How do I install adk-observability-guide?

Run `npx skills add https://github.com/google/adk-docs --skill adk-observability-guide` in your terminal. You need to have run `npx skills init` once in your project first.

Which agent frameworks does adk-observability-guide support?

adk-observability-guide works with any agent framework supported by the Skills registry, including Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Cline, Codex, and Gemini CLI.

Is adk-observability-guide free to use?

Yes. adk-observability-guide is free to install and use. It is available from the open explainx.ai skill registry published by google.

Where can I read ratings and reviews for adk-observability-guide?

Community ratings and review text appear on this explainx.ai skill page below the description. Reviews use a 1–5 scale and may include short written feedback from signed-in members.

How do I install adk-observability-guide?

Run `npx skills add https://github.com/google/adk-docs --skill adk-observability-guide` in your terminal. You need to have run `npx skills init` once in your project first.

Which agent frameworks does adk-observability-guide support?

adk-observability-guide works with any agent framework supported by the Skills registry, including Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Cline, Codex, and Gemini CLI.

Is adk-observability-guide free to use?

Yes. adk-observability-guide is free to install and use. It is available from the open explainx.ai skill registry published by google.

Where can I read ratings and reviews for adk-observability-guide?

Community ratings and review text appear on this explainx.ai skill page below the description. Reviews use a 1–5 scale and may include short written feedback from signed-in members.

How do I install adk-observability-guide?

Run `npx skills add https://github.com/google/adk-docs --skill adk-observability-guide` in your terminal. You need to have run `npx skills init` once in your project first.

Which agent frameworks does adk-observability-guide support?

adk-observability-guide works with any agent framework supported by the Skills registry, including Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Cline, Codex, and Gemini CLI.

Is adk-observability-guide free to use?

Yes. adk-observability-guide is free to install and use. It is available from the open explainx.ai skill registry published by google.

Where can I read ratings and reviews for adk-observability-guide?

Community ratings and review text appear on this explainx.ai skill page below the description. Reviews use a 1–5 scale and may include short written feedback from signed-in members.

How do I install adk-observability-guide?

Run `npx skills add https://github.com/google/adk-docs --skill adk-observability-guide` in your terminal. You need to have run `npx skills init` once in your project first.

Which agent frameworks does adk-observability-guide support?

adk-observability-guide works with any agent framework supported by the Skills registry, including Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Cline, Codex, and Gemini CLI.

Is adk-observability-guide free to use?

Yes. adk-observability-guide is free to install and use. It is available from the open explainx.ai skill registry published by google.

Where can I read ratings and reviews for adk-observability-guide?

Community ratings and review text appear on this explainx.ai skill page below the description. Reviews use a 1–5 scale and may include short written feedback from signed-in members.

How do I install adk-observability-guide?

Run `npx skills add https://github.com/google/adk-docs --skill adk-observability-guide` in your terminal. You need to have run `npx skills init` once in your project first.

Which agent frameworks does adk-observability-guide support?

adk-observability-guide works with any agent framework supported by the Skills registry, including Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Cline, Codex, and Gemini CLI.

Is adk-observability-guide free to use?

Yes. adk-observability-guide is free to install and use. It is available from the open explainx.ai skill registry published by google.

Where can I read ratings and reviews for adk-observability-guide?

Community ratings and review text appear on this explainx.ai skill page below the description. Reviews use a 1–5 scale and may include short written feedback from signed-in members.

How do I install adk-observability-guide?

Run `npx skills add https://github.com/google/adk-docs --skill adk-observability-guide` in your terminal. You need to have run `npx skills init` once in your project first.

Which agent frameworks does adk-observability-guide support?

adk-observability-guide works with any agent framework supported by the Skills registry, including Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Cline, Codex, and Gemini CLI.

Is adk-observability-guide free to use?

Yes. adk-observability-guide is free to install and use. It is available from the open explainx.ai skill registry published by google.

Where can I read ratings and reviews for adk-observability-guide?

Community ratings and review text appear on this explainx.ai skill page below the description. Reviews use a 1–5 scale and may include short written feedback from signed-in members.

How do I install adk-observability-guide?

Run `npx skills add https://github.com/google/adk-docs --skill adk-observability-guide` in your terminal. You need to have run `npx skills init` once in your project first.

Which agent frameworks does adk-observability-guide support?

adk-observability-guide works with any agent framework supported by the Skills registry, including Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Cline, Codex, and Gemini CLI.

Is adk-observability-guide free to use?

Yes. adk-observability-guide is free to install and use. It is available from the open explainx.ai skill registry published by google.

Where can I read ratings and reviews for adk-observability-guide?

Community ratings and review text appear on this explainx.ai skill page below the description. Reviews use a 1–5 scale and may include short written feedback from signed-in members.

How do I install adk-observability-guide?

Run `npx skills add https://github.com/google/adk-docs --skill adk-observability-guide` in your terminal. You need to have run `npx skills init` once in your project first.

Which agent frameworks does adk-observability-guide support?

adk-observability-guide works with any agent framework supported by the Skills registry, including Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Cline, Codex, and Gemini CLI.

Is adk-observability-guide free to use?

Yes. adk-observability-guide is free to install and use. It is available from the open explainx.ai skill registry published by google.

Where can I read ratings and reviews for adk-observability-guide?

Community ratings and review text appear on this explainx.ai skill page below the description. Reviews use a 1–5 scale and may include short written feedback from signed-in members.

How do I install adk-observability-guide?

Run `npx skills add https://github.com/google/adk-docs --skill adk-observability-guide` in your terminal. You need to have run `npx skills init` once in your project first.

Which agent frameworks does adk-observability-guide support?

adk-observability-guide works with any agent framework supported by the Skills registry, including Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Cline, Codex, and Gemini CLI.

Is adk-observability-guide free to use?

Yes. adk-observability-guide is free to install and use. It is available from the open explainx.ai skill registry published by google.

Where can I read ratings and reviews for adk-observability-guide?

Community ratings and review text appear on this explainx.ai skill page below the description. Reviews use a 1–5 scale and may include short written feedback from signed-in members.

How do I install adk-observability-guide?

Run `npx skills add https://github.com/google/adk-docs --skill adk-observability-guide` in your terminal. You need to have run `npx skills init` once in your project first.

Which agent frameworks does adk-observability-guide support?

adk-observability-guide works with any agent framework supported by the Skills registry, including Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Cline, Codex, and Gemini CLI.

Is adk-observability-guide free to use?

Yes. adk-observability-guide is free to install and use. It is available from the open explainx.ai skill registry published by google.

Where can I read ratings and reviews for adk-observability-guide?

Community ratings and review text appear on this explainx.ai skill page below the description. Reviews use a 1–5 scale and may include short written feedback from signed-in members.

How do I install adk-observability-guide?

Run `npx skills add https://github.com/google/adk-docs --skill adk-observability-guide` in your terminal. You need to have run `npx skills init` once in your project first.

Frontend

adk-observability-guide▌

google/adk-docs · updated Apr 8, 2026

MDX-style export adds YAML metadata + attribution linking explainx.ai and this canonical listing URL.

$npx skills add https://github.com/google/adk-docs --skill adk-observability-guide

0 commentsdiscussion

summary

Observability setup guide for ADK agents covering tracing, logging, analytics, and third-party integrations.

›Four observability tiers: Cloud Trace (always enabled, distributed tracing), Prompt-Response Logging (GenAI interactions to GCS/BigQuery), BigQuery Agent Analytics (structured agent events), and third-party platforms (AgentOps, Phoenix, MLflow, Weave, Arize, Monocle, Freeplay)
›Cloud Trace automatically configured in scaffolded projects and Agent Engine deployments; captures execu

skill.md

ADK Observability Guide

Scaffolded project? Cloud Trace and prompt-response logging are pre-configured by Terraform. See references/cloud-trace-and-logging.md for infrastructure details, env vars, and verification commands.

No scaffold? Follow the ADK docs links below for manual setup. For production infrastructure, scaffold with /adk-scaffold.

Reference Files

File	Contents
`references/cloud-trace-and-logging.md`	Scaffolded project details — Terraform-provisioned resources, environment variables, verification commands, enabling/disabling locally
`references/bigquery-agent-analytics.md`	BQ Agent Analytics plugin — enabling, key features, GCS offloading, tool provenance

Observability Tiers

Choose the right level of observability based on your needs:

Tier	What It Does	Scope	Default State	Best For
Cloud Trace	Distributed tracing — execution flow, latency, errors via OpenTelemetry spans	All templates, all environments	Always enabled	Debugging latency, understanding agent execution flow
Prompt-Response Logging	GenAI interactions exported to GCS, BigQuery, and Cloud Logging	ADK agents only	Disabled locally, enabled when deployed	Auditing LLM interactions, compliance
BigQuery Agent Analytics	Structured agent events (LLM calls, tool use, outcomes) to BigQuery	ADK agents with plugin enabled	Opt-in (`--bq-analytics` at scaffold time)	Conversational analytics, custom dashboards, LLM-as-judge evals
Third-Party Integrations	External observability platforms (AgentOps, Phoenix, MLflow, etc.)	Any ADK agent	Opt-in, per-provider setup	Team collaboration, specialized visualization, prompt management

Ask the user which tier(s) they need — they can be combined. Cloud Trace is always on; the others are additive.

Cloud Trace

ADK uses OpenTelemetry to emit distributed traces. Every agent invocation produces spans that track the full execution flow.

Span Hierarchy

invocation
  └── agent_run (one per agent in the chain)
        ├── call_llm (model request/response)
        └── execute_tool (tool execution)

Setup by Deployment Type

Deployment	Setup
Agent Engine	Automatic — traces are exported to Cloud Trace by default
Cloud Run (scaffolded)	Automatic — `otel_to_cloud=True` in the FastAPI app
GKE (scaffolded)	Automatic — `otel_to_cloud=True` in the FastAPI app
Cloud Run / GKE (manual)	Configure OpenTelemetry exporter in your app
Local dev	Works with `make playground`; traces visible in Cloud Console

View traces: Cloud Console → Trace → Trace explorer

For detailed setup instructions (Agent Engine CLI/SDK, Cloud Run, custom deployments), fetch https://adk.dev/integrations/cloud-trace/index.md.

Prompt-Response Logging

Captures GenAI interactions (model name, tokens, timing) and exports to GCS (JSONL), BigQuery (external tables), and Cloud Logging (dedicated bucket). Privacy-preserving by default — only metadata is logged unless explicitly configured otherwise.

Key env var: OTEL_INSTRUMENTATION_GENAI_CAPTURE_MESSAGE_CONTENT — set to NO_CONTENT (metadata only, default in deployed envs), true (full content), or false (disabled). Logging is disabled locally unless LOGS_BUCKET_NAME is set.

For scaffolded project details (Terraform resources, env vars, privacy modes, enabling/disabling, verification commands), see references/cloud-trace-and-logging.md.

For ADK logging docs (log levels, configuration, debugging), fetch https://adk.dev/observability/logging/index.md.

BigQuery Agent Analytics Plugin

Optional plugin that logs structured agent events to BigQuery. Enable with --bq-analytics at scaffold time. See references/bigquery-agent-analytics.md for details.

Third-Party Integrations

ADK supports several third-party observability platforms. Each uses OpenTelemetry or custom instrumentation to capture agent behavior.

Platform	Key Differentiator	Setup Complexity	Self-Hosted Option
AgentOps	Session replays, 2-line setup, replaces native telemetry	Minimal	No (SaaS)
Arize AX	Commercial platform, production monitoring, evaluation dashboards	Low	No (SaaS)
Phoenix	Open-source, custom evaluators, experiment testing	Low	Yes
MLflow	OTel traces to MLflow Tracking Server, span tree visualization	Medium (needs SQL backend)	Yes
Monocle	1-call setup, VS Code Gantt chart visualizer	Minimal	Yes (local files)
Weave	W&B platform, team collaboration, timeline views	Low	No (SaaS)
Freeplay	Prompt management + evals + observability in one platform	Low	No (SaaS)

Ask the user which platform they prefer — present the trade-offs and let them choose. For setup details, fetch the relevant ADK docs page from the Deep Dive table below.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
No traces in Cloud Trace	Verify `otel_to_cloud=True` in FastAPI app; check service account has `cloudtrace.agent` role
Prompt-response data not appearing	Check `LOGS_BUCKET_NAME` is set; verify SA has `storage.objectCreator` on the bucket; check app logs for telemetry setup warnings
Privacy mode misconfigured	Check `OTEL_INSTRUMENTATION_GENAI_CAPTURE_MESSAGE_CONTENT` value — use `NO_CONTENT` for metadata-only, `false` to disable
BigQuery Analytics not logging	Verify plugin is configured in `app/agent.py`; check `BQ_ANALYTICS_DATASET_ID` env var is set
Third-party integration not capturing spans	Check provider-specific env vars (API keys, endpoints); some providers (AgentOps) replace native telemetry
Traces missing tool spans	Tool execution spans appear under `execute_tool` — check trace explorer filters
High telemetry costs	Switch to `NO_CONTENT` mode; reduce BigQuery retention; disable unused tiers

Deep Dive: ADK Docs (WebFetch URLs)

For detailed documentation beyond what this skill covers, fetch these pages:

Topic	URL
Observability overview	`https://adk.dev/observability/index.md`
Agent activity logging	`https://adk.dev/observability/logging/index.md`
Cloud Trace integration	`https://adk.dev/integrations/cloud-trace/index.md`
BigQuery Agent Analytics	`https://adk.dev/integrations/bigquery-agent-analytics/index.md`
AgentOps	`https://adk.dev/integrations/agentops/index.md`
Arize AX	`https://adk.dev/integrations/arize-ax/index.md`
Phoenix (Arize)	`https://adk.dev/integrations/phoenix/index.md`
MLflow tracing	`https://adk.dev/integrations/mlflow/index.md`
Monocle	`https://adk.dev/integrations/monocle/index.md`
W&B Weave	`https://adk.dev/integrations/weave/index.md`
Freeplay	`https://adk.dev/integrations/freeplay/index.md`

how to use adk-observability-guide

How to use adk-observability-guide on Cursor

AI-first code editor with Composer

Prerequisites

Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:

›Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
›Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with node --version)
›Active project directory or workspace where you want to add adk-observability-guide

Execute installation command

Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:

$npx skills add https://github.com/google/adk-docs --skill adk-observability-guide

The skills CLI fetches adk-observability-guide from GitHub repository google/adk-docs and configures it for Cursor.

Select Cursor when prompted

The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:

◆ Which agents do you want to install to?

│

│ ── Universal (.agents/skills) ── always included ────

│ • Amp

│ • Antigravity

│ • Cline

│ • Codex

│ ●Cursor(selected)

│ • Cursor

│ • Windsurf

Verify installation

Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:

.cursor/skills/adk-observability-guide

Reload or restart Cursor to activate adk-observability-guide. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /adk-observability-guide) or your agent's skill management interface.

⚠

Security & Verification Notice

We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.

Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.

Additional Resources

›View source code on GitHub ›Skills CLI documentation ›Learn more about Cursor ›What are agent skills?

List & Monetize Your Skill

Submit your Claude Code skill and start earning

GET_STARTED →

Use Cases▌

Task Automation & Efficiency

Automate repetitive workflows and reduce manual effort

Example

Generate reports, summarize documents, draft communications

✓

Save 3-5 hours per week on routine tasks

Knowledge Enhancement

Learn new skills, understand complex topics, get expert guidance

Example

Explain concepts, provide examples, suggest learning resources

✓

Accelerate learning and skill development by 2x

Quality Improvement

Enhance output quality through reviews, suggestions, and refinements

Example

Review drafts, suggest improvements, catch errors

✓

Improve work quality by 30-40% with less effort

Implementation Guide▌

Prerequisites

›Claude Desktop or compatible AI client with skill support
›Clear understanding of task or problem to solve
›Willingness to iterate and refine outputs

Time Estimate

15-45 minutes depending on use case complexity

Installation Steps

1.Install skill using provided installation command
2.Test with simple use case relevant to your work
3.Evaluate output quality and relevance
4.Iterate on prompts to improve results
5.Integrate into regular workflow if valuable

Common Pitfalls

⚠Expecting perfect results without iteration
⚠Not providing enough context in prompts
⚠Using skill for tasks outside its intended scope
⚠Accepting outputs without review and validation

Best Practices▌

✓ Do

+Start with clear, specific prompts
+Provide relevant context and constraints
+Review and refine all outputs before using
+Iterate to improve output quality
+Document successful prompt patterns

✗ Don't

−Don't use without understanding skill limitations
−Don't skip validation of outputs
−Don't share sensitive information in prompts
−Don't expect skill to replace human judgment

💡 Pro Tips

★Be specific about desired format and style
★Ask for multiple options to choose from
★Request explanations to understand reasoning
★Combine AI efficiency with human expertise

When to Use This▌

✓ Use When

Use when skill capabilities match your task, clear ROI on time saved, and you can validate outputs. Best for repetitive tasks, learning, and quality improvement.

✗ Avoid When

Avoid when task requires deep expertise you can't validate, involves sensitive decisions, or when learning process is more valuable than speed of completion.

Learning Path▌

1Familiarize yourself with skill capabilities and limitations
2Start with low-risk, non-critical tasks
3Progress to more complex and valuable use cases
4Build expertise through regular use and experimentation

Discussion

Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)

No comments yet — start the thread.

general reviews

Ratings

4.8★★★★★31 reviews

★★★★★Hiroshi Patel· Dec 24, 2024
Keeps context tight: adk-observability-guide is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.
★★★★★Ganesh Mohane· Dec 4, 2024
adk-observability-guide reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.
★★★★★Sakshi Patil· Nov 23, 2024
I recommend adk-observability-guide for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.
★★★★★Mia Ramirez· Nov 15, 2024
adk-observability-guide has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
★★★★★Chaitanya Patil· Oct 14, 2024
Useful defaults in adk-observability-guide — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.
★★★★★Kofi Khanna· Oct 6, 2024
Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: adk-observability-guide is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.
★★★★★Soo Liu· Sep 17, 2024
Keeps context tight: adk-observability-guide is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.
★★★★★Piyush G· Sep 5, 2024
adk-observability-guide is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.
★★★★★Shikha Mishra· Aug 24, 2024
Keeps context tight: adk-observability-guide is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.
★★★★★Omar White· Aug 8, 2024
adk-observability-guide is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.

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