MCP semantic conventions (#2083)

Co-authored-by: Aaron Abbott <aaronabbott@google.com>

Author: lmolkova

.chloggen/2083.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+change_type: enhancement
+component: mcp
+note: Add MCP semantic conventions
+issues: [2043, 2083]

.github/CODEOWNERS

@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@
 /docs/gen-ai/                     @open-telemetry/specs-semconv-approvers @open-telemetry/semconv-genai-approvers
 /model/gen-ai/                    @open-telemetry/specs-semconv-approvers @open-telemetry/semconv-genai-approvers
 /model/openai/                    @open-telemetry/specs-semconv-approvers @open-telemetry/semconv-genai-approvers
+/model/mcp/                       @open-telemetry/specs-semconv-approvers @open-telemetry/semconv-genai-approvers
 
 # Security semantic conventions
 /docs/dns/                        @open-telemetry/specs-semconv-approvers @open-telemetry/semconv-security-approvers

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yaml

@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ body:
         - area:k8s
         - area:log
         - area:mainframe
+        - area:mcp
         - area:messaging
         - area:network
         - area:nfs

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/change_proposal.yaml

@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ body:
         - area:k8s
         - area:log
         - area:mainframe
+        - area:mcp
         - area:messaging
         - area:network
         - area:nfs

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/new-conventions.yaml

@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ body:
         - area:k8s
         - area:log
         - area:mainframe
+        - area:mcp
         - area:messaging
         - area:network
         - area:nfs

AREAS.md

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ their owners, related project (and project board) as well as its current status.
 |------|--------|---------|-------|-------|--------|-------|
 | Semantic Conventions: System | [semconv-system-approvers](https://github.com/orgs/open-telemetry/teams/semconv-system-approvers) | https://github.com/open-telemetry/community/blob/main/projects/system-semconv.md | https://github.com/orgs/open-telemetry/projects/55 | `area:system`, `area:host`, `area:process`, `area:nfs`, `area:os`, `area:cpu`, `area:disk`, `area:network`, `area:linux` | `accepting_contributions`, `active` | The SIG is looking for contributions! |
 | Semantic Conventions: K8s | [semconv-k8s-approvers](https://github.com/orgs/open-telemetry/teams/semconv-k8s-approvers) | https://github.com/open-telemetry/community/blob/main/projects/k8s-semconv.md | https://github.com/orgs/open-telemetry/projects/114 | `area:k8s`, `area:container`, `area:oci` | `accepting_contributions`, `active` | The SIG is looking for contributions! |
-| Semantic Conventions: GenAI | [semconv-genai-approvers](https://github.com/orgs/open-telemetry/teams/semconv-genai-approvers) | https://github.com/open-telemetry/community/blob/main/projects/gen-ai.md | https://github.com/orgs/open-telemetry/projects/82 | `area:gen-ai`, `area:openai` | `accepting_contributions`, `active` | The SIG is looking for contributions! |
+| Semantic Conventions: GenAI | [semconv-genai-approvers](https://github.com/orgs/open-telemetry/teams/semconv-genai-approvers) | https://github.com/open-telemetry/community/blob/main/projects/gen-ai.md | https://github.com/orgs/open-telemetry/projects/82 | `area:gen-ai`, `area:openai`, `area:mcp` | `accepting_contributions`, `active` | The SIG is looking for contributions! |
 | Semantic Conventions: CI/CD | [semconv-cicd-approvers](https://github.com/orgs/open-telemetry/teams/semconv-cicd-approvers) | https://github.com/open-telemetry/community/blob/main/projects/ci-cd-phase-2.md | https://github.com/orgs/open-telemetry/projects/79 | `area:cicd`, `area:artifact`, `area:deployment`, `area:test`, `area:vcs` | `accepting_contributions`, `active` | The SIG is looking for contributions! |
 | Semantic Conventions: Security | [semconv-security-approvers](https://github.com/orgs/open-telemetry/teams/semconv-security-approvers) | https://github.com/open-telemetry/community/blob/main/projects/security-semconv.md | https://github.com/orgs/open-telemetry/projects/104 | `area:security`, `area:log`, `area:user`, `area:dns`, `area:file`, `area:tls`, `area:network`, `area:process` | `accepting_contributions`, `active` | The SIG is looking for contributions! |
 | Semantic Conventions: Browser Instrumentation | [semconv-browser-approvers](https://github.com/orgs/open-telemetry/teams/semconv-browser-approvers) | https://github.com/open-telemetry/community/blob/main/projects/browser-phase-1.md | https://github.com/orgs/open-telemetry/projects/146 | `area:browser` | `accepting_contributions`, `active` | The SIG is looking for contributions! |

areas.yaml

@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ areas:
     labels:
       - area:gen-ai
       - area:openai
+      - area:mcp
     status:
       - accepting_contributions
       - active

docs/gen-ai/README.md

@@ -40,4 +40,8 @@ Technology specific semantic conventions are defined for the following GenAI sys
 * [OpenAI](./openai.md): Semantic Conventions for OpenAI.
 * [AWS Bedrock](./aws-bedrock.md): Semantic Conventions for AWS Bedrock.
 
+See also:
+
+* [Model Context Protocol](./mcp.md): Semantic Conventions for [MCP](https://modelcontextprotocol.io)
+
 [DocumentStatus]: https://opentelemetry.io/docs/specs/otel/document-status

docs/gen-ai/gen-ai-spans.md

@@ -364,10 +364,15 @@ Describes tool execution span.
 
 **Span name** SHOULD be `execute_tool {gen_ai.tool.name}`.
 
-GenAI instrumentations that are able to instrument tool execution call SHOULD do so.
-However, it's common for tools to be executed by the application code. It's recommended
-for the application developers to follow this semantic convention for tools invoked
-by the application code.
+GenAI instrumentations that can instrument tool execution calls SHOULD do so,
+unless another instrumentation can reliably cover all supported tool types.
+MCP tool executions may also be traced by the
+[corresponding MCP instrumentation](/docs/gen-ai/mcp.md#client).
+
+Tools are often executed directly by application code. Application developers
+are encouraged to follow this semantic convention for tools invoked by their
+own code and to manually instrument any tool calls that automatic
+instrumentations do not cover.
 
 **Span kind** SHOULD be `INTERNAL`.