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An OpenTelemetry log bridge does more than turn a message into a record: it maps an existing logger’s event, metadata, severity and context into OpenTelemetry’s distinct fields. Those choices determine what downstream processors and backends can still understand.
What an OpenTelemetry log bridge does
The Logs Bridge API lets logging-library authors build appenders or bridges that translate records from an existing logging system into OpenTelemetry LogRecords. Application developers generally keep using their preferred logging library and configure an appender or bridge to emit OpenTelemetry records; OpenTelemetry’s documentation says, “The Logs Bridge API should not be called by application developers directly.” OpenTelemetry Logs Bridge API
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That distinction matters: the bridge is an adapter between two models, not simply a serializer. It must decide where source data belongs in the destination model and what to do when the source has no direct equivalent.
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Which fields should a bridge map?
An OpenTelemetry LogRecord separates information that logging APIs often bundle together. A bridge should make its mapping explicit rather than treating every value as a message plus an undifferentiated metadata map.
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| LogRecord field | What it represents | Bridge question |
|---|---|---|
| Timestamp | When the event occurred | Does the source provide an event time, and how is it represented? |
| ObservedTimestamp | When the event was observed | Can the bridge distinguish observation time from event time? |
| TraceId, SpanId, TraceFlags | Trace context associated with the event | Is context available at the logging call, and is it propagated? |
| SeverityText | The source’s textual level label | Is the original label retained? |
| SeverityNumber | A severity value for ordering and comparison | How are source levels mapped to comparable values? |
| Body | The event body, which can be structured AnyValue data | Can structured message data survive, or is it rendered as text? |
| Resource | The entity that generated the log, usually stable across its records | Which source or service identity is associated with the record? |
| InstrumentationScope | The instrumentation that emitted the record | Which instrumentation identity should downstream consumers see? |
| Attributes | Details about an individual event that can vary between occurrences | Which per-event values become attributes, and what happens at limits? |
| EventName | A name identifying the event | Does the source provide a meaningful event name? |
The OpenTelemetry log data model defines these fields and their roles. OpenTelemetry Logs Data Model
Keep resource identity apart from event attributes
Resource describes the entity that produced a record and is typically stable for records from that source. Attributes describe the particular event and may change from one occurrence to another. InstrumentationScope identifies the instrumentation emitting the record. If a bridge collapses all three into generic metadata, downstream queries may lose the distinction between “which service produced this?” and “what was specific to this event?”
Preserve both the source label and a comparable severity
SeverityText and SeverityNumber serve different purposes. The text can preserve a logging system’s own level label, while the number supports ordering and comparison. A mapping should document how source levels map to numbers and whether the original text is retained; a numeric mapping alone may discard a useful source distinction.
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Do not assume the body is only a string
A source logger may expose structured message data as well as a rendered line. Because an OpenTelemetry Body can hold structured AnyValue data, converting everything to a formatted string can sacrifice structure that a backend could otherwise query. Whether a bridge can preserve it depends on what the source API exposes and what that bridge implements.
Why context and lifecycle behavior matter
Mapping individual fields is only part of the job. The SDK must also make the Resource and InstrumentationScope associated with a record accessible. Its limits can discard attributes; the SDK specification says counts for limit-driven discards must be available for exporters to report and recommends a user-visible message when an attribute is discarded. OpenTelemetry Logs SDK
Consequently, an implementation should be evaluated not just on whether it creates a record, but on whether the right context reaches that record, how bounded attributes behave, and how records enter the SDK’s processing and export lifecycle. A successful encoding step cannot recover information already omitted or misclassified during mapping.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to assess a specific bridge
There is no universal ranking established for bridge implementations. Inspect the package and version you plan to use, and verify the relevant behavior against its documentation or source:
- Which source logging frameworks and APIs are supported?
- How are event timestamps handled, and are event time and observation time distinguishable?
- Does the bridge propagate trace context?
- Are both severity text and severity number set, and how are levels mapped?
- Does structured message data remain structured in the Body?
- How are Resource and InstrumentationScope assigned?
- What happens when attribute limits are reached, and can dropped-field counts be reported?
- How does the bridge connect to SDK processing and export?
A Go example: inspect field-level behavior
The Go otellogr package documents a bridge from logr.LogSink to OpenTelemetry. Its package documentation says that SeverityText is not set and that context in KeyAndValues is propagated to the OpenTelemetry log record. This is a specific package’s documented behavior, not a rule for other bridges. Go package documentation for otellogr
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That example illustrates why a bridge’s name or general compatibility claim is not enough: check the actual mapping for the fields your application relies on.
What to check when logs lose context or severity
- Missing trace identifiers: Confirm that the logging call has trace context available and that the bridge propagates it into TraceId, SpanId and TraceFlags as applicable.
- Unexpected severity: Check separately whether SeverityText and SeverityNumber are populated and how the source logger’s levels map to the OpenTelemetry model.
- Missing metadata: Determine whether each value belongs in Resource, InstrumentationScope or per-event Attributes; then check attribute limits and discard behavior.
- Flattened messages: Compare the source API’s structured values with the bridge’s Body mapping. A rendered string may be all that the bridge receives or chooses to emit.
- Timestamp confusion: Verify which source time is used and whether the bridge or SDK provides an observation time distinct from the event time.
These checks separate a source-data limitation from a bridge mapping choice or SDK limit, making it easier to identify where information disappeared.
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