---
package: "@opentelemetry/api-logs"
version: "^0.55.0"
tier: core
decision: approved
date: 2026-05-14
deciders: [Danijel Martinek]
adr: adr-017
filter-results:
  license: Apache-2.0
  types: native
  maintenance: active
  boundary-fit: pass
  shadow-check: pass
  eu-residency: n/a
  cve-scan: clean
  named-consumer: pass
verification-commands:
  - npm view @opentelemetry/api-logs license
  - npm view @opentelemetry/api-logs version
  - pnpm audit --audit-level=moderate
accepted-cves: []
---

## Filter: license

<!-- Result: Apache-2.0 -->

`npm view @opentelemetry/api-logs license` returns `Apache-2.0`. Apache-2.0 is on the allowlist.

## Filter: types

<!-- Result: native -->

`@opentelemetry/api-logs` is authored in TypeScript and ships its own `.d.ts` declaration files. No separate `@types/` package is needed.

## Filter: maintenance

<!-- Result: active -->

Actively maintained by the OpenTelemetry community under the CNCF as part of the unified OTel JS repository. Versioned alongside the SDK packages; the 0.55.x line is current and aligns with the SDK release cycle.

## Filter: boundary-fit

<!-- Result: pass -->

ADR-017 §4 designates `@opentelemetry/api-logs` as the Logs API for `OtelLogger` in `core-shared/instrumentation/`. Feature packages interact with logging only via the `ILogger` interface (ADR-014 R34); they do not import this package directly.

## Filter: shadow-check

<!-- Result: pass -->

`@opentelemetry/api-logs` is the only OTel Logs API in the workspace. It complements `@opentelemetry/api` (traces) and `@opentelemetry/sdk-metrics` (metrics) to form the complete three-signal OTel pipeline. No competing logging API is present.

## Filter: eu-residency

<!-- Result: n/a -->

`@opentelemetry/api-logs` is a pure API package with no network communication or data transmission. EU residency does not apply.

## Filter: cve-scan

<!-- Result: clean -->

`pnpm audit --audit-level=moderate` reports no advisories against `@opentelemetry/api-logs` at the time of this trace.

## Filter: named-consumer

<!-- Result: pass -->

`packages/core-shared/src/instrumentation/otel/otel-logger.ts` implements `ILogger` using `@opentelemetry/api-logs` to emit log records via the OTel Logs API (ADR-017 §4). `packages/core-audit` also depends on it for structured audit log emission.

## Prompt: replaces

`OtelLogger` replaces the former `SentryLogger` which called Sentry SDK methods directly. `@opentelemetry/api-logs` provides the vendor-neutral log emission surface so that the downstream exporter (Sentry via `@sentry/opentelemetry`) can be swapped without touching logger code.

## Prompt: migration-cost-out

Hard. `@opentelemetry/api-logs` is called in every `OtelLogger` log-emission path in `core-shared`. Moving to a different logs API (e.g., a custom abstraction) would require rewriting both the logger implementation and the OTel SDK initialization. The `ILogger` interface boundary (ADR-014) limits blast radius to `core-shared`.

## Prompt: alternatives-considered

1. **Winston / Pino as the log API** — Considered before ADR-017. Rejected because a separate log library alongside OTel would create a split-pipeline problem: traces and logs would travel through different channels, losing correlation.
2. **Sentry SDK breadcrumb API directly** — Rejected in ADR-017: direct Sentry coupling prevents vendor swap without code changes.

See ADR-017 for the full decision rationale.
