Span Name Documentation

This page contains documentation for known span names. You can use this documentation to understand how to create the name attribute for a span, when you have the span's other attributes.

Generating Names

Span names are generated via string template. Each span category of work has a set of templates for the span name. Curly brackets in the template indicate that the contents inside the curly brackets should be replaced with the contents of the span attribute of the name within the brackets.

The templates should be evaluated in order of appearance. The final template should be a static string, to be used as a fallback when none of the attribute-based templates can be satisfied.

A string, boolean, integer, or double value replaces the placeholder as-is. An array value is joined with ", ". A template only applies when the span has all of its attributes.

Example

Given templates:

  1. {{http.request.method}} {{http.route}}
  2. {{http.request.method}}
  3. HTTP

And attributes http.request.method = "GET", http.route = "/users/:id":

Result: "GET /users/:id"

Browser

Pageload

A full page load of a web application.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

pageload

Templates

  1. {{url.template}}
  2. Pageloadfallback

Examples

/users/:id/homePageload

Navigation

Client-side browser history change in a web application.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

navigationnavigation.redirect

Templates

  1. {{url.template}}
  2. Navigationfallback

Examples

/users/:id/homeNavigation

Cache lookup

The cache lookup / fetch start phase of a browser navigation.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

browser.cache

Templates

  1. Cache lookupfallback

Examples

Cache lookup

DNS lookup

The DNS domain lookup phase of a browser navigation.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

browser.dns

Templates

  1. DNS lookupfallback

Examples

DNS lookup

Connect

The connection phase of a browser navigation.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

browser.connect

Templates

  1. Connectfallback

Examples

Connect

TLS handshake

The secure connection (TLS/SSL) phase of a browser navigation.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

browser.tls_ssl

Templates

  1. TLS handshakefallback

Examples

TLS handshake

Redirect

The redirect phase of a browser navigation.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

browser.redirect

Templates

  1. Redirectfallback

Examples

Redirect

Request

The request phase of a browser navigation.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

browser.request

Templates

  1. Requestfallback

Examples

Request

Response

The response phase of a browser navigation.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

browser.response

Templates

  1. Responsefallback

Examples

Response

Unload event

The unload event phase of a browser navigation.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

browser.unload_event

Templates

  1. Unload eventfallback

Examples

Unload event

DOMContentLoaded event

The DOMContentLoaded event phase of a browser navigation.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

browser.dom_content_loaded_event

Templates

  1. DOMContentLoaded eventfallback

Examples

DOMContentLoaded event

Load event

The load event phase of a browser navigation.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

browser.load_event

Templates

  1. Load eventfallback

Examples

Load event

Paint

A paint timing entry reported by the browser.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

browser.paint

Templates

  1. {{browser.paint.type}}
  2. Paintfallback

Examples

first-paintfirst-contentful-paintPaint

Cache

Cache operations

Operations that interact with a cache, such as reading or writing cached values.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

cachecache.getcache.putcache.remove

Templates

  1. cache.{{cache.operation}}
  2. Cache operationfallback

Examples

cache.getcache.putcache.removeCache operation

Database

Queries

Operations that act on the data in a database. Includes operations like fetching, updating, and deleting records. Does not include operations like connecting to the database server.

Affected ops

dbdb.querydb.sql.querydb.sql.prismadb.sql.active_recorddb.sql.executedb.sql.roomdb.sql.transactiondb.redisredis

Examples

SELECT usersfindAndModify productsuserspostgres

Function

Function execution

The execution of a function or a set of instructions that isn't covered by a more specific operation.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

function

Templates

  1. {{code.function.name}}
  2. Function executionfallback

Examples

server_requesthandleSubmitFunction execution

Generative AI

Agent

Generative AI agent operations (e.g., spawning a new agent, an agent performing an action on behalf of a user, and agent handing off work to another agent).

Our definition differs from OpenTelemetry. The "gen_ai.handoff" operation is not present in OpenTelemetry.

Affected ops

gen_ai.create_agentgen_ai.handoffgen_ai.invoke_agent

Examples

text_completion Zedtext_completion Claude Codeinvoke_agent format_promptinvoke_agent weather_agentembeddings

Inference

Generative AI inference operations. Requests to a generative AI model to perform some unit of work (e.g., autocomplete, translation, chat completion, response to a query).

Affected ops

gen_aigen_ai.chatgen_ai.embeddingsgen_ai.evaluategen_ai.execute_toolgen_ai.generate_contentgen_ai.rerankgen_ai.responsesgen_ai.text_completion

Examples

text_completion gpt-4embeddings huggingfacechat claude-opus-4execute_tool get_weatherevaluate jev-latestchat

Memory

Generative AI memory operations. Reading from, writing to, or managing an agent's persistent memory store.

Affected ops

gen_ai.memory.client

Templates

  1. {{gen_ai.operation.name}}
  2. Generative AI memory operationfallback

Examples

upsert_memorysearch_memorycreate_memorydelete_memory

GraphQL

GraphQL

Any and all operations that fall under GraphQL

Our definition differs from OpenTelemetry. Unlike OTel, we prefix GraphQL operations with the word "GraphQL" (e.g., "GraphQL query" vs. "query").

Affected ops

http.graphqlhttp.graphql.queryhttp.graphql.mutationhttp.graphql.subscriptiongraphql.executegraphql.parsegraphql.resolvegraphql.requestgraphql.querygraphql.mutationgraphql.subscriptiongraphql.validate

Templates

  1. GraphQL {{graphql.operation.type}}
  2. GraphQL {{graphql.processing.type}}
  3. GraphQL Operationfallback

Examples

GraphQL queryGraphQL mutationGraphQL subscriptionGraphQL parseGraphQL resolveGraphQL Operation

HTTP

Messaging

Messaging

Operations that represent working with messages on topics in streaming data systems and queues (e.g., producing and consuming messages in Kafka, RabbitMQ).

Affected ops

topictopic.sendtopic.receivetopic.processqueuequeue.taskqueue.task.celeryqueue.task.rqqueue.task.delayed_jobqueue.task.active_jobqueue.submitqueue.submit.celeryqueue.resquequeue.sidekiq

Examples

send user.datapublish

Model Context Protocol (MCP)

Server

MCP server-side operations. Processing of incoming MCP requests or notifications initiated by a client, such as tool calls, prompt requests, and resource reads.

Our definition differs from OpenTelemetry. The span name follows the OpenTelemetry MCP server convention, using gen_ai.tool.name or gen_ai.prompt.name when applicable. The mcp.server span operation is a Sentry categorization.

Affected ops

mcp.server

Examples

tools/call get-weatherprompts/get analyze-coderesources/readinitialize

Notification

MCP notifications. One-way messages exchanged between an MCP client and server that do not expect a response.

Our definition differs from OpenTelemetry. The span name follows the OpenTelemetry MCP convention for notifications. OpenTelemetry uses CLIENT spans for the sender and SERVER spans for the receiver; the directional notification operations listed here are Sentry categorizations.

Affected ops

mcp.notification.client_to_servermcp.notification.server_to_client

Templates

  1. {{mcp.method.name}}
  2. MCP notificationfallback

Examples

notifications/initializednotifications/cancellednotifications/progress

Resource

Resources

Loading of resources in the browser.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

resourceresource.scriptresource.cssresource.linkresource.imgresource.audioresource.videoresource.iframeresource.other

Templates

  1. {{url.domain}}
  2. Resourcefallback

Examples

example.com

Routing

Serverless (FAAS)

Serverless function execution

The invocation of a serverless function on a cloud provider.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

function.awsfunction.gcpfunction.azure

Templates

  1. {{faas.name}}
  2. Serverless function executionfallback

Examples

my_functionprocess-uploadServerless function execution

UI

Component mount

Mounting of a UI component or application (e.g. initial render/bootstrap).

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

ui.mount

Templates

  1. {{ui.component_name}}
  2. Component mountfallback

Examples

HomeButtonComponent mount

Component update

Updating of an already-mounted UI component.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

ui.update

Templates

  1. {{ui.component_name}}
  2. Component updatefallback

Examples

HomeButtonComponent update

Component render

Rendering of a UI component.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

ui.render

Templates

  1. {{ui.component_name}}
  2. Component renderfallback

Examples

HomeButtonComponent render

Component unmount

Unmounting/teardown of a UI component.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

ui.unmount

Templates

  1. {{ui.component_name}}
  2. Component unmountfallback

Examples

HomeButtonComponent unmount

Component resolve

Looking up which component a name in a template refers to, before that component renders.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

ui.resolve

Templates

  1. {{ui.component_name}}
  2. Component resolvefallback

Examples

HomeButtonComponent resolve

UI task

A task taken on the main UI thread, such as an Ember runloop queue.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

ui.task

Templates

  1. UI taskfallback

Examples

UI task

Main UI thread blocked

A long task or long animation frame on the main UI thread.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

ui.long_taskui.long_animation_frame

Templates

  1. Main UI thread blockedfallback

Examples

Main UI thread blocked

Click interaction

A click interaction measured via Interaction to Next Paint (INP) or the Event Timing API.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

ui.interaction.click

Templates

  1. {{ui.component_name}}
  2. Clickfallback

Examples

HomeButtonClick

Hover interaction

A hover interaction measured via Interaction to Next Paint (INP).

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

ui.interaction.hover

Templates

  1. {{ui.component_name}}
  2. Hoverfallback

Examples

HomeButtonHover

Drag interaction

A drag interaction measured via Interaction to Next Paint (INP).

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

ui.interaction.drag

Templates

  1. {{ui.component_name}}
  2. Dragfallback

Examples

HomeButtonDrag

Key press interaction

A key press interaction measured via Interaction to Next Paint (INP).

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

ui.interaction.press

Templates

  1. {{ui.component_name}}
  2. Key pressfallback

Examples

SearchInputKey press

Largest contentful paint

A Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) web vital measurement.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

ui.webvital.lcp

Templates

  1. {{ui.component_name}}
  2. Largest contentful paintfallback

Examples

HeroImageLargest contentful paint

Layout shift

A Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) web vital measurement.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

ui.webvital.cls

Templates

  1. {{ui.component_name}}
  2. Layout shiftfallback

Examples

HeroImageLayout shift

UI

A generic UI operation. Prefer the more specific ui.mount, ui.render, ui.update, and ui.unmount ops.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

ui

Templates

  1. {{ui.component_name}}
  2. UIfallback

Examples

HomeButtonUI

Web server

Request handler

Handling of an incoming request by a web server route handler.

Names for this category are not specified in OpenTelemetry Semantic Conventions.

Affected ops

handler

Templates

  1. {{http.route}}
  2. Request handlerfallback

Examples

/users/:idRequest handler