Span Size Estimator

Trace spans vary dramatically in size depending on their content. A minimal span with just timing data and a few standard attributes is around 200 bytes. Adding custom string attributes (service name, HTTP path, user ID) adds roughly 50 bytes per attribute. Numeric attributes like status codes and response sizes add about 20 bytes each.

The biggest size driver is exceptions. When a span records an exception event, it includes the exception type, message, and full stack trace. A single Java or .NET stack trace can easily be 2-5KB. If your service has a 1% error rate and you instrument every error, those error spans can account for 30-50% of your total ingestion volume despite being only 1% of spans.

To reduce span size: Remove redundant attributes that duplicate information available elsewhere (e.g., hostname when container ID is present). Use attribute value length limits in your SDK configuration. Consider sampling error spans rather than capturing every exception. Be selective about which custom attributes you add -- each one costs storage across every span that carries it.