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AWS X-Ray

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AWS X-Ray is the distributed tracing backend on AWS. Prefer ADOT/OpenTelemetry instrumentation and CloudWatch Application Signals as the APM UI — X-Ray SDKs are in maintenance mode.

Platform & Operations. Last reviewed July 2026.

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In this entry

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2serious gotchas

3tips

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Definition

AWS X-Ray stores and queries distributed traces for applications on AWS. In the modern stack, CloudWatch Application Signals is the primary APM experience; X-Ray remains the trace backend that receives OpenTelemetry spans (via ADOT, CloudWatch agent, or OTLP endpoints) and legacy X-Ray segments.

When to use it

  • As the destination for ADOT/OpenTelemetry traces powering Application Signals and Transaction Search
  • Trace retrieval and analytics alongside Application Signals service maps

When not to use it

  • Do not start net-new instrumentation with the X-Ray SDKs or Daemon — they entered maintenance mode on February 25, 2026 (security fixes only). Use ADOT instead.
  • Do not treat the classic X-Ray console as your only APM if Application Signals is available for your runtime

Tips

  • Migrate existing X-Ray SDK apps to ADOT when you next touch instrumentation
  • Enable Transaction Search for span search and unified Application Signals pricing features
  • Sampling rules still matter — 100% trace ingest is a common bill shock

Gotchas

Serious

  • Continuing to teach aws-xray-sdk-* for greenfield work after maintenance mode
  • Confusing X-Ray service (supported) with X-Ray SDK (maintenance)

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Pictures:James Murray in the Scriptorium (public domain); Card Division of the Library of Congress, 1900–1920 (public domain); Salle des catalogues, Bibliothèque Mazarine, Paris, Marie-Lan Nguyen (CC BY 2.0); Copyright card catalog drawer, Michael Holley Swtpc6800 (public domain); Type in sort case, Edinburgh City of Print (CC BY 2.0); Widener Library reading room, 1920 (public domain). Via Wikimedia Commons.