# End-user resources

> Vendor-agnostic resources for OpenTelemetry users

---

You don’t have to become a contributor to have influence in OpenTelemetry. Just
by showing up with your perspective as an end user, you’re helping shape the
future of the project. The OTel maintainers and contributors are deeply invested
in building a project that meets real-world needs, and they need your input,
regardless if you work in a giant corp, tiny startup, or you are just hacking in
your garage.

Different people prefer different ways to share their feedback and learn from
each other. Some like to have a conversation, others prefer responding to a
survey, and for others, giving a 👍 is enough. We have you covered.

## Report an issue or give a thumbs up

If you encounter a bug, unexpected behavior, or a limitation, reporting it is
one of the most effective ways to help improve the project.

First, review the OpenTelemetry issues to see if anyone already reported it
before you. Giving a thumbs up or sharing more context in a comment is exactly
what we’re looking for. Are you the first person who bumped into this problem?
File an issue in one of our repositories.

<div class="l-primary-buttons justify-content-start hk-no-external-icon mt-4">

- [Review issues][projects]

</div>

[Learn more](issue-participation/) about how we track reactions to issues.

[projects]: https://github.com/orgs/open-telemetry/projects

## Chat on Slack {#slack}

Questions, clarifications, or observations don't always fit well into issues but
are just as important. You can voice them in OpenTelemetry-related channels in
CNCF Slack workspace. OTel maintainers, contributors, and other end users hang
out there and can answer your questions.

Any channel starting with `#otel-` is good, but some of the channels you might
want to keep an eye on are:

- [#opentelemetry][]
- [#otel-semantic-conventions][]
- [#otel-community-demo][]
- [#otel-vendor][]

Not sure where to ask? Post to [#otel-sig-end-user][], and we will help you find
the right channel.

<div class="l-primary-buttons justify-content-start hk-no-external-icon mt-4">

- [Join CNCF Slack][cncf-slack]

</div>

## Respond to a survey {#survey}

Sometimes it's us who want to ask the questions! Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
in OpenTelemetry run surveys to better understand our users’ needs and make
better-informed decisions when building OTel. Here are a few examples of surveys
we've run previously:

- [Contributor Experience Survey](/blog/2025/contribex-survey-results/)
- [Developer Experience Survey](/blog/2025/devex-survey/)
- [Docs Usability Survey](/blog/2024/otel-docs-survey/)
<!--➡️ TODO: Turn links into embeds-->

[Learn more](https://github.com/open-telemetry/sig-end-user/tree/main/end-user-surveys)
about how we run surveys.

## Join a podcast {#podcast}

The ultimate way to share your experience in our toolbox is joining our
podcasts. We regularly do two types of them:

- [OTel Me](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVYDBkQ1TdywIl9xKEo5_u7zlwY38dW43):
  A discussion between our host and end users about their OpenTelemetry adoption
  and implementation.
- [OTel in Practice](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVYDBkQ1TdyxKgdGE4ThYLkNRCuLLYy9x):
  An interactive enablement session on different aspects of OpenTelemetry by
  contributors and end users.
  <!--➡️ TODO: Turn links into embeds-->

We do the podcasts live and recordings are posted on the OpenTelemetry YouTube
channel. If you want to talk about your experience with OpenTelemetry,
[let us know](#contact).

[Learn more](interviews-feedback/) about how we do podcasts.

## Connect with us {#contact}

If you're interested in being a part of any of these programs, have any
questions or tips on how to improve end user feedback collection, or just want
to say hi, let us know in [#otel-sig-end-user][] in CNCF Slack! Not there yet?
[Join us][cncf-slack]!

> [!NOTE] For OpenTelemetry contributors
>
> Is your SIG in need of insights from end users? :female_detective: Are you
> wanting to find out whether end users are using or even aware of a feature
> your SIG has developed? Or perhaps you're looking for some general feedback
> about the thing you've spent hours working on? Reach out to the End User SIG
> on Slack (#otel-sig-end-user) and we will be happy to help you.

[#opentelemetry]: https://cloud-native.slack.com/archives/CJFCJHG4Q
[#otel-community-demo]: https://cloud-native.slack.com/archives/C03B4CWV4DA
[#otel-semantic-conventions]:
  https://cloud-native.slack.com/archives/C041APFBYQP
[#otel-sig-end-user]: https://cloud-native.slack.com/archives/C01RT3MSWGZ
[#otel-vendor]: https://cloud-native.slack.com/archives/C031SAMGV2A
[cncf-slack]: https://slack.cncf.io/

---

Section pages:

- [Vote and Comment on GitHub Issues](/community/end-user/issue-participation/): Help us prioritize work in OpenTelemetry by contributing to GitHub issues with your votes and comments.
- [Interviews or Feedback Sessions](/community/end-user/interviews-feedback/): Help improve OpenTelemetry - share your feedback directly with us!
- [OTel In Practice](/community/end-user/otel-in-practice/): _OTel in Practice_ is a _series_ of talks initiated by some members of the End User SIG.