TraceQL: A powerful query language for distributed tracing

TraceQL is a new query language introduced by Grafana Labs, designed to enhance the extraction of valuable insights from distributed tracing data using Grafana Tempo, an open-source tracing backend. TraceQL enables users to effectively query and analyze traces, which are structured as trees with components like spans and attributes, by offering a syntax inspired by PromQL and LogQL. It allows for complex queries using boolean logic and supports intrinsics and customizable attributes, with robust data-type awareness for operations on text, numeric, and duration fields. TraceQL also features on-the-fly processing pipelines for aggregations, as well as scope targeting for OpenTelemetry’s resource-level and span-level attributes. Future enhancements include advanced querying capabilities for event sequences and expanded processing pipelines. Currently, TraceQL is available in Tempo 2.0, with its user experience integrated into Grafana 9.3+, providing a powerful tool for analyzing microservice environments and improving trace data utility.

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