---
id: opencensus-proto
version: "0.1.0"
license: Apache-2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# opencensus-proto — OpenCensus Proto

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 96.3K/mo

## What it is and what it does

OpenCensus Proto is a collection of Protocol Buffer message definitions for the OpenCensus observability framework, defining the wire format for tracing spans, metrics, and related metadata. It exists to ensure consistent serialization across different language implementations (Go, Java, C++, Python, etc.) so that observability data can be exchanged reliably in distributed systems.

However, the package is no longer maintained. OpenCensus and OpenTracing merged into OpenTelemetry in 2023, and all OpenCensus repositories except the Python implementation were archived on July 31st, 2023. The maintainers explicitly recommend migrating to OpenTelemetry, which has achieved feature parity and offers migration bridges for gradual transition. This package should be considered end-of-life for new projects.

Use it for:

- Deserializing OpenCensus trace and metrics data received from legacy systems still using the older framework
- Maintaining existing Python services that depend on opencensus-proto for proto message definitions
- Interoperating with non-Python OpenCensus implementations (Go, Java) that still emit proto-formatted observability data
- Understanding the proto schema of historical observability data stored in OpenCensus format

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Provides Protocol Buffer definitions for OpenCensus tracing and metrics, enabling language-independent serialization of observability data across distributed systems.

No, unless you are maintaining legacy code already using OpenCensus. The package is abandoned and superseded by OpenTelemetry, which the maintainers recommend for all new work. If you are starting a new observability project, use OpenTelemetry instead. If you must maintain existing OpenCensus integration, this package will install without friction, but plan a migration path.

## Install

pip install opencensus-proto
uv add opencensus-proto
poetry add opencensus-proto

## Installing opencensus-proto

Before you install: Installation is straightforward with no complex dependencies beyond grpcio, but the package is abandoned as of 2023-05-02 and archived. The project was superseded by OpenTelemetry, which the maintainers recommend for new work.

License in practice: Licensed under Apache-2.0 (permissive), allowing use in most commercial and open-source projects without significant restriction.

Quickstart:

pip install opencensus-proto

from opencensus.proto.trace.v1 import trace_pb2
span = trace_pb2.Span()

This package provides only proto definitions; you will need grpcio and a working protoc compiler or pre-generated Python bindings to use the messages meaningfully.

Verify before relying:

- Whether pre-generated Python bindings are included or if you must compile protos yourself
- Compatibility with modern Python versions beyond 3.7, given the classifier list ends there
- Whether this package is still functional or if OpenTelemetry proto packages are required for current systems

## Package facts

- License: Apache-2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 96.3K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

protobuf definitions for tracing, opencensus proto messages, distributed tracing serialization, metrics protocol buffers, observability data interchange format, census proto types, grpc tracing definitions, deprecated, observability, protobuf

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