---
title: "otelcol.receiver.zipkin | Grafana Agent documentation"
description: "Learn about otelcol.receiver.zipkin"
---

# otelcol.receiver.zipkin

`otelcol.receiver.zipkin` accepts Zipkin-formatted traces over the network and forwards it to other `otelcol.*` components.

> **NOTE**: `otelcol.receiver.zipkin` is a wrapper over the upstream OpenTelemetry Collector `zipkin` receiver. Bug reports or feature requests will be redirected to the upstream repository, if necessary.

Multiple `otelcol.receiver.zipkin` components can be specified by giving them different labels.

## Usage

Alloy ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```alloy
otelcol.receiver.zipkin "LABEL" {
  output {
    traces = [...]
  }
}
```

## Arguments

`otelcol.receiver.zipkin` supports the following arguments:

Expand table

| Name                    | Type      | Description                                                     | Default          | Required |
|-------------------------|-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|------------------|----------|
| `parse_string_tags`     | `bool`    | Parse string tags and binary annotations into non-string types. | `false`          | no       |
| `endpoint`              | `string`  | `host:port` to listen for traffic on.                           | `"0.0.0.0:9411"` | no       |
| `max_request_body_size` | `string`  | Maximum request body size the server will allow.                | `20MiB`          | no       |
| `include_metadata`      | `boolean` | Propagate incoming connection metadata to downstream consumers. |                  | no       |

If `parse_string_tags` is `true`, string tags and binary annotations are converted to `int`, `bool`, and `float` if possible. String tags and binary annotations that cannot be converted remain unchanged.

## Blocks

The following blocks are supported inside the definition of `otelcol.receiver.zipkin`:

Expand table

| Hierarchy      | Block                                  | Description                                                                | Required |
|----------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------|
| tls            | [tls](#tls-block)                      | Configures TLS for the HTTP server.                                        | no       |
| cors           | [cors](#cors-block)                    | Configures CORS for the HTTP server.                                       | no       |
| debug\_metrics | [debug\_metrics](#debug_metrics-block) | Configures the metrics that this component generates to monitor its state. | no       |
| output         | [output](#output-block)                | Configures where to send received traces.                                  | yes      |

The `>` symbol indicates deeper levels of nesting. For example, `grpc > tls` refers to a `tls` block defined inside a `grpc` block.

### tls block

The `tls` block configures TLS settings used for a server. If the `tls` block isn’t provided, TLS won’t be used for connections to the server.

The following arguments are supported:

Expand table

| Name                           | Type           | Description                                                                                  | Default     | Required |
|--------------------------------|----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------|----------|
| `ca_file`                      | `string`       | Path to the CA file.                                                                         |             | no       |
| `ca_pem`                       | `string`       | CA PEM-encoded text to validate the server with.                                             |             | no       |
| `cert_file`                    | `string`       | Path to the TLS certificate.                                                                 |             | no       |
| `cert_pem`                     | `string`       | Certificate PEM-encoded text for client authentication.                                      |             | no       |
| `insecure_skip_verify`         | `boolean`      | Ignores insecure server TLS certificates.                                                    |             | no       |
| `include_system_ca_certs_pool` | `boolean`      | Whether to load the system certificate authorities pool alongside the certificate authority. | `false`     | no       |
| `insecure`                     | `boolean`      | Disables TLS when connecting to the configured server.                                       |             | no       |
| `key_file`                     | `string`       | Path to the TLS certificate key.                                                             |             | no       |
| `key_pem`                      | `secret`       | Key PEM-encoded text for client authentication.                                              |             | no       |
| `max_version`                  | `string`       | Maximum acceptable TLS version for connections.                                              | `"TLS 1.3"` | no       |
| `min_version`                  | `string`       | Minimum acceptable TLS version for connections.                                              | `"TLS 1.2"` | no       |
| `cipher_suites`                | `list(string)` | A list of TLS cipher suites that the TLS transport can use.                                  | `[]`        | no       |
| `reload_interval`              | `duration`     | The duration after which the certificate is reloaded.                                        | `"0s"`      | no       |
| `server_name`                  | `string`       | Verifies the hostname of server certificates when set.                                       |             | no       |

If the server doesn’t support TLS, you must set the `insecure` argument to `true`.

To disable `tls` for connections to the server, set the `insecure` argument to `true`.

If `reload_interval` is set to `"0s"`, the certificate never reloaded.

The following pairs of arguments are mutually exclusive and can’t both be set simultaneously:

- `ca_pem` and `ca_file`
- `cert_pem` and `cert_file`
- `key_pem` and `key_file`

If `cipher_suites` is left blank, a safe default list is used. See the [Go TLS documentation](https://go.dev/src/crypto/tls/cipher_suites.go) for a list of supported cipher suites.

### cors block

The `cors` block configures CORS settings for an HTTP server.

The following arguments are supported:

Expand table

| Name              | Type           | Description                                              | Default                | Required |
|-------------------|----------------|----------------------------------------------------------|------------------------|----------|
| `allowed_origins` | `list(string)` | Allowed values for the `Origin` header.                  |                        | no       |
| `allowed_headers` | `list(string)` | Accepted headers from CORS requests.                     | `["X-Requested-With"]` | no       |
| `max_age`         | `number`       | Configures the `Access-Control-Max-Age` response header. |                        | no       |

The `allowed_headers` argument specifies which headers are acceptable from a CORS request. The following headers are always implicitly allowed:

- `Accept`
- `Accept-Language`
- `Content-Type`
- `Content-Language`

If `allowed_headers` includes `"*"`, all headers are permitted.

### debug\_metrics block

The `debug_metrics` block configures the metrics that this component generates to monitor its state.

The following arguments are supported:

Expand table

| Name                               | Type      | Description                                          | Default | Required |
|------------------------------------|-----------|------------------------------------------------------|---------|----------|
| `disable_high_cardinality_metrics` | `boolean` | Whether to disable certain high cardinality metrics. | `true`  | no       |

`disable_high_cardinality_metrics` is the Grafana Agent equivalent to the `telemetry.disableHighCardinalityMetrics` feature gate in the OpenTelemetry Collector. It removes attributes that could cause high cardinality metrics. For example, attributes with IP addresses and port numbers in metrics about HTTP and gRPC connections are removed.

### output block

The `output` block configures a set of components to forward resulting telemetry data to.

The following arguments are supported:

Expand table

| Name      | Type                     | Description                           | Default | Required |
|-----------|--------------------------|---------------------------------------|---------|----------|
| `logs`    | `list(otelcol.Consumer)` | List of consumers to send logs to.    | `[]`    | no       |
| `metrics` | `list(otelcol.Consumer)` | List of consumers to send metrics to. | `[]`    | no       |
| `traces`  | `list(otelcol.Consumer)` | List of consumers to send traces to.  | `[]`    | no       |

You must specify the `output` block, but all its arguments are optional. By default, telemetry data is dropped. Configure the `metrics`, `logs`, and `traces` arguments accordingly to send telemetry data to other components.

## Exported fields

`otelcol.receiver.zipkin` does not export any fields.

## Component health

`otelcol.receiver.zipkin` is only reported as unhealthy if given an invalid configuration.

## Debug information

`otelcol.receiver.zipkin` does not expose any component-specific debug information.

## Example

This example forwards received traces through a batch processor before finally sending it to an OTLP-capable endpoint:

Alloy ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```alloy
otelcol.receiver.zipkin "default" {
  output {
    traces = [otelcol.processor.batch.default.input]
  }
}

otelcol.processor.batch "default" {
  output {
    metrics = [otelcol.exporter.otlp.default.input]
    logs    = [otelcol.exporter.otlp.default.input]
    traces  = [otelcol.exporter.otlp.default.input]
  }
}

otelcol.exporter.otlp "default" {
  client {
    endpoint = env("OTLP_ENDPOINT")
  }
}
```

## Compatible components

`otelcol.receiver.zipkin` can accept arguments from the following components:

- Components that export [OpenTelemetry `otelcol.Consumer`](../../compatibility/#opentelemetry-otelcolconsumer-exporters)

> Note
> 
> Connecting some components may not be sensible or components may require further configuration to make the connection work correctly. Refer to the linked documentation for more details.