Limitations
Written by
Updated at March 24, 2026
Limits
Retention limits
| Type of limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Data retention period for all spans | 4 days |
Write limits
| Type of limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum size of a span batch | 4 MB |
Maximum span start time in the past (startTimeUnixNano) |
24 hours ago |
Maximum span end time in the future (endTimeUnixNano) |
1 hour from now |
Maximum span name length |
2,048 characters |
Maximum number of span attributes |
512 |
| Maximum attribute name length | 256 characters |
| Maximum attribute value length | 2,097,152 characters |
Maximum events per span |
256 |
Read limits
| Type of limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum number of spans displayed in the trace viewing interface | 100,000 |
For larger traces, split them into multiple traces and link them using span links.
Incoming span validation
Before ingestion, each batch of spans has to pass validation in terms of required fields (trace_id, span_id, timestamps), compliance with the above limits, and validity of formats. Spans that fail validation are rejected (other spans in the batch may still be accepted), and the error details go to the exporter in the response.
If some spans are missing from the UI or a trace appears incomplete, see Incomplete traces for common causes and troubleshooting steps.