content/en: updated Python log instrumentation docs (#9320)

xrmx · theletterf · vitorvasc · web-flow · commit 7a39e1b95f51 · 2026-03-04T14:40:04.000Z
Co-authored-by: Fabrizio Ferri-Benedetti &lt;algernon@fastmail.com&gt;
Co-authored-by: Vitor Vasconcellos &lt;vitor.vasconcellos@mercadolivre.com&gt;
Co-authored-by: Tammy Baylis &lt;96076570+tammy-baylis-swi@users.noreply.github.com&gt;
diff --git a/content/en/blog/2024/otel-generative-ai/index.md b/content/en/blog/2024/otel-generative-ai/index.md
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT=http://localhost:4318
 OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_PROTOCOL=http/protobuf
 OTEL_SERVICE_NAME=python-opentelemetry-openai
 OTEL_LOGS_EXPORTER=otlp_proto_http
-OTEL_PYTHON_LOGGING_AUTO_INSTRUMENTATION_ENABLED=true
 # Set to false or remove to disable log events
 OTEL_INSTRUMENTATION_GENAI_CAPTURE_MESSAGE_CONTENT=true
 ```
diff --git a/content/en/docs/languages/python/getting-started.md b/content/en/docs/languages/python/getting-started.md
@@ -130,7 +130,6 @@ it print to the console for now:
 {{< tabpane text=true >}} {{% tab "Linux/macOS" %}}
 
 ```shell
-export OTEL_PYTHON_LOGGING_AUTO_INSTRUMENTATION_ENABLED=true
 opentelemetry-instrument \
     --traces_exporter console \
     --metrics_exporter console \
@@ -142,7 +141,6 @@ opentelemetry-instrument \
 {{% /tab %}} {{% tab "Windows (PowerShell)" %}}
 
 ```powershell
-$env:OTEL_PYTHON_LOGGING_AUTO_INSTRUMENTATION_ENABLED="true"
 opentelemetry-instrument `
     --traces_exporter console `
     --metrics_exporter console `
@@ -362,7 +360,6 @@ Now run the app again:
 {{< tabpane text=true >}} {{% tab "Linux/macOS" %}}
 
 ```shell
-export OTEL_PYTHON_LOGGING_AUTO_INSTRUMENTATION_ENABLED=true
 opentelemetry-instrument \
     --traces_exporter console \
     --metrics_exporter console \
@@ -374,7 +371,6 @@ opentelemetry-instrument \
 {{% /tab %}} {{% tab "Windows (PowerShell)" %}}
 
 ```powershell
-$env:OTEL_PYTHON_LOGGING_AUTO_INSTRUMENTATION_ENABLED="true"
 opentelemetry-instrument `
     --traces_exporter console `
     --metrics_exporter console `
@@ -525,7 +521,6 @@ Now run the app again:
 {{< tabpane text=true >}} {{% tab "Linux/macOS" %}}
 
 ```shell
-export OTEL_PYTHON_LOGGING_AUTO_INSTRUMENTATION_ENABLED=true
 opentelemetry-instrument \
     --traces_exporter console \
     --metrics_exporter console \
@@ -537,7 +532,6 @@ opentelemetry-instrument \
 {{% /tab %}} {{% tab "Windows (PowerShell)" %}}
 
 ```powershell
-$env:OTEL_PYTHON_LOGGING_AUTO_INSTRUMENTATION_ENABLED="true"
 opentelemetry-instrument `
     --traces_exporter console `
     --metrics_exporter console `
@@ -798,14 +792,12 @@ Run the application like before, but don't export to the console:
 {{< tabpane text=true >}} {{% tab "Linux/macOS" %}}
 
 ```shell
-export OTEL_PYTHON_LOGGING_AUTO_INSTRUMENTATION_ENABLED=true
 opentelemetry-instrument --logs_exporter otlp flask run -p 8080
 ```
 
 {{% /tab %}} {{% tab "Windows (PowerShell)" %}}
 
 ```powershell
-$env:OTEL_PYTHON_LOGGING_AUTO_INSTRUMENTATION_ENABLED="true"
 opentelemetry-instrument --logs_exporter otlp flask run -p 8080
 ```
 
diff --git a/content/en/docs/platforms/kubernetes/operator/troubleshooting/automatic.md b/content/en/docs/platforms/kubernetes/operator/troubleshooting/automatic.md
@@ -171,7 +171,6 @@ Containers:
       OTEL_POD_IP:                                        (v1:status.podIP)
       OTEL_METRICS_EXPORTER:                             console,otlp_proto_http
       OTEL_LOGS_EXPORTER:                                otlp_proto_http
-      OTEL_PYTHON_LOGGING_AUTO_INSTRUMENTATION_ENABLED:  true
       PYTHONPATH:                                        /otel-auto-instrumentation-python/opentelemetry/instrumentation/auto_instrumentation:/otel-auto-instrumentation-python
       OTEL_TRACES_EXPORTER:                              otlp
       OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_PROTOCOL:                http/protobuf
diff --git a/content/en/docs/zero-code/python/configuration.md b/content/en/docs/zero-code/python/configuration.md
@@ -119,20 +119,28 @@ outputted.
   logging format
 - `OTEL_PYTHON_LOG_LEVEL`: to set a custom log level (info, error, debug,
   warning)
-- `OTEL_PYTHON_LOGGING_AUTO_INSTRUMENTATION_ENABLED`: to enable
-  auto-instrumentation of logs. Attaches OTLP handler to Python root logger. For
-  an example, see
-  [Logs Auto-Instrumentation](/docs/zero-code/python/logs-example/).
+- `OTEL_PYTHON_LOG_AUTO_INSTRUMENTATION`: controls whether the logging handler
+  is configured automatically (true, false), enabled by default. Refer to
+  [Logs Auto-Instrumentation](/docs/zero-code/python/logs-example/)
+- `OTEL_PYTHON_LOG_CODE_ATTRIBUTES`: to enable addition of `code` attributes
+  (`code.file.path`, `code.function.name`, `code.line.number`) to the logs
+  (true, false)
 
 Examples:
 
 ```sh
 export OTEL_PYTHON_LOG_CORRELATION=true
 export OTEL_PYTHON_LOG_FORMAT="%(msg)s [span_id=%(span_id)s]"
 export OTEL_PYTHON_LOG_LEVEL=debug
-export OTEL_PYTHON_LOGGING_AUTO_INSTRUMENTATION_ENABLED=true
+export OTEL_PYTHON_LOG_AUTO_INSTRUMENTATION=false
+export OTEL_PYTHON_LOG_CODE_ATTRIBUTES=true
 ```
 
+> Before OpenTelemetry Python 1.40.0 logs auto instrumentation was disabled by
+> default and implemented in the `opentelemetry-sdk` package. Setting
+> `OTEL_PYTHON_LOGGING_AUTO_INSTRUMENTATION_ENABLED` to `true` would have
+> enabled it.
+
 ### Other
 
 There are some more configuration options that can be set that don't fall into a
diff --git a/content/en/docs/zero-code/python/logs-example.md b/content/en/docs/zero-code/python/logs-example.md
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ which provides several commands that help automatically instrument a program.
 ```sh
 pip install opentelemetry-distro
 pip install opentelemetry-exporter-otlp
+pip install opentelemetry-instrumentation-logging
 ```
 
 The examples that follow send instrumentation results to the console. Learn more
@@ -111,7 +112,6 @@ Open up another terminal and run the Python program:
 ```sh
 source python_logs_example/bin/activate
 
-export OTEL_PYTHON_LOGGING_AUTO_INSTRUMENTATION_ENABLED=true
 opentelemetry-instrument \
   --traces_exporter console,otlp \
   --metrics_exporter console,otlp \
@@ -120,6 +120,9 @@ opentelemetry-instrument \
   python $(pwd)/example.py
 ```
 
+> Prior to OpenTelemetry Python 1.40.0 you had to enable log instrumentation
+> with `export OTEL_PYTHON_LOGGING_AUTO_INSTRUMENTATION_ENABLED=true`
+
 Sample output:
 
 ```text
