Configuration

Configure the OpenLIT SDK for OpenTelemetry-native LLM observability, cost tracking, and performance monitoring

Configure OpenLIT SDK for AI monitoring and model performance tracking using flexible instrumentation methods. Choose from Manual instrumentation or Zero-code instrumentation for complete LLM observability:

Python

Manual instrumentation (SDK)

import openlit

openlit.init(
    service_name="my-ai-app",
    environment="production",
    otlp_endpoint="https://otel-endpoint.com"
)

Zero-code instrumentation (CLI)

export OTEL_SERVICE_NAME=my-ai-app
export OTEL_DEPLOYMENT_ENVIRONMENT=production
openlit-instrument python your_app.py

Configuration parameters

Customize OpenLIT SDK behavior for your specific instrumentation needs:

Parameter	CLI Argument	Environment Variable	Description	Default	Required
environment	--environment	OTEL_DEPLOYMENT_ENVIRONMENT	Deployment environment	"default"	No
service_name	--service_name	OTEL_SERVICE_NAME	Service name for tracing	"default"	No
otlp_endpoint	--otlp_endpoint	OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT	OpenTelemetry endpoint for LLM monitoring data export	None	No
otlp_headers	--otlp_headers	OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_HEADERS	Authentication headers for enterprise monitoring backends	None	No
disable_batch	--disable_batch	OPENLIT_DISABLE_BATCH	Disable batch span processing	False	No
capture_message_content	--capture_message_content	OTEL_INSTRUMENTATION_GENAI_CAPTURE_MESSAGE_CONTENT	Enable LLM prompt and response content tracing for debugging	True	No
disabled_instrumentors	--disabled_instrumentors	OPENLIT_DISABLED_INSTRUMENTORS	Disable specific AI service instrumentations (comma-separated)	None	No
disable_metrics	--disable_metrics	OPENLIT_DISABLE_METRICS	Disable cost tracking and performance metrics collection	False	No
max_content_length	--max_content_length	OPENLIT_MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH	Maximum character length for captured prompt/completion content. None (default) means no truncation. Set to a positive integer to truncate content exceeding that length. 0 or -1 also disable truncation.	None	No
pricing_json	--pricing_json	OPENLIT_PRICING_JSON	Custom pricing configuration for accurate LLM cost tracking	None	No
disable_events	--disable_events	OPENLIT_DISABLE_EVENTS	Disable OTel Logger event emission	False	No
collect_system_metrics	--collect_system_metrics	OPENLIT_COLLECT_SYSTEM_METRICS	Comprehensive system monitoring (CPU, memory, disk, network, GPU) for AI workloads	False	No
custom_metrics_attributes	N/A	N/A	Custom key-value attributes applied to every metric recording. Useful for grouping metrics by custom tags (e.g., client ID, team, project). Reserved keys like service.name cannot be overwritten.	None	No

Database instrumentation options

These options apply to database instrumentations like PostgreSQL (psycopg3):

Parameter	CLI Argument	Environment Variable	Description	Default	Required
capture_db_parameters	--capture_db_parameters	OPENLIT_CAPTURE_DB_PARAMETERS	Capture database query parameters in OTel per-key format (db.query.parameter.<key>)	False	No

Evaluation export options

Configure how evaluation results are exported:

Security Notice: Enabling capture_db_parameters records query parameters (the values passed to $1, $2, etc.) in your traces using the OTel per-key format (db.query.parameter.<key>). This may expose sensitive data like passwords, API keys, or personal information. Only enable in development environments or when you’re certain parameters don’t contain sensitive data.

Deprecated parameters

Parameter	CLI Argument	Environment Variable	Description	Default	Required
application_name	--application_name	OTEL_SERVICE_NAME	Application name for tracing (deprecated, use service_name)	"default"	No
collect_gpu_stats	--collect_gpu_stats	OPENLIT_COLLECT_GPU_STATS	Enable GPU statistics collection (deprecated, use collect_system_metrics)	False	No

Environment variables take precedence over CLI arguments, which take precedence over SDK parameters.

Resource attributes

Additional resource attributes can be controlled using standard OpenTelemetry environment variables for enhanced metadata and observability context:

Environment Variable	Description	Example
OTEL_RESOURCE_ATTRIBUTES	Key-value pairs for resource attributes	service.version=1.0.0,deployment.environment=production
OTEL_SERVICE_VERSION	Version of the service	1.2.3
OTEL_RESOURCE_ATTRIBUTES_POD_NAME	Kubernetes pod name (if applicable)	my-ai-app-pod-xyz
OTEL_RESOURCE_ATTRIBUTES_NODE_NAME	Kubernetes node name (if applicable)	node-123

Example:

# Set resource attributes for better trace organization
export OTEL_RESOURCE_ATTRIBUTES="service.version=2.1.0,team=ai-platform,cost.center=engineering"
export OTEL_SERVICE_VERSION=2.1.0

# Run with enhanced metadata
openlit-instrument python your_ai_app.py

These attributes enhance trace metadata for better filtering, grouping, and analysis in your observability platform.

Prompt Hub - openlit.get_prompt()

Advanced prompt management and version control for production LLM applications. Configure OpenLIT Prompt Hub for centralized prompt governance and tracking:

Parameter	Description
url	Sets the OpenLIT URL. Defaults to the OPENLIT_URL environment variable.
api_key	Sets the OpenLIT API Key. Can also be provided via the OPENLIT_API_KEY environment variable.
name	Unique prompt identifier for retrieval. Use with prompt_id for specific prompt versioning
prompt_id	Numeric ID for direct prompt access. Enables precise prompt version control. Optional
version	Specific prompt version retrieval for consistent AI behavior across deployments. Optional
shouldCompile	Enable dynamic prompt compilation with variables for personalized LLM interactions. Optional
variables	Dynamic variables for prompt template compilation and customization. Optional
meta_properties	Tracking metadata for prompt usage analytics and audit trails in production. Optional

Vault - openlit.get_secrets()

Enterprise-grade secret management for AI applications. Configure OpenLIT Vault for secure API key and credential handling in production LLM deployments:

Parameter	Description
url	Sets the Openlit URL. Defaults to the OPENLIT_URL environment variable.
api_key	Sets the OpenLIT API Key. Can also be provided via the OPENLIT_API_KEY environment variable.
key	Specific secret key retrieval for individual credential access. Optional
should_set_env	Automatically set retrieved secrets as environment variables for seamless application integration. Optional
tags	Tag-based secret filtering for organized credential management across different AI services. Optional

Typescript

Configuration parameters

Customize OpenLIT SDK behavior for your specific instrumentation needs:

Argument	Description	Default Value	Required
environment	The deployment environment of the application.	"default"	No
applicationName	Identifies the name of your application.	"default"	No
tracer	An instance of OpenTelemetry Tracer for tracing operations.	undefined	No
otlpEndpoint	OpenTelemetry endpoint for LLM monitoring data transmission to enterprise backends.	undefined	No
otlpHeaders	Authentication headers for secure integration with monitoring platforms like Datadog, Grafana.	undefined	No
disableBatch	A flag to disable batch span processing, favoring immediate dispatch.	true	No
traceContent	Enable LLM prompt and response content capture for comprehensive debugging.	true	No
disabledInstrumentations	Disable specific AI service instrumentations for customized monitoring scope.	undefined	No
instrumentations	Object of instrumentation modules for manual patching	undefined	No
pricing_json	Custom pricing configuration URL for accurate LLM cost tracking and optimization.	https://github.com/openlit/openlit/blob/main/assets/pricing.json	No

Resource attributes

Additional resource attributes can be controlled using standard OpenTelemetry environment variables for enhanced metadata and observability context:

Environment Variable	Description	Example
OTEL_RESOURCE_ATTRIBUTES	Key-value pairs for resource attributes	service.version=1.0.0,deployment.environment=production
OTEL_SERVICE_VERSION	Version of the service	1.2.3
OTEL_RESOURCE_ATTRIBUTES_POD_NAME	Kubernetes pod name (if applicable)	my-ai-app-pod-xyz
OTEL_RESOURCE_ATTRIBUTES_NODE_NAME	Kubernetes node name (if applicable)	node-123

These attributes enhance trace metadata for better filtering, grouping, and analysis in your observability platform.

Prompt Hub - Openlit.getPrompt()

Advanced prompt management for Node.js AI applications. Configure centralized prompt governance and version control for production LLM deployments:

Parameter	Description
url	Sets the OpenLIT URL. Defaults to the OPENLIT_URL environment variable or http://127.0.0.1:3000 if not set.
apiKey	Sets the OpenLIT API Key. Can also be provided via the OPENLIT_API_KEY environment variable.
name	Unique prompt identifier for consistent retrieval across deployments.
promptId	Numeric prompt ID for direct access and version control. Optional
version	Specific prompt version for consistent AI behavior in production. Optional
shouldCompile	Enable dynamic prompt compilation with variables for personalized interactions. Optional
variables	Dynamic template variables for prompt customization and personalization. Optional
metaProperties	Usage tracking metadata for prompt analytics and audit trails. Optional

Vault - Openlit.getSecrets()

Enterprise-grade secret management for Node.js AI applications. Configure secure credential handling for production LLM deployments:

Parameter	Description
url	Sets the Openlit URL. Defaults to the OPENLIT_URL environment variable or http://127.0.0.1:3000 if not set.
apiKey	Sets the OpenLIT API Key. Can also be provided via the OPENLIT_API_KEY environment variable.
key	Specific secret key for individual credential retrieval. Optional
tags	Tag-based secret filtering for organized credential management across AI services. Optional
shouldSetEnv	Automatically set secrets as environment variables for seamless application integration. Optional

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