# observability-guidelines

Guides coding agents on implementing OpenTelemetry tracing, metrics collection, and JSON logging across distributed microservices.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 773 installs · ★ 286
- Author: Mindrally
- License: Apache-2.0 · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/Mindrally/skills/tree/HEAD/observability-guidelines/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-08
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/observability-guidelines

## What it does

This skill enforces observability standards across distributed services using OpenTelemetry. It directs the AI agent to create spans with `otel.Tracer`, collect metrics through `otel.Meter`, and automatically instrument HTTP and gRPC endpoints with middleware. Telemetry targets include OpenTelemetry Collector, Jaeger, and Prometheus.

Tracing spans require context propagation across every service boundary. PII must stay out of logs. Records are formatted as JSON with trace and span IDs. Latency tracking covers p50, p90, p95, and p99 percentiles alongside throughput and error rates.

Production setups rely on head-based sampling for standard traffic and tail-based sampling to capture failures. Without configured telemetry collectors, exported spans and metrics will have nowhere to go.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Mindrally/skills --skill observability-guidelines -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/observability-guidelines/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/observability-guidelines/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Mindrally/skills --skill observability-guidelines -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/observability-guidelines/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Mindrally/skills --skill observability-guidelines -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/observability-guidelines/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install Mindrally/skills observability-guidelines
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/observability-guidelines/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Mindrally/skills --skill observability-guidelines -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/Mindrally/skills --path observability-guidelines
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/observability-guidelines/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Mindrally/skills --skill observability-guidelines -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/Mindrally/skills/tree/HEAD/observability-guidelines/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- propagate trace context across HTTP and gRPC service boundaries
- collect request latency percentiles for p50, p90, p95, and p99
- format application logs as JSON correlated with trace IDs
- configure head-based and tail-based sampling for production traces

## Example prompts
- Add OpenTelemetry middleware to trace incoming HTTP requests and internal calls
- Configure JSON structured logging that injects trace ID and span ID
- Set up latency percentile metrics from p50 to p99 using otel.Meter

## Source text · SKILL.md · Apache-2.0

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 2335737cfe62bea1.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 2335737cfe62bea1
```text
---
name: observability-guidelines
description: Observability guidelines for distributed systems using OpenTelemetry, tracing, metrics, and structured logging
metadata:
  maintainer: Mindrally
  source: https://github.com/Mindrally/skills
---

# Observability Guidelines

Apply these observability principles to ensure comprehensive visibility into distributed systems and microservices.

## Core Observability Principles

- Guide the development of idiomatic, maintainable, and high-performance code with built-in observability
- Enforce modular design and separation of concerns through Clean Architecture
- Promote test-driven development and robust observability from the start

## OpenTelemetry Integration

- Use OpenTelemetry for distributed tracing, metrics, and structured logging
- Start and propagate tracing spans across all service boundaries
- Use otel.Tracer for creating spans and otel.Meter for collecting metrics
- Export data to OpenTelemetry Collector, Jaeger, or Prometheus
- Configure appropriate sampling rates for production environments

## Distributed Tracing

- Trace all incoming requests and propagate context through internal calls
- Use middleware to instrument HTTP and gRPC endpoints automatically
- Include trace context in all downstream service calls
- Create child spans for significant operations within a service
- Add relevant attributes to spans for debugging and analysis

## Metrics Collection

Monitor these key metrics across all services:

- **Request latency**: Track p50, p90, p95, and p99 percentiles
- **Throughput**: Measure requests per second by endpoint
- **Error rate**: Track 4xx and 5xx responses separately
- **Resource usage**: Monitor CPU, memory, disk, and network utilization
- **Custom business metrics**: Track domain-specific KPIs

## Structured Logging

- Include unique request IDs and trace context in all logs for correlation
- Use structured logging formats (JSON) for machine parseability
- Include relevant context: timestamp, service name, trace ID, span ID
- Log at appropriate levels: DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR
- Avoid logging sensitive information (PII, credentials)

## Architecture Patterns

- Apply Clean Architecture with handlers, services, repositories, and domain models
- Use domain-driven design principles for clear boundaries
- Prioritize interface-driven development with explicit dependency injection
- Prefer composition over inheritance; favor small, purpose-specific interfaces

## Correlation and Context

- Propagate context through the entire request lifecycle
- Use correlation IDs for request tracking across services
- Include service version and deployment information in telemetry
- Tag traces with relevant business context for filtering
- Enable trace-to-log and log-to-trace correlation

## Alerting and Dashboards
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 2335737cfe62bea1

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