--- title: Code-Based Custom Instrumentation description: >- Add custom spans, tags, and instrumentation to capture application-specific observability data using Datadog APIs and OpenTelemetry. breadcrumbs: Docs > APM > Application Instrumentation > Code-Based Custom Instrumentation --- # Code-Based Custom Instrumentation ## Overview{% #overview %} Code-based custom instrumentation allows for precise monitoring of specific components in your application. It allows you to capture observability data from in-house code or complex functions that aren't captured by automatic instrumentation. Automatic instrumentation includes [Single Step Instrumentation](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/single-step-apm) or using [Datadog tracing libraries](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/automatic_instrumentation/dd_libraries/). Code-based custom instrumentation involves embedding tracing code directly into your application code. This allows for the programmatic creation, modification, or deletion of traces to send to Datadog. {% alert level="info" %} To add custom instrumentation at specific application code locations from the Datadog UI, without code changes, see [Dynamic Instrumentation](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/dynamic_instrumentation/). {% /alert %} ## Getting started{% #getting-started %} Before you begin, make sure you've already [installed and configured the Agent](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/automatic_instrumentation/?tab=datadoglibraries#install-and-configure-the-agent). Follow the relevant documentation for your custom instrumentation approach to learn more: {% tab title="OpenTelemetry API (Recommended)" %} Datadog tracing libraries provide an implementation of the OpenTelemetry API for instrumenting your code. This means you can maintain vendor-neutral instrumentation of all your services, while still taking advantage of Datadog's native implementation, features, and products. You can configure it to generate Datadog-style spans and traces to be processed by the Datadog tracing library for your language, and send those to Datadog. - [Java](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/server-side/?api_type=otel_api&prog_lang=java) - [Python](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/server-side/?api_type=otel_api&prog_lang=python) - [Ruby](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/server-side/?api_type=otel_api&prog_lang=ruby) - [go](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/server-side/?api_type=otel_api&prog_lang=go) - [Node.js](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/server-side/?api_type=otel_api&prog_lang=node_js) - [PHP](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/server-side/?api_type=otel_api&prog_lang=php) - [.Net](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/server-side/?api_type=otel_api&prog_lang=dot_net) - [iOS](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/client-side/ios/) - [Android](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/client-side/android/) - [Rust](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/server-side/?api_type=otel_api&prog_lang=rust) - [Elixir](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/server-side/?api_type=otel_api&prog_lang=elixir) {% /tab %} {% tab title="Datadog API" %} Use the Datadog API to add custom instrumentation that allows you to programmatically create, modify, or delete traces to send to Datadog. This is useful for tracing in-house code not captured by automatic instrumentation, removing unwanted spans from traces, and for providing deeper visibility and context into spans, including adding span tags. - [Java](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/server-side/?api_type=dd_api&prog_lang=java) - [Python](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/server-side/?api_type=dd_api&prog_lang=python) - [Ruby](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/server-side/?api_type=dd_api&prog_lang=ruby) - [go](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/server-side/?api_type=dd_api&prog_lang=go) - [Node.js](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/server-side/?api_type=dd_api&prog_lang=node_js) - [PHP](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/server-side/?api_type=dd_api&prog_lang=php) - [C++](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/server-side/?api_type=dd_api&prog_lang=cpp) - [.Net](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/server-side/?api_type=dd_api&prog_lang=dot_net) - [Android](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/client-side/android/) {% /tab %} {% tab title="OpenTracing (Legacy)" %} If [OpenTelemetry](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/otel_instrumentation/) or [`ddtrace`](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/trace_collection/custom_instrumentation/) custom instrumentation doesn't work for you, each of the supported languages also has support for sending [OpenTracing](https://opentracing.io/docs/) data to Datadog. OpenTracing is archived and the project is unsupported. - [Java](opentracing/java) - [Python](opentracing/python) - [Node.js](opentracing/nodejs) - [Ruby](opentracing/ruby) - [.Net](opentracing/dotnet) - [PHP](opentracing/php) - [Android](opentracing/android) {% /tab %} ## Further reading{% #further-reading %} - [Instrument a custom method to get deep visibility into your business logic](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/guide/instrument_custom_method) - [Connect your Logs and Traces together](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/connect_logs_and_traces) - [Explore your services, resources, and traces](https://docs.datadoghq.com/tracing/visualization/) - [Learn More about Datadog and the OpenTelemetry initiative](https://www.datadoghq.com/blog/opentelemetry-instrumentation/)