traefik/docs/content/observability/tracing/overview.md

---
title: "Traefik Tracing Overview"
description: "The Traefik Proxy tracing system allows developers to visualize call flows in their infrastructure. Read the full documentation."
---

# Tracing

Visualize the Requests Flow
{: .subtitle }

The tracing system allows developers to visualize call flows in their infrastructure.

Traefik uses [OpenTelemetry](https://opentelemetry.io/ "Link to website of OTel"), an open standard designed for distributed tracing.

Please check our dedicated [OTel docs](./opentelemetry.md) to learn more.


## Configuration


To enable the tracing:

```yaml tab="File (YAML)"
tracing: {}
```

```toml tab="File (TOML)"
[tracing]
```

```bash tab="CLI"
--tracing=true
```

### Common Options

#### `serviceName`

_Required, Default="traefik"_

Service name used in selected backend.

```yaml tab="File (YAML)"
tracing:
  serviceName: traefik
```

```toml tab="File (TOML)"
[tracing]
  serviceName = "traefik"
```

```bash tab="CLI"
--tracing.serviceName=traefik
```

#### `sampleRate`

_Optional, Default=1.0_

The proportion of requests to trace, specified between 0.0 and 1.0.

```yaml tab="File (YAML)"
tracing:
  sampleRate: 0.2
```

```toml tab="File (TOML)"
[tracing]
    sampleRate = 0.2
```

```bash tab="CLI"
--tracing.sampleRate=0.2
```

#### `headers`

_Optional, Default={}_

Defines additional headers to be sent with the span's payload.

```yaml tab="File (YAML)"
tracing:
  headers:
    foo: bar
    baz: buz
```

```toml tab="File (TOML)"
[tracing]
    [tracing.headers]
        foo = "bar"
        baz = "buz"
```

```bash tab="CLI"
--tracing.headers.foo=bar --tracing.headers.baz=buz
```

#### `globalAttributes`

_Optional, Default=empty_

Applies a list of shared key:value attributes on all spans.

```yaml tab="File (YAML)"
tracing:
  globalAttributes:
    attr1: foo
    attr2: bar
```

```toml tab="File (TOML)"
[tracing]
    [tracing.globalAttributes]
      attr1 = "foo"
      attr2 = "bar"
```

```bash tab="CLI"
--tracing.globalAttributes.attr1=foo
--tracing.globalAttributes.attr2=bar
```