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The trace view supports multiple ways to explore the same trace: Tree, Timeline, and Reader (via the View dropdown), plus Metadata and Ask AI (via dedicated buttons/toggles). In any view, selecting a span opens the full span detail pane on the right.

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Tree View

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Open Tree View

  1. Open a trace (from Traces).
  2. In the trace view toolbar, open the view mode dropdown.
  3. Select Tree (you can switch back the same way).
Tree view
  • Hierarchy-first view: Shows parent/child nesting so you can follow the trace’s call structure.
  • Collapsible branches: Collapse spans with children to hide entire subtrees and reduce noise.
  • Inline metrics: Duration on every row; tokens/cost badges on LLM spans.
  • Fast navigation: Virtualized list stays responsive even on large traces.
  • Synced minimap: Jump to spans quickly and scrub the shared session-time cursor.
Use Tree View when you want to understand structure: what called what, and where time/cost sits in the hierarchy.

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Reader Mode

Reader Mode gives you a readable, flattened view of a trace designed for fast scanning and review. Reader Mode screenshot

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Open Reader Mode

  1. Open a trace (from Traces).
  2. In the trace view header, open the view mode dropdown.
  3. Select Reader Mode (you can switch back the same way).
  • High-signal view: Shows only LLM and tool-call spans by default (other spans hidden), making the trace much easier to parse.
  • At-a-glance columns: Type/model, timing, tokens/cost, and breadcrumbs per row.
  • Expandable rows: Open any row to see formatted outputs; selecting still opens the full span detail pane on the right.
  • Lazy-loaded outputs: Fetches only what’s on screen to keep the UI fast.
  • Templates per path: Apply saved Mustache templates per span path to reshape how outputs render.
  • Synced minimap: Highlights spans in view and lets you jump or scrub session time.
Use Reader Mode when you want a narrative, high-signal view of a trace focused on LLM + tool calls, without drilling through nested spans.

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Timeline View

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Open Timeline View

  1. Open a trace (from Traces).
  2. In the trace view toolbar, open the view mode dropdown.
  3. Select Timeline (you can switch back the same way).
Timeline view
  • Time-first view: Renders each span as a colored bar on a single time axis.
  • Zoom controls: Use +/- to zoom in for fine-grained alignment or out for a high-level overview.
  • Event markers: Span events appear as ticks inside the bar.
  • Inline labels: Name + duration (and tokens/cost for LLM spans) are shown on the bar when space allows.
Use Timeline View when you’re diagnosing latency, overlaps, gaps, or long-running steps.

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Metadata

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Open Metadata

  1. Open a trace (from Traces).
  2. In the trace view toolbar, click Metadata.
Metadata view
  • Read-only source of truth: Shows the trace metadata exactly as stored.
  • JSON-first: Defaults to a JSON view with formatting and syntax highlighting.
  • Search/copy friendly: Quickly find keys/values and copy raw text as needed.
Use Metadata when you need to verify context fields (inputs, run config, tags, custom attributes) without digging through spans. See Metadata.

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Ask AI

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Open Ask AI

  1. Open a trace (from Traces).
  2. In the trace view toolbar, click Ask AI.
Ask AI
  • Automatic summary: Generates a trace summary (and deeper analysis) to orient you quickly.
  • Span-aware answers: When the assistant cites spans, they show up as clickable chips that jump you to the referenced span.
  • Iterate fast: Ask follow-ups about errors, unexpected outputs, tool calls, or performance.
  • Resettable: Start a new chat when you want a fresh thread.
Use Ask AI when you want a quick narrative explanation or guided debugging without manually scanning the whole trace.

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Open in SQL Editor

  1. Open a trace (from Traces).
  2. In the trace view header, open the Trace dropdown.
  3. Select Open in SQL editor (opens in a new tab).
  • Pre-filled query (trace): Starts with SELECT * FROM spans WHERE trace_id = ... ORDER BY start_time ASC.
  • Pre-filled query (span): From a span’s detail header dropdown, Open in SQL editor creates SELECT * FROM spans WHERE span_id = ....
Use SQL Editor when you need precise filtering, aggregation, or auditing on the raw spans table beyond what the UI exposes. See SQL Editor.