---
url: https://simpledatalogs.com/docs/integrations/opentelemetry.md
description: >-
  Send OpenTelemetry logs over OTLP/HTTP (protobuf or JSON, gzip) from any
  OpenTelemetry SDK or the Collector.
---

# OpenTelemetry logs

Any OpenTelemetry SDK or Collector can send its logs to simpledatalogs over OTLP/HTTP. You change environment variables or exporter settings, not code.

```
POST https://edge.simpledatalogs.com/v1/logs
Authorization: Bearer <ingest key>
Content-Type: application/x-protobuf | application/json
Content-Encoding: gzip   (recommended)
```

::: warning Logs only
Traces and metrics are not stored: `/v1/traces` and `/v1/metrics` always answer `404`. Turn those exporters off, or use `logs_endpoint` in the Collector.
:::

## SDKs, with environment variables

```sh
export OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_LOGS_ENDPOINT=https://edge.simpledatalogs.com/v1/logs
export OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_LOGS_HEADERS="authorization=Bearer%20sdl_sec_…"
export OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_LOGS_PROTOCOL=http/protobuf
export OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_LOGS_COMPRESSION=gzip
export OTEL_LOGS_EXPORTER=otlp
export OTEL_TRACES_EXPORTER=none
export OTEL_METRICS_EXPORTER=none
export OTEL_SERVICE_NAME=checkout
# Lower this if records average over ~1 KB, so each export stays under 512 KB.
export OTEL_BLRP_MAX_EXPORT_BATCH_SIZE=512
```

* The header value is percent-encoded (`%20` for the space), as the OpenTelemetry spec requires. The Python SDK also accepts a literal space.
* `http/json` works too, in SDKs that support it.
* With the base endpoint instead (`OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT=https://edge.simpledatalogs.com`), keep `OTEL_TRACES_EXPORTER=none` and `OTEL_METRICS_EXPORTER=none`.
* A `device.id` or `user.id` attribute, on the resource or the record, fills the identity, so per-device views work.

Tested with the Python SDK (`opentelemetry-sdk` 1.29.0), protobuf and gzip.

## The Collector

```yaml
processors:
  batch:
    send_batch_size: 256
    send_batch_max_size: 512   # a hard cap per export, keeps requests under 512 KB once gzipped
    timeout: 5s

exporters:
  otlphttp/simpledatalogs:
    logs_endpoint: https://edge.simpledatalogs.com/v1/logs
    encoding: proto            # or json
    compression: gzip          # the default; keep it
    headers:
      authorization: Bearer sdl_sec_…
    retry_on_failure:
      enabled: true
      initial_interval: 1s
      max_interval: 60s
      max_elapsed_time: 0s     # never give up on 429 or 503
    sending_queue:
      enabled: true
      queue_size: 1000

service:
  pipelines:
    logs:
      receivers: [otlp]        # or filelog, journald…
      processors: [batch]
      exporters: [otlphttp/simpledatalogs]
```

::: tip Use `logs_endpoint`, not `endpoint`
With `endpoint`, the exporter also derives `/v1/traces` and `/v1/metrics`, which answer `404`.
:::

Tested with collector-contrib 0.115.1, fed by telemetrygen.

## OTLP/JSON by hand

```sh
gzip -c logs.json | curl -sS https://edge.simpledatalogs.com/v1/logs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sdl_sec_…" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Content-Encoding: gzip" \
  --data-binary @-
# → 200 {}
```

The same export sent twice stores each record once.

## How records map

Each LogRecord becomes one row.

| Field | From the LogRecord |
|---|---|
| `ts` | `time_unix_nano`, else `observed_time_unix_nano`, else the receive time |
| `level` | `severity_number` 1–8 debug, 9–12 info, 13–16 warning, 17–20 error, 21–24 critical; otherwise `severity_text` |
| `message` | The body. A map body's `message` or `msg` key, with its other keys in `props.body` |
| `event` | `event_name`, else the `event.name` attribute; without either the record is a log line |
| identity | `device.id`, `user.id` then `enduser.id`, `session.id`, from the record, else the resource |
| `event_id` | Derived from the record's content when it has a time, so an exporter's retry never counts twice |
| `props` | The record's attributes (dotted keys stay flat, such as `http.route`), common resource attributes such as `service.name`, `host.name` and `deployment.environment`, the scope, and `trace_id` / `span_id` as hex |

Uncommon resource attributes are left out and counted in `props.otel.dropped_resource_attributes`, so a large resource never refuses a record. OTLP is stored as sent, without masking.

## Keep exports under 512 KB

OTLP exporters drop a batch answered `401` or `413`; they retry only `429`, `502`, `503` and `504`. So:

* Check the key before going live.
* Turn on gzip (`OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_LOGS_COMPRESSION=gzip`; the Collector's `otlphttp` exporter gzips by default).
* The SDK default of 512 records per export fits while records average under ~1 KB uncompressed. Lower `OTEL_BLRP_MAX_EXPORT_BATCH_SIZE`, or the Collector's `send_batch_max_size`, for larger records.

A slow body answers `503`, not `408`, so exporters retry it.

## Next steps

* [Responses](/api/responses#v1-logs-opentelemetry): every OTLP answer and its gRPC code.
* [Vector and Fluent Bit](/integrations/log-shippers): ship log files without OpenTelemetry.