> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.decimal.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Generic OpenTelemetry

> Capture traces from any framework that emits OTel spans following the gen_ai.* semantic conventions.

If you're using a framework DecimalAI doesn't have a first-class integration for — but it emits OpenTelemetry spans following the [`gen_ai.*` semantic conventions](https://opentelemetry.io/docs/specs/semconv/gen-ai/) — the generic OTel exporter will pick them up.

## Install

```bash theme={null}
pip install decimalai
```

OTel SDK packages are pulled in transitively.

## Use

```python theme={null}
import decimalai
decimalai.init(api_key="dai_sk_...", otel=True)

# Any framework emitting OTEL spans will be captured
# Maps gen_ai.* semantic conventions automatically
```

## What gets captured

DecimalAI maps these OTel attributes onto its trace shape:

| OTel attribute                                   | DecimalAI field |
| ------------------------------------------------ | --------------- |
| `gen_ai.system` / `gen_ai.request.model`         | `model`         |
| `gen_ai.prompt.0.content` (and indexed siblings) | `input`         |
| `gen_ai.completion.0.content`                    | `output`        |
| `gen_ai.usage.input_tokens`                      | `input_tokens`  |
| `gen_ai.usage.output_tokens`                     | `output_tokens` |
| Span duration                                    | `latency_ms`    |

Tool calls, retriever spans, and embeddings are mapped similarly when they follow the convention.

## When to use this vs. a first-class integration

Use the first-class integration if one exists for your framework — it captures more metadata (tool schemas, handoffs, etc.) than OTel conventions can express. Use generic OTel for:

* Frameworks DecimalAI doesn't yet support (Haystack, Mirascope, etc.)
* Bespoke pipelines you've already instrumented with OTel
* Multi-framework apps where you want a unified exporter

## What's next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Manifests" icon="layer-group" href="/sdk/python/manifests">
    `register_manifest()` is mandatory for OTel-only setups — auto-detection only works for first-class integrations.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tracing guide" icon="route" href="/guides/tracing">
    What gets captured at each layer of the stack.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>