@wshobson/python-observability

---
name: python-observability
description: Python observability patterns including structured logging, metrics, and distributed tracing. Use when adding logging, implementing metrics collection, setting up tracing, or debugging production systems.
---

# Python Observability

Instrument Python applications with structured logs, metrics, and traces. When something breaks in production, you need to answer "what, where, and why" without deploying new code.

## When to Use This Skill

- Adding structured logging to applications
- Implementing metrics collection with Prometheus
- Setting up distributed tracing across services
- Propagating correlation IDs through request chains
- Debugging production issues
- Building observability dashboards

## Core Concepts

### 1. Structured Logging

Emit logs as JSON with consistent fields for production environments. Machine-readable logs enable powerful queries and alerts. For local development, consider human-readable formats.

### 2. The Four Golden Signals

Track latency, traffic, errors, and saturation for every service boundary.

### 3. Correlation IDs

Thread a unique ID through all logs and spans for a single request, enabling end-to-end tracing.

### 4. Bounded Cardinality

Keep metric label values bounded. Unbounded labels (like user IDs) explode storage costs.

## Quick Start

```python
import structlog

structlog.configure(
    processors=[
        structlog.processors.TimeStamper(fmt="iso"),
        structlog.processors.JSONRenderer(),
    ],
)

logger = structlog.get_logger()
logger.info("Request processed", user_id="123", duration_ms=45)
```

## Fundamental Patterns

### Pattern 1: Structured Logging with Structlog

Configure structlog for JSON output with consistent fields.

```python
import logging
import structlog

def configure_logging(log_level: str = "INFO") -> None:
    """Configure structured logging for the application."""
    structlog.configure(
        processors=[
            structlog.contextvars.merge_contextvars,
            structlog.processors.add_log_level,
            structlog.processors.TimeStamper(fmt="iso"),
            structlog.processors.StackInfoRenderer(),
            structlog.processors.format_exc_info,
            structlog.processors.JSONRenderer(),
        ],
        wrapper_class=structlog.make_filtering_bound_logger(
            getattr(logging, log_level.upper())
        ),
        context_class=dict,
        logger_factory=structlog.PrintLoggerFactory(),
        cache_logger_on_first_use=True,
    )

# Initialize at application startup
configure_logging("INFO")
logger = structlog.get_logger()
```

### Pattern 2: Consistent Log Fields

Every log entry should include standard fields for filtering and correlation.

```python
import structlog
from contextvars import ContextVar

# Store correlation ID in context
correlation_id: ContextVar[str] = ContextVar("correlation_id", default="")

logger = structlog.get_logger()

def process_request(request: Request) -> Response:
    """Process request with structured logging."""
    logger.info(
        "Request received",
        correlation_id=correlation_id.get(),
        method=request.method,
        path=request.path,
        user_id=request.user_id,
    )

    try:
        result = handle_request(request)
        logger.info(
            "Request completed",
            correlation_id=correlation_id.get(),
            status_code=200,
            duration_ms=elapsed,
        )
        return result
    except Exception as e:
        logger.error(
            "Request failed",
            correlation_id=correlation_id.get(),
            error_type=type(e).__name__,
            error_message=str(e),
        )
        raise
```

### Pattern 3: Semantic Log Levels

Use log levels consistently across the application.

| Level | Purpose | Examples |
|-------|---------|----------|
| `DEBUG` | Development diagnostics | Variable values, internal state |
| `INFO` | Request lifecycle, operations | Request start/end, job completion |
| `WARNING` | Recoverable anomalies | Retry attempts, fallback used |
| `ERROR` | Failures needing attention | Exceptions, service unavailable |

```python
# DEBUG: Detailed internal information
logger.debug("Cache lookup", key=cache_key, hit=cache_hit)

# INFO: Normal operational events
logger.info("Order created", order_id=order.id, total=order.total)

# WARNING: Abnormal but handled situations
logger.warning(
    "Rate limit approaching",
    current_rate=950,
    limit=1000,
    reset_seconds=30,
)

# ERROR: Failures requiring investigation
logger.error(
    "Payment processing failed",
    order_id=order.id,
    error=str(e),
    payment_provider="stripe",
)
```

Never log expected behavior at `ERROR`. A user entering a wrong password is `INFO`, not `ERROR`.

### Pattern 4: Correlation ID Propagation

Generate a unique ID at ingress and thread it through all operations.

```python
from contextvars import ContextVar
import uuid
import structlog

correlation_id: ContextVar[str] = ContextVar("correlation_id", default="")

def set_correlation_id(cid: str | None = None) -> str:
    """Set correlation ID for current context."""
    cid = cid or str(uuid.uuid4())
    correlation_id.set(cid)
    structlog.contextvars.bind_contextvars(correlation_id=cid)
    return cid

# FastAPI middleware example
from fastapi import Request

async def correlation_middleware(request: Request, call_next):
    """Middleware to set and propagate correlation ID."""
    # Use incoming header or generate new
    cid = request.headers.get("X-Correlation-ID") or str(uuid.uuid4())
    set_correlation_id(cid)

    response = await call_next(request)
    response.headers["X-Correlation-ID"] = cid
    return response
```

Propagate to outbound requests:

```python
import httpx

async def call_downstream_service(endpoint: str, data: dict) -> dict:
    """Call downstream service with correlation ID."""
    async with httpx.AsyncClient() as client:
        response = await client.post(
            endpoint,
            json=data,
            headers={"X-Correlation-ID": correlation_id.get()},
        )
        return response.json()
```

## Advanced Patterns

### Pattern 5: The Four Golden Signals with Prometheus

Track these metrics for every service boundary:

```python
from prometheus_client import Counter, Histogram, Gauge

# Latency: How long requests take
REQUEST_LATENCY = Histogram(
    "http_request_duration_seconds",
    "Request latency in seconds",
    ["method", "endpoint", "status"],
    buckets=[0.01, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5, 10],
)

# Traffic: Request rate
REQUEST_COUNT = Counter(
    "http_requests_total",
    "Total HTTP requests",
    ["method", "endpoint", "status"],
)

# Errors: Error rate
ERROR_COUNT = Counter(
    "http_errors_total",
    "Total HTTP errors",
    ["method", "endpoint", "error_type"],
)

# Saturation: Resource utilization
DB_POOL_USAGE = Gauge(
    "db_connection_pool_used",
    "Number of database connections in use",
)
```

Instrument your endpoints:

```python
import time
from functools import wraps

def track_request(func):
    """Decorator to track request metrics."""
    @wraps(func)
    async def wrapper(request: Request, *args, **kwargs):
        method = request.method
        endpoint = request.url.path
        start = time.perf_counter()

        try:
            response = await func(request, *args, **kwargs)
            status = str(response.status_code)
            return response
        except Exception as e:
            status = "500"
            ERROR_COUNT.labels(
                method=method,
                endpoint=endpoint,
                error_type=type(e).__name__,
            ).inc()
            raise
        finally:
            duration = time.perf_counter() - start
            REQUEST_COUNT.labels(method=method, endpoint=endpoint, status=status).inc()
            REQUEST_LATENCY.labels(method=method, endpoint=endpoint, status=status).observe(duration)

    return wrapper
```

### Pattern 6: Bounded Cardinality

Avoid labels with unbounded values to prevent metric explosion.

```python
# BAD: User ID has potentially millions of values
REQUEST_COUNT.labels(method="GET", user_id=user.id)  # Don't do this!

# GOOD: Bounded values only
REQUEST_COUNT.labels(method="GET", endpoint="/users", status="200")

# If you need per-user metrics, use a different approach:
# - Log the user_id and query logs
# - Use a separate analytics system
# - Bucket users by type/tier
REQUEST_COUNT.labels(
    method="GET",
    endpoint="/users",
    user_tier="premium",  # Bounded set of values
)
```

### Pattern 7: Timed Operations with Context Manager

Create a reusable timing context manager for operations.

```python
from contextlib import contextmanager
import time
import structlog

logger = structlog.get_logger()

@contextmanager
def timed_operation(name: str, **extra_fields):
    """Context manager for timing and logging operations."""
    start = time.perf_counter()
    logger.debug("Operation started", operation=name, **extra_fields)

    try:
        yield
    except Exception as e:
        elapsed_ms = (time.perf_counter() - start) * 1000
        logger.error(
            "Operation failed",
            operation=name,
            duration_ms=round(elapsed_ms, 2),
            error=str(e),
            **extra_fields,
        )
        raise
    else:
        elapsed_ms = (time.perf_counter() - start) * 1000
        logger.info(
            "Operation completed",
            operation=name,
            duration_ms=round(elapsed_ms, 2),
            **extra_fields,
        )

# Usage
with timed_operation("fetch_user_orders", user_id=user.id):
    orders = await order_repository.get_by_user(user.id)
```

### Pattern 8: OpenTelemetry Tracing

Set up distributed tracing with OpenTelemetry.

**Note:** OpenTelemetry is actively evolving. Check the [official Python documentation](https://opentelemetry.io/docs/languages/python/) for the latest API patterns and best practices.

```python
from opentelemetry import trace
from opentelemetry.sdk.trace import TracerProvider
from opentelemetry.sdk.trace.export import BatchSpanProcessor
from opentelemetry.exporter.otlp.proto.grpc.trace_exporter import OTLPSpanExporter

def configure_tracing(service_name: str, otlp_endpoint: str) -> None:
    """Configure OpenTelemetry tracing."""
    provider = TracerProvider()
    processor = BatchSpanProcessor(OTLPSpanExporter(endpoint=otlp_endpoint))
    provider.add_span_processor(processor)
    trace.set_tracer_provider(provider)

tracer = trace.get_tracer(__name__)

async def process_order(order_id: str) -> Order:
    """Process order with tracing."""
    with tracer.start_as_current_span("process_order") as span:
        span.set_attribute("order.id", order_id)

        with tracer.start_as_current_span("validate_order"):
            validate_order(order_id)

        with tracer.start_as_current_span("charge_payment"):
            charge_payment(order_id)

        with tracer.start_as_current_span("send_confirmation"):
            send_confirmation(order_id)

        return order
```

## Best Practices Summary

1. **Use structured logging** - JSON logs with consistent fields
2. **Propagate correlation IDs** - Thread through all requests and logs
3. **Track the four golden signals** - Latency, traffic, errors, saturation
4. **Bound label cardinality** - Never use unbounded values as metric labels
5. **Log at appropriate levels** - Don't cry wolf with ERROR
6. **Include context** - User ID, request ID, operation name in logs
7. **Use context managers** - Consistent timing and error handling
8. **Separate concerns** - Observability code shouldn't pollute business logic
9. **Test your observability** - Verify logs and metrics in integration tests
10. **Set up alerts** - Metrics are useless without alerting