traces/docs/sources/tempo/set-up-for-tracing/instrument-send/choose-instrumentation-method/_index.md

title, description, weight, draft

title	description	weight	draft
Choose an instrumentation method	Learn about the different instrumentation methods for sending traces to Tempo.	300	true

Choose an instrumentation method

You need to instrument your app to enable it to emit tracing data. This data is then gathered by a collector and sent to Tempo.

Instrumentation methods comparison

You can instrument your code using one or more of the methods described in the table.

Instrumentation method	Description	Benefits	Drawbacks
Automatic instrumentation	Applies instrumentation automatically using agents or middleware, without code changes.	Quick setup: Enables tracing without code changes Low overhead: Minimal performance impact	Limited customization: May not capture all use cases
Zero-code instrumentation	Uses eBPF technology to instrument applications without code changes.	Non-intrusive: No code changes needed High performance: Low overhead and efficient	Limited visibility: May not capture all behavior Complexity: Requires eBPF knowledge
Manual instrumentation	Involves adding code to create spans and traces, giving full control over collected data.	Full control: Define exactly what data is collected Custom spans: Capture specific behavior	Higher effort: Requires code changes and maintenance Potential for errors: Can introduce bugs
Hybrid instrumentation	Combines automatic and manual methods, using automatic for most code and manual for custom tracing logic.	Flexibility: Leverage benefits of both methods	Complexity: May require managing both approaches

Next steps

After you choose your instrumentation method, refer to Set up instrumentation.