Auto-instrumenting a Java Spring Boot application with OpenTelemetry and Grafana Tempo involves using OpenTelemetry auto-instrumentation libraries to manage traces and logs effectively, despite the author's limited experience with Java. By referencing a specific jar file and setting appropriate parameters, traces are offloaded to Tempo, while logs are sent to Loki, allowing for efficient trace discovery and management. The process also includes configuring logging to include trace IDs, which aids in correlating logs with traces. Although the current setup allows for basic trace and log handling, there is potential for further enhancements, such as implementing a custom request logger to improve log querying capabilities. The article also encourages readers to explore the provided repository and learn more about Grafana Tempo through available resources.