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May 13, 2025
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feat!: update the observability appendix to include the latest otel semcon #306

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216a4d1
update the observability appendix to include the latest otel semcon
beeme1mr Apr 14, 2025
6413ece
remove body, add feature_flag.result.value
beeme1mr Apr 23, 2025
cf0289a
Merge branch 'main' into update-observablity-spec
beeme1mr Apr 23, 2025
78fbe60
add release version info, update footnote comments
beeme1mr May 5, 2025
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Merge branch 'main' into update-observablity-spec
beeme1mr May 12, 2025
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60 changes: 33 additions & 27 deletions specification/appendix-d-observability.md
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Expand Up @@ -19,49 +19,55 @@ This is particularly relevant to telemetry-related [hooks](./sections/04-hooks.m

The following describes how fields on the [evaluation details](types.md#evaluation-details) are mapped to feature flag log records:

| Log Record Attribute | Source Field or Derived Value from Evaluation Details | Requirement level | Notes |
| --------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `feature_flag.key` | `flag key` | `Required` | See: [flag key](./glossary.md#flag-key) |
| `error.type` | `error code` | `Conditionally Required` [^1] | See: [error code](./types.md#error-code), |
| `feature_flag.evaluation.error.message` | `error message` | `Conditionally Required` [^1] | A human-readable error message associated with a failed evaluation. For programmatic purposes, refer to `error code`. |
| `feature_flag.variant` | `variant` | `Conditionally Required` [^2] | See: [variant](./glossary.md#variant) |
| `feature_flag.evaluation.reason` | `reason` | `Recommended` | See: [reason](./types.md#resolution-reason) |
| Log Record Attribute | Source Field or Derived Value from Evaluation Details | Requirement level | Type | Notes |
| ----------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ----------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `feature_flag.key` | `flag key` | `Required` | `string` | See: [flag key](./glossary.md#flag-key) |
| `feature_flag.result.variant` | `variant` | `Conditionally Required` [^1] | `string` | See: [variant](./glossary.md#variant) |
| `feature_flag.result.value` | `value` | `Conditionally Required` [^2] | `undefined` | See: [value](./glossary.md#values) |
| `feature_flag.result.reason` | `reason` | `Recommended` | `string` | See: [reason](./types.md#resolution-reason) |
| `error.type` | `error code` | `Conditionally Required` [^3] | `string` | See: [error code](./types.md#error-code), |
| `error.message` | `error message` | `Conditionally Required` [^3] | `string` | A human-readable error message associated with a failed evaluation. For programmatic purposes, refer to `error code`. |

> [!NOTE]
> The `error.type` and `feature_flag.evaluation.reason` enumerations use a lowercase "snake_case" convention (see [OpenTelemetry feature-flag log records][otel-ff-logs]).
> The `error.type` and `feature_flag.result.reason` enumerations use a lowercase "snake_case" convention (see [OpenTelemetry feature-flag log records][otel-ff-logs]).
> OpenFeature [error codes](types.md#error-code) and [resolution reasons](./types.md#resolution-reason) should be transformed accordingly by integrations which include this data.

#### Flag Value

The flag value is required if the `feature_flag.variant` is not set (and optional otherwise), and is defined in a the event body:

| Body Field | Source Field from Evaluation Details | Requirement level | Notes |
| ---------- | ------------------------------------ | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| `value` | `value` | `Conditionally Required` [^3] | The type of the `value` field is undefined. |

### Flag Metadata

The following describes how keys in [flag metadata](types.md#flag-metadata) are mapped to feature flag log records:

| Log Record Attribute | Flag Metadata Key | Requirement level | Notes |
| ------------------------- | ----------------- | ----------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `feature_flag.context.id` | `contextId` | `Recommended` | The context identifier returned in the flag metadata uniquely identifies the subject of the flag evaluation. If not available, the [targeting key](./glossary.md#targeting-key) should be used. |
| `feature_flag.set.id` | `flagSetId` | `Recommended` | A logical identifier for the [flag set](./glossary.md#flag-set). |
| `feature_flag.version` | `version` | `Recommended` | A version string (format unspecified) for the flag or [flag set](./glossary.md#flag-set). |
| Log Record Attribute | Flag Metadata Key | Requirement level | Type | Notes |
| ------------------------- | ----------------- | ----------------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `feature_flag.context.id` | `contextId` | `Recommended` | `string` | The context identifier returned in the flag metadata uniquely identifies the subject of the flag evaluation. If not available, the [targeting key](./glossary.md#targeting-key) should be used. |
| `feature_flag.set.id` | `flagSetId` | `Recommended` | `string` | A logical identifier for the [flag set](./glossary.md#flag-set). |
| `feature_flag.version` | `version` | `Recommended` | `string` | A version string (format unspecified) for the flag or [flag set](./glossary.md#flag-set). |

> [!NOTE]
> Keys in flag metadata use the "camelCase" casing convention, while the OpenTelemetry standard uses a namespaced "snake_case" convention.

### Provider Metadata

| Log Record Attribute | Provider Metadata Field | Requirement level | Notes |
| ---------------------------- | ----------------------- | ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `feature_flag.provider_name` | `name` | `Recommended` | The name of the provider as defined in the `provider metadata`, available in the `hook context`. |
| Log Record Attribute | Provider Metadata Field | Requirement level | Type | Notes |
| ---------------------------- | ----------------------- | ----------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `feature_flag.provider.name` | `name` | `Recommended` | `string` | The name of the provider as defined in the `provider metadata`, available in the `hook context`. |

## History

Feature flags in the OpenTelemetry semantic conventions are currently in development and are marked as experimental.
The following table describes the history of changes to the OpenTelemetry feature flag log records as it progresses towards a stable release.

| Original Field Name | New Field Name | Semantic Convention Release |
| --------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `feature_flag.variant` | `feature_flag.result.variant` | [v1.32.0](https://github.com/open-telemetry/semantic-conventions/releases/tag/v1.32.0) |
| `feature_flag.evaluation.reason` | `feature_flag.result.reason` | [v1.32.0](https://github.com/open-telemetry/semantic-conventions/releases/tag/v1.32.0) |
| `feature_flag.evaluation.error.message` | `error.message` | [v1.33.0](https://github.com/open-telemetry/semantic-conventions/releases/tag/v1.33.0) |
| `feature_flag.provider_name` | `feature_flag.provider.name` | [v1.33.0](https://github.com/open-telemetry/semantic-conventions/releases/tag/v1.33.0) |
| `value` | `feature_flag.result.value` | Unreleased |

## Footnotes

[^1]: Include if and only if an error occurred during a flag evaluation.
[^2]: The `variant` field is required if the `value` field is not set.
[^3]: The `value` field is required if the `variant` field is not set.
[^1]: The `variant` field should be included whenever possible as it represents the symbolic name of the flag's returned value (e.g., "on"/"off", "control"/"treatment"). Only omit if the provider doesn't supply this information.
[^2]: The `value` field should be included whenever a `variant` is unavailable. Large or sensitive values should be redacted or omitted prior to being captured in telemetry signals.
[^3]: Include `error.type` and `error.message`, if and only if an error occurred during a flag evaluation.

[otel-ff-logs]: https://opentelemetry.io/docs/specs/semconv/feature-flags/feature-flags-logs/
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