> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.openlit.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Instrumentation Methods

> Choose between zero-code instrumentation or manual instrumentation for AI observability

OpenLIT SDK offers two ways to add opentelemetry-native observability to your AI applications:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Zero-code instrumentation" icon="terminal">
    Runtime wrapper, no code changes needed

    ```bash terminal theme={null}
    openlit-instrument \
      python app.py
    ```

    **Use when:**

    * Working with existing/production apps
    * Code changes are restricted or risky
  </Card>

  <Card title="Manual instrumentation" icon="code">
    Add 2 lines to your code for auto instrumentation

    ```python example.py theme={null}
    import openlit
    openlit.init()
    ```

    **Use when:**

    * Building new applications
    * Need custom spans or metadata
    * Want advanced configuration options
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Comparison

|                       | Zero-code instrumentation      | Manual instrumentation                |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------- |
| **Code changes**      | None                           | 2 lines                               |
| **Advanced features** | Basic configuration            | Full access to custom spans, metadata |
| **Setup time**        | Instant                        | 1 minute                              |
| **Best for**          | Production apps, Existing Apps | New apps, custom needs                |

***

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart: LLM Observability" href="/latest/sdk/quickstart-ai-observability" icon="bolt">
    Production-ready AI monitoring setup in 2 simple steps with zero code changes
  </Card>

  <Card title="Integrations" href="/latest/sdk/integrations/overview" icon="circle-nodes">
    60+ AI integrations with automatic instrumentation and performance tracking
  </Card>

  <Card title="Deploy OpenLIT Platform" href="/latest/openlit/installation" icon="circle-down">
    Deployment options for scalable LLM monitoring infrastructure
  </Card>

  <Card title="Destinations" href="/latest/sdk/destinations/overview" icon="link">
    Send telemetry to Datadog, Grafana, New Relic, and other observability stacks
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Card title="Zero-code observability with the OpenLIT Controller" icon="tower-broadcast" href="/latest/controller/overview">
  Discover and instrument LLM traffic across Kubernetes, Docker, and Linux using eBPF — no code changes required.
</Card>