---
title: "Configure Alloy to send traces | Grafana Labs"
description: "Configure Alloy to begin sending traces from your applications to Grafana Cloud."
---

> For a curated documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). For the complete documentation index, see [llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt).

# Configure Grafana Alloy to send traces

Grafana Alloy uses a component-based architecture that allows you to build flexible telemetry pipelines tailored to your specific requirements. Watch video ->

For trace collection, you typically need the following types of components:

- **Receiver components**: Accept trace data from applications and other sources
- **Processor components**: Transform, filter, or enhance trace data
- **Exporter components**: Send processed traces to destinations like Grafana Cloud

The most common component for receiving traces is `otelcol.receiver.otlp`, which accepts OpenTelemetry Protocol (OTLP) traces from instrumented applications.

To configure trace collection components, you need to edit the configuration file. The example in this milestone includes the `otelcol.receiver.otlp` component that accepts traces on standard ports, and an OTLP exporter that sends traces to Grafana Cloud using basic authentication.

Alloy adds a default configuration file when you install it.

## Create a configuration file and API token

To configure Alloy, complete the following steps:

1. Sign in to your Grafana Cloud stack and navigate to your stack.
2. Select **Details** next to your stack.
3. Locate the **Tempo** section and select **Send Traces** or **Details**.
4. Open the configuration file in your preferred text editor. The file location depends on your operating system. For example:
   
   - Linux: `/etc/alloy/config.alloy`
   - macOS: `$(brew --prefix)/etc/alloy/config.alloy`
   - Windows: `%ProgramFiles%\GrafanaLabs\Alloy\config.alloy`
   - Docker: `<CONFIG_FILE_PATH>`
5. Copy the example configuration file from **Sending data to Grafana Cloud using Grafana Alloy** Step 2.
6. Paste your configuration into your Alloy configuration file.
7. Return to your Grafana Cloud stack and create a new API token:
   
   1. Click **Generate now** on Step **3. Replace `<Your Grafana.com API Token>` with a Grafana.com API token**.
   2. Enter a **Token name**.
   3. Select **Create token**. Copy the token.
8. Replace `<Your Grafana.com API Token>` with the token you just created.
9. Save the changes to your configuration file.

Consider using batch processing if you’re using a production environment.

## Next steps

In the next milestone, you will restart Alloy with your updated `config.alloy` and validate your configuration.