Good news! As of June 2025, OpenTelemetry is now in preview for Azure Functions. If you want basic observability without writing code or installing libraries, you can now enable distributed tracing directly from the Azure Portal.
This quick guide shows the simplest way to enable OpenTelemetry in Azure Functions using built-in features — no NuGet packages or custom code needed.
What You Need
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An existing Azure Function App (v4)
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Application Insights already enabled (most new Function Apps have this by default)
Step-by-Step: Enable Distributed Tracing in the Portal
1. Go to Your Azure Function App
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Navigate to your Function App in the Azure Portal
2. Enable Application Insights
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In the left menu, go to "Application Insights"
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If it’s not already enabled, click "Turn on Application Insights" and accept the defaults
3. View End-to-End Transactions
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After deployment, go back to Application Insights
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Open "Transaction Search" or "Application Map"
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You’ll start seeing traces that include Function execution, dependencies (e.g. HTTP calls), and timing breakdowns
Why This Is Useful
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Zero code changes required
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Enables end-to-end distributed tracing
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You can correlate data between services (e.g., Functions, API Management, Logic Apps)
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Useful for debugging, performance monitoring, and SLA reporting
Wrap-Up
If you’re looking for a simple, no-code way to get observability into your Azure Functions, this built-in integration with Application Insights is the fastest path.
Want deeper control or need to export to other systems? Then explore OpenTelemetry SDKs and custom exporters in .NET, Python, or JavaScript.
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