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Send OTLP over gRPC (with headers and TLS)

OTLP over gRPC is how collectors talk to most backends and to each other. This exporter sends all three signals with gzip, a tenant header taken from the environment, a sending queue and retries, so a short backend outage does not lose data.

Signals
LogsMetricsTraces
Source
OTLP
Components
otlpbatchmemory_limiterotlp
Destination
OTLP/gRPC endpoint

OpenTelemetry Collector

OpenTelemetry Collector YAML
receivers:
  otlp:
    protocols:
      grpc:
        endpoint: 0.0.0.0:4317

processors:
  memory_limiter:
    check_interval: 1s
    limit_percentage: 80
    spike_limit_percentage: 25
  batch:
    timeout: 5s

exporters:
  otlp:
    endpoint: tempo.example.internal:4317
    tls:
      insecure: false
    headers:
      x-scope-orgid: ${env:TENANT_ID}
    compression: gzip
    timeout: 10s
    sending_queue:
      enabled: true
      queue_size: 5000
    retry_on_failure:
      enabled: true
      initial_interval: 5s
      max_interval: 30s
      max_elapsed_time: 300s

service:
  pipelines:
    logs:
      receivers: [otlp]
      processors: [memory_limiter, batch]
      exporters: [otlp]
    metrics:
      receivers: [otlp]
      processors: [memory_limiter, batch]
      exporters: [otlp]
    traces:
      receivers: [otlp]
      processors: [memory_limiter, batch]
      exporters: [otlp]

LinkMesh

Library › Destinations › OTLP gRPC

Endpoint
tempo.example.internal:4317
Headers
{"x-scope-orgid":"${env:TENANT_ID}"}
Compression
gzip
Timeout
10s
Durable Delivery
true

What LinkMesh then pushes to the collector, under exporters:

Pushed to the collector
otlp/output_dst_00000502:
  compression: gzip
  endpoint: tempo.example.internal:4317
  headers:
    x-scope-orgid: ${env:TENANT_ID}
  sending_queue:
    block_on_overflow: false
    enabled: true
    storage: file_storage/output_dst_00000502
  timeout: 10s

# extensions:
file_storage/output_dst_00000502:
  create_directory: true
  directory: /var/lib/otelcol-supervisor/sending-queue/output_dst_00000502

The same, as an API call (see automation recipes):

API call
curl -X POST "$LINKMESH/destinations" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LMSAT" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
  "defaultConfig": {
    "compression": "gzip",
    "durable_queue": true,
    "endpoint": "tempo.example.internal:4317",
    "headers": {
      "x-scope-orgid": "${env:TENANT_ID}"
    },
    "timeout": "10s"
  },
  "exporterType": "otlp",
  "name": "OTLP gRPC",
  "signalTypes": [
    "logs",
    "metrics",
    "traces"
  ]
}'

The rest of the collector config above (memory_limiter, batch) is not part of this template: in LinkMesh those are separate sources, processors and destinations on the route.

Generated from LinkMesh's template catalogue by linkmesh-server snippet-render 1.464.3, not written by hand.

Download config.yamlValidated with otelcol-contrib v0.161.0 on 2026-10-26

Complete config files, each checked with the collector's own validate command (otelcol-contrib v0.161.0).

The gotcha

TLS is on unless you turn it off. In our test, pointed at a plaintext OTLP receiver, the exporter delivered nothing and the collector only logged gRPC transport warnings, not an error; with tls.insecure: true the same record arrived. Use insecure: true only on a trusted network, otherwise give the receiver a certificate.

Used in these pipelines

Manage this across a fleet

LinkMesh manages collector configuration across a fleet from one self-hosted control plane, so a change like this is made once rather than host by host. The first 25 Collectors are free after a no-card registration in the OpenSight Customer Portal (5 without one).

Doing this in LinkMesh: Destinations

Install LinkMesh →See all snippets

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