Environment variables - BotGauge Docs

Arguments to tracing.init() win over these variables. In the Read by column, Both means tracing.init() and botgauge instrument. instrument means only the zero-code launcher reads the variable. With init(), use the matching argument instead.

BotGauge variables

Variable	Read by	Default	Effect
`BOTGAUGE_API_KEY`	Both	unset	Your BotGauge key, sent only as `Authorization: Bearer <key>`. The one setting you need.
`BOTGAUGE_ENDPOINT`	Both	`https://api.botgauge.com/v1/traces` when a key is set	Full OTLP/HTTP traces URL of the collector to send to.
`BOTGAUGE_CAPTURE`	instrument	`text`	`metadata`, `text`, or `full`. See Capture and redaction.
`BOTGAUGE_REDACTED`	instrument	`true`	`false` exports original content without masking, in every capture mode. It overrides `BOTGAUGE_CAPTURE`.
`BOTGAUGE_CAPTURE_ALLOW_KEYS`	Both	empty	Comma-separated extra attribute keys to keep. Globs are allowed, for example `app.tenant_tier,myco.*`. Merged with `capture_allow_keys=`.
`BOTGAUGE_TRACE_SCOPE`	Both	`filtered`	`all` exports infrastructure spans (HTTP, database) in full instead of filtering them.
`BOTGAUGE_STRICT`	instrument	off	`1` stops the app from starting on instrumentation problems. Same as `--strict`.
`BOTGAUGE_VERIFIED_ONLY`	instrument	off	`1` traces only framework versions BotGauge verified.
`BOTGAUGE_PRODUCER_OWNER`	instrument	empty	For example `langchain=customer` (comma-separated) leaves a framework you already instrument to you.
`BOTGAUGE_ALLOW_INSECURE_HTTP`	Both	`false`	`true` allows sending the key to a remote `http://` endpoint. Local addresses such as `127.0.0.1` need no opt-in. Prefer `https`.
`BOTGAUGE_CONSOLE_EXPORT`	Both	off	`1` prints spans to stdout when no key or endpoint is set. For local development only.

OpenTelemetry variables that affect BotGauge

BotGauge is built on the OpenTelemetry SDK, so some standard variables apply too. “When BotGauge creates the provider” means you called tracing.init() without tracer_provider= and no provider was set up yet. Otherwise your own provider’s configuration applies.

Variable	Effect on BotGauge
`OTEL_SDK_DISABLED=true`	Turns tracing off. No spans are recorded or exported, with or without your own provider. Use it to disable BotGauge in tests or one environment without changing code.
`OTEL_SERVICE_NAME`, `OTEL_RESOURCE_ATTRIBUTES`	Added to the exported resource when BotGauge creates the provider.
`OTEL_TRACES_SAMPLER`, `OTEL_TRACES_SAMPLER_ARG`	Apply when BotGauge creates the provider and `sample_ratio=` is not given, so a sampler set for another tool samples BotGauge’s traces too. BotGauge prints a one-time warning at startup when it will drop traces, and `botgauge doctor` shows the active sampler. Pass `sample_ratio=1.0` to record everything regardless.
`OTEL_BSP_SCHEDULE_DELAY`, `OTEL_BSP_MAX_QUEUE_SIZE`, `OTEL_BSP_MAX_EXPORT_BATCH_SIZE`, `OTEL_BSP_EXPORT_TIMEOUT`	Tune the batching of BotGauge’s own export. An unusable value is logged once on the `botgauge` logger and OpenTelemetry’s default is used.
`OTEL_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE_LENGTH_LIMIT` and the other span limit variables	Apply when BotGauge creates the provider. Protected string values are already capped at 4096 characters.
`OTEL_PROPAGATORS`	Which headers carry trace context between services. BotGauge never replaces your propagator. See the note below.
`OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_*`	Ignored by BotGauge’s exporter. They stay with your own exporters, which never receive the BotGauge key.

With server or MCP instrumentation, a caller’s traceparent sets the trace ID and, with the default sampler or sample_ratio= (both parent-based, while other samplers decide on their own), whether its request is recorded. For a service with untrusted callers, set OTEL_PROPAGATORS=none (OpenTelemetry 1.33 or newer). See the botgauge-tracing README section on public edges, and the OpenTelemetry SDK configuration docs for the values of this variable and the sampler variables.

Logging

BotGauge reports problems, such as a rejected key, an invalid setting, or an untraced framework, as warnings on the standard Python logger named botgauge. Route or silence them like any other logger. For a full picture of what is active, use botgauge doctor.

​BotGauge variables

​OpenTelemetry variables that affect BotGauge

​Logging

BotGauge variables

OpenTelemetry variables that affect BotGauge

Logging