]

# (Optional) One or more lines of additional information to render under the primary note.
# These lines will be padded with 2 spaces and then inserted directly into the document.
# Use pipe (|) for multiline entries.
subtext:
3 changes: 2 additions & 1 deletion docs/gen-ai/gen-ai-agent-spans.md
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Expand Up @@ -180,7 +180,8 @@ Instrumentations SHOULD document the list of errors they report.
Describes GenAI agent invocation and is usually applicable when working with remote agent services.

The `gen_ai.operation.name` SHOULD be `invoke_agent`.
The **span name** SHOULD be `invoke_agent {gen_ai.agent.name}` if `gen_ai.agent.name` is readily available.

**Span name** SHOULD be `invoke_agent {gen_ai.agent.name}` if `gen_ai.agent.name` is readily available.
When `gen_ai.agent.name` is not available, it SHOULD be `invoke_agent`.
Semantic conventions for individual GenAI systems and frameworks MAY specify different span name format.

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183 changes: 173 additions & 10 deletions docs/gen-ai/gen-ai-spans.md
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Expand Up @@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ linkTitle: Spans
<!-- toc -->

- [Spans](#spans)
- [Inference](#inference)
- [Embedded Inference](#embedded-inference)
- [Standalone Inference](#standalone-inference)
- [Embeddings](#embeddings)
- [Execute tool span](#execute-tool-span)
- [Capturing inputs and outputs](#capturing-inputs-and-outputs)
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -39,7 +40,169 @@ linkTitle: Spans

## Spans

### Inference
### Embedded Inference

<!-- semconv span.gen_ai.embedded.internal -->
<!-- NOTE: THIS TEXT IS AUTOGENERATED. DO NOT EDIT BY HAND. -->
<!-- see templates/registry/markdown/snippet.md.j2 -->
<!-- prettier-ignore-start -->
<!-- markdownlint-capture -->
<!-- markdownlint-disable -->

**Status:** ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue)

This span represents a client call to Generative AI model or service that generates a response or requests a tool call based on the input prompt.

This span is to be used when the models is running in the same process.
In other cases such as when the GenAI call happens over instrumented protocol such as HTTP, [Standalone Inference](/docs/gen-ai/gen-ai-spans.md#standalone-inference) span should be used.

**Span name** SHOULD be `{gen_ai.operation.name} {gen_ai.request.model}`.
Semantic conventions for individual GenAI systems and frameworks MAY specify different span name format
and MUST follow the overall [guidelines for span names](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-specification/tree/v1.37.0/specification/trace/api.md#span).

**Span kind** SHOULD be `INTERNAL`.

**Span status** SHOULD follow the [Recording Errors](/docs/general/recording-errors.md) document.

| Attribute | Type | Description | Examples | [Requirement Level](https://opentelemetry.io/docs/specs/semconv/general/attribute-requirement-level/) | Stability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [`gen_ai.operation.name`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | string | The name of the operation being performed. [1] | `chat`; `generate_content`; `text_completion` | `Required` | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| [`gen_ai.provider.name`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | string | The Generative AI provider as identified by the client or server instrumentation. [2] | `openai`; `gcp.gen_ai`; `gcp.vertex_ai` | `Required` | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| [`error.type`](/docs/registry/attributes/error.md) | string | Describes a class of error the operation ended with. [3] | `timeout`; `java.net.UnknownHostException`; `server_certificate_invalid`; `500` | `Conditionally Required` if the operation ended in an error | ![Stable](https://img.shields.io/badge/-stable-lightgreen) |
| [`gen_ai.conversation.id`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | string | The unique identifier for a conversation (session, thread), used to store and correlate messages within this conversation. [4] | `conv_5j66UpCpwteGg4YSxUnt7lPY` | `Conditionally Required` when available | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| [`gen_ai.output.type`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | string | Represents the content type requested by the client. [5] | `text`; `json`; `image` | `Conditionally Required` [6] | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| [`gen_ai.request.choice.count`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | int | The target number of candidate completions to return. | `3` | `Conditionally Required` if available, in the request, and !=1 | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| [`gen_ai.request.model`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | string | The name of the GenAI model a request is being made to. [7] | `gpt-4` | `Conditionally Required` If available. | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| [`gen_ai.request.seed`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | int | Requests with same seed value more likely to return same result. | `100` | `Conditionally Required` if applicable and if the request includes a seed | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| [`gen_ai.request.frequency_penalty`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | double | The frequency penalty setting for the GenAI request. | `0.1` | `Recommended` | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| [`gen_ai.request.max_tokens`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | int | The maximum number of tokens the model generates for a request. | `100` | `Recommended` | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| [`gen_ai.request.presence_penalty`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | double | The presence penalty setting for the GenAI request. | `0.1` | `Recommended` | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| [`gen_ai.request.stop_sequences`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | string[] | List of sequences that the model will use to stop generating further tokens. | `["forest", "lived"]` | `Recommended` | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| [`gen_ai.request.temperature`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | double | The temperature setting for the GenAI request. | `0.0` | `Recommended` | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| [`gen_ai.request.top_k`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | double | The top_k sampling setting for the GenAI request. | `1.0` | `Recommended` | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| [`gen_ai.request.top_p`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | double | The top_p sampling setting for the GenAI request. | `1.0` | `Recommended` | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| [`gen_ai.response.finish_reasons`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | string[] | Array of reasons the model stopped generating tokens, corresponding to each generation received. | `["stop"]`; `["stop", "length"]` | `Recommended` | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| [`gen_ai.response.id`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | string | The unique identifier for the completion. | `chatcmpl-123` | `Recommended` | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| [`gen_ai.response.model`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | string | The name of the model that generated the response. [8] | `gpt-4-0613` | `Recommended` | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| [`gen_ai.usage.input_tokens`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | int | The number of tokens used in the GenAI input (prompt). | `100` | `Recommended` | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| [`gen_ai.usage.output_tokens`](/docs/registry/attributes/gen-ai.md) | int | The number of tokens used in the GenAI response (completion). | `180` | `Recommended` | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |

**[1] `gen_ai.operation.name`:** If one of the predefined values applies, but specific system uses a different name it's RECOMMENDED to document it in the semantic conventions for specific GenAI system and use system-specific name in the instrumentation. If a different name is not documented, instrumentation libraries SHOULD use applicable predefined value.

**[2] `gen_ai.provider.name`:** The attribute SHOULD be set based on the instrumentation's best
knowledge and may differ from the actual model provider.

Multiple providers, including Azure OpenAI, Gemini, and AI hosting platforms
are accessible using the OpenAI REST API and corresponding client libraries,
but may proxy or host models from different providers.

The `gen_ai.request.model`, `gen_ai.response.model`, and `server.address`
attributes may help identify the actual system in use.

The `gen_ai.provider.name` attribute acts as a discriminator that
identifies the GenAI telemetry format flavor specific to that provider
within GenAI semantic conventions.
It SHOULD be set consistently with provider-specific attributes and signals.
For example, GenAI spans, metrics, and events related to AWS Bedrock
should have the `gen_ai.provider.name` set to `aws.bedrock` and include
applicable `aws.bedrock.*` attributes and are not expected to include
`openai.*` attributes.

**[3] `error.type`:** The `error.type` SHOULD match the error code returned by the Generative AI provider or the client library,
the canonical name of exception that occurred, or another low-cardinality error identifier.
Instrumentations SHOULD document the list of errors they report.

**[4] `gen_ai.conversation.id`:** Instrumentations SHOULD populate conversation id when they have it readily available
for a given operation, for example:

- when client framework being instrumented manages conversation history
(see [LlamaIndex chat store](https://docs.llamaindex.ai/en/stable/module_guides/storing/chat_stores/))

- when instrumenting GenAI client libraries that maintain conversation on the backend side
(see [AWS Bedrock agent sessions](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/bedrock/latest/userguide/agents-session-state.html),
[OpenAI Assistant threads](https://platform.openai.com/docs/api-reference/threads))

Application developers that manage conversation history MAY add conversation id to GenAI and other
spans or logs using custom span or log record processors or hooks provided by instrumentation
libraries.

**[5] `gen_ai.output.type`:** This attribute SHOULD be used when the client requests output of a specific type. The model may return zero or more outputs of this type.
This attribute specifies the output modality and not the actual output format. For example, if an image is requested, the actual output could be a URL pointing to an image file.
Additional output format details may be recorded in the future in the `gen_ai.output.{type}.*` attributes.

**[6] `gen_ai.output.type`:** when applicable and if the request includes an output format.

**[7] `gen_ai.request.model`:** The name of the GenAI model a request is being made to. If the model is supplied by a vendor, then the value must be the exact name of the model requested. If the model is a fine-tuned custom model, the value should have a more specific name than the base model that's been fine-tuned.

**[8] `gen_ai.response.model`:** If available. The name of the GenAI model that provided the response. If the model is supplied by a vendor, then the value must be the exact name of the model actually used. If the model is a fine-tuned custom model, the value should have a more specific name than the base model that's been fine-tuned.

---

`error.type` has the following list of well-known values. If one of them applies, then the respective value MUST be used; otherwise, a custom value MAY be used.

| Value | Description | Stability |
|---|---|---|
| `_OTHER` | A fallback error value to be used when the instrumentation doesn't define a custom value. | ![Stable](https://img.shields.io/badge/-stable-lightgreen) |

---

`gen_ai.operation.name` has the following list of well-known values. If one of them applies, then the respective value MUST be used; otherwise, a custom value MAY be used.

| Value | Description | Stability |
|---|---|---|
| `chat` | Chat completion operation such as [OpenAI Chat API](https://platform.openai.com/docs/api-reference/chat) | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `create_agent` | Create GenAI agent | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `embeddings` | Embeddings operation such as [OpenAI Create embeddings API](https://platform.openai.com/docs/api-reference/embeddings/create) | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `execute_tool` | Execute a tool | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `generate_content` | Multimodal content generation operation such as [Gemini Generate Content](https://ai.google.dev/api/generate-content) | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `invoke_agent` | Invoke GenAI agent | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `text_completion` | Text completions operation such as [OpenAI Completions API (Legacy)](https://platform.openai.com/docs/api-reference/completions) | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |

---

`gen_ai.output.type` has the following list of well-known values. If one of them applies, then the respective value MUST be used; otherwise, a custom value MAY be used.

| Value | Description | Stability |
|---|---|---|
| `image` | Image | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `json` | JSON object with known or unknown schema | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `speech` | Speech | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `text` | Plain text | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |

---

`gen_ai.provider.name` has the following list of well-known values. If one of them applies, then the respective value MUST be used; otherwise, a custom value MAY be used.

| Value | Description | Stability |
|---|---|---|
| `anthropic` | [Anthropic](https://www.anthropic.com/) | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `aws.bedrock` | [AWS Bedrock](https://aws.amazon.com/bedrock) | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `azure.ai.inference` | Azure AI Inference | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `azure.ai.openai` | [Azure OpenAI](https://azure.microsoft.com/products/ai-services/openai-service/) | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `cohere` | [Cohere](https://cohere.com/) | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `deepseek` | [DeepSeek](https://www.deepseek.com/) | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `gcp.gemini` | [Gemini](https://cloud.google.com/products/gemini) [9] | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `gcp.gen_ai` | Any Google generative AI endpoint [10] | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `gcp.vertex_ai` | [Vertex AI](https://cloud.google.com/vertex-ai) [11] | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `groq` | [Groq](https://groq.com/) | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `ibm.watsonx.ai` | [IBM Watsonx AI](https://www.ibm.com/products/watsonx-ai) | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `mistral_ai` | [Mistral AI](https://mistral.ai/) | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `openai` | [OpenAI](https://openai.com/) | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `perplexity` | [Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai/) | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |
| `x_ai` | [xAI](https://x.ai/) | ![Development](https://img.shields.io/badge/-development-blue) |

**[9]:** Used when accessing the 'generativelanguage.googleapis.com' endpoint. Also known as the AI Studio API.

**[10]:** May be used when specific backend is unknown.

**[11]:** Used when accessing the 'aiplatform.googleapis.com' endpoint.

<!-- markdownlint-restore -->
<!-- prettier-ignore-end -->
<!-- END AUTOGENERATED TEXT -->
<!-- endsemconv -->

### Standalone Inference

<!-- semconv span.gen_ai.inference.client -->
<!-- NOTE: THIS TEXT IS AUTOGENERATED. DO NOT EDIT BY HAND. -->
Expand All @@ -52,14 +215,15 @@ linkTitle: Spans

This span represents a client call to Generative AI model or service that generates a response or requests a tool call based on the input prompt.

This span is to be used when the models is running in a different process or when
the GenAI call happens over instrumented protocol such as HTTP.
In other cases, [Embedded Inference](/docs/gen-ai/gen-ai-spans.md#embedded-inference) span should be used.

**Span name** SHOULD be `{gen_ai.operation.name} {gen_ai.request.model}`.
Semantic conventions for individual GenAI systems and frameworks MAY specify different span name format
and MUST follow the overall [guidelines for span names](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-specification/tree/v1.37.0/specification/trace/api.md#span).

**Span kind** SHOULD be `CLIENT`and MAY be set to `INTERNAL` on spans representing
call to models running in the same process. It's RECOMMENDED to use `CLIENT` kind
when the GenAI system being instrumented usually runs in a different process than its
client or when the GenAI call happens over instrumented protocol such as HTTP.
**Span kind** SHOULD be `CLIENT`.

**Span status** SHOULD follow the [Recording Errors](/docs/general/recording-errors.md) document.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -290,14 +454,13 @@ Instrumentations SHOULD document the list of errors they report.

Describes tool execution span.

`gen_ai.operation.name` SHOULD be `execute_tool`.

**Span name** SHOULD be `execute_tool {gen_ai.tool.name}`.

GenAI instrumentations that are able to instrument tool execution call SHOULD do so.
However, it's common for tools to be executed by the application code. It's recommended
for the application developers to follow this semantic convention for tools invoked
by the application code.
`gen_ai.operation.name` SHOULD be `execute_tool`.

**Span name** SHOULD be `execute_tool {gen_ai.tool.name}`.

**Span kind** SHOULD be `INTERNAL`.

Expand Down
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