> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.apica.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.apica.io/~/revisions/iBqtD6vFwTjCeuXOvwAa/flow/list-of-forwarders/traces.md).

# OpenTelemetry Traces

The **OTLP Trace Forwarder** lets you send traces in OTLP format (OpenTelemetry Protocol) to any external HTTP-compatible backend. This is useful for integrating Ascent with Jaeger, custom observability platforms, or third-party tracing services that support OTLP.

You can find it in the **Forwarders** section:

<figure><img src="/files/8Sz7HblfvXlf1V1LIzU2" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

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## Configuration

<table><thead><tr><th width="154.4453125">Field</th><th width="82.66015625">Type</th><th width="88.203125">Required</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><code>endpoint</code></td><td>string</td><td>✅</td><td>Full URL to which OTLP metrics will be sent. Example: https://example.com/v1/metrics</td></tr><tr><td><code>headers</code></td><td>string</td><td>❌</td><td>Optional comma-separated list of headers (<code>key=value</code>) to include in POST.</td></tr><tr><td><code>output_format</code></td><td>string</td><td>✅</td><td>Choose between <code>proto</code> (Protobuf encoding) or <code>json</code> for compatibility with your target system.</td></tr><tr><td><code>name</code></td><td>string</td><td>✅</td><td>Name of the forwarder</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### How it Works

Once you create a forwarder, it can be mapped to any of your namespaces/apps that are currently receiving OTEL-formatted traces.

All trace events that conform to the OTEL protocol will be automatically forwarded to the specified endpoint via OTLP over HTTP.