| name | azure-monitor-opentelemetry-exporter-py |
| description | Azure Monitor OpenTelemetry Exporter for Python. Use for low-level OpenTelemetry export to Application Insights. |
| risk | unknown |
| source | community |
| date_added | 2026-02-27 |
Azure Monitor OpenTelemetry Exporter for Python
Low-level exporter for sending OpenTelemetry traces, metrics, and logs to Application Insights.
Installation
pip install azure-monitor-opentelemetry-exporter
Environment Variables
APPLICATIONINSIGHTS_CONNECTION_STRING=InstrumentationKey=xxx;IngestionEndpoint=https://xxx.in.applicationinsights.azure.com/
When to Use
| Scenario | Use |
|---|
| Quick setup, auto-instrumentation | azure-monitor-opentelemetry (distro) |
| Custom OpenTelemetry pipeline | azure-monitor-opentelemetry-exporter (this) |
| Fine-grained control over telemetry | azure-monitor-opentelemetry-exporter (this) |
Trace Exporter
from opentelemetry import trace
from opentelemetry.sdk.trace import TracerProvider
from opentelemetry.sdk.trace.export import BatchSpanProcessor
from azure.monitor.opentelemetry.exporter import AzureMonitorTraceExporter
exporter = AzureMonitorTraceExporter(
connection_string="InstrumentationKey=xxx;..."
)
trace.set_tracer_provider(TracerProvider())
trace.get_tracer_provider().add_span_processor(
BatchSpanProcessor(exporter)
)
tracer = trace.get_tracer(__name__)
with tracer.start_as_current_span("my-span"):
print("Hello, World!")
Metric Exporter
from opentelemetry import metrics
from opentelemetry.sdk.metrics import MeterProvider
from opentelemetry.sdk.metrics.export import PeriodicExportingMetricReader
from azure.monitor.opentelemetry.exporter import AzureMonitorMetricExporter
exporter = AzureMonitorMetricExporter(
connection_string="InstrumentationKey=xxx;..."
)
reader = PeriodicExportingMetricReader(exporter, export_interval_millis=60000)
metrics.set_meter_provider(MeterProvider(metric_readers=[reader]))
meter = metrics.get_meter(__name__)
counter = meter.create_counter("requests_total")
counter.add(1, {"route": "/api/users"})
Log Exporter
import logging
from opentelemetry._logs import set_logger_provider
from opentelemetry.sdk._logs import LoggerProvider, LoggingHandler
from opentelemetry.sdk._logs.export import BatchLogRecordProcessor
from azure.monitor.opentelemetry.exporter import AzureMonitorLogExporter
exporter = AzureMonitorLogExporter(
connection_string="InstrumentationKey=xxx;..."
)
logger_provider = LoggerProvider()
logger_provider.add_log_record_processor(BatchLogRecordProcessor(exporter))
set_logger_provider(logger_provider)
handler = LoggingHandler(level=logging.INFO, logger_provider=logger_provider)
logging.getLogger().addHandler(handler)
logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
logger.info("This will be sent to Application Insights")
From Environment Variable
Exporters read APPLICATIONINSIGHTS_CONNECTION_STRING automatically:
from azure.monitor.opentelemetry.exporter import AzureMonitorTraceExporter
exporter = AzureMonitorTraceExporter()
Azure AD Authentication
from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential
from azure.monitor.opentelemetry.exporter import AzureMonitorTraceExporter
exporter = AzureMonitorTraceExporter(
credential=DefaultAzureCredential()
)
Sampling
Use ApplicationInsightsSampler for consistent sampling:
from opentelemetry.sdk.trace import TracerProvider
from opentelemetry.sdk.trace.sampling import ParentBasedTraceIdRatio
from azure.monitor.opentelemetry.exporter import ApplicationInsightsSampler
sampler = ApplicationInsightsSampler(sampling_ratio=0.1)
trace.set_tracer_provider(TracerProvider(sampler=sampler))
Offline Storage
Configure offline storage for retry:
from azure.monitor.opentelemetry.exporter import AzureMonitorTraceExporter
exporter = AzureMonitorTraceExporter(
connection_string="...",
storage_directory="/path/to/storage",
disable_offline_storage=False
)
Disable Offline Storage
exporter = AzureMonitorTraceExporter(
connection_string="...",
disable_offline_storage=True
)
Sovereign Clouds
from azure.identity import AzureAuthorityHosts, DefaultAzureCredential
from azure.monitor.opentelemetry.exporter import AzureMonitorTraceExporter
credential = DefaultAzureCredential(authority=AzureAuthorityHosts.AZURE_GOVERNMENT)
exporter = AzureMonitorTraceExporter(
connection_string="InstrumentationKey=xxx;IngestionEndpoint=https://xxx.in.applicationinsights.azure.us/",
credential=credential
)
Exporter Types
| Exporter | Telemetry Type | Application Insights Table |
|---|
AzureMonitorTraceExporter | Traces/Spans | requests, dependencies, exceptions |
AzureMonitorMetricExporter | Metrics | customMetrics, performanceCounters |
AzureMonitorLogExporter | Logs | traces, customEvents |
Configuration Options
| Parameter | Description | Default |
|---|
connection_string | Application Insights connection string | From env var |
credential | Azure credential for AAD auth | None |
disable_offline_storage | Disable retry storage | False |
storage_directory | Custom storage path | Temp directory |
Best Practices
- Use BatchSpanProcessor for production (not SimpleSpanProcessor)
- Use ApplicationInsightsSampler for consistent sampling across services
- Enable offline storage for reliability in production
- Use AAD authentication instead of instrumentation keys
- Set export intervals appropriate for your workload
- Use the distro (
azure-monitor-opentelemetry) unless you need custom pipelines
Limitations
- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.