> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://laminar.sh/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Tracing Structure

You've initialized Laminar. Your LLM calls are traced automatically. Now what?

This section covers what to do when auto-instrumentation isn't enough:

* **Trace your own functions** — Your agent has logic beyond LLM calls. Wrap functions with `@observe` to see them in traces.
* **Add context** — Attach user IDs, session IDs, metadata, and tags so you can filter and debug effectively.
* **Control what's captured** — Skip recording inputs/outputs for sensitive operations.

If you just want to trace LLM calls and framework operations, you don't need this section—[Integrations](/integrations) has you covered. Come back here when you want deeper visibility into your own code.

## Why Structure Matters

Without structure, each LLM call becomes an isolated trace, making it hard to:

* Understand relationships between calls (routing → tool use → final answer)
* Follow multi-step workflows end-to-end
* Track conversations across turns
* Find the right trace quickly (by user/session/metadata)

Well-structured traces show a clear tree of spans for each request, plus stable identifiers that help you search and group related work.

## Quickstart

Start by creating a **parent span** for your request/turn, then set **user ID**, **session ID**, and **metadata** inside that span so everything downstream inherits it.

<Tabs items={['TypeScript', 'Python']}>
  <Tab title="TypeScript">
    ```typescript theme={null}
    import { Laminar, observe } from '@lmnr-ai/lmnr';

    Laminar.initialize({
      projectApiKey: process.env.LMNR_PROJECT_API_KEY,
    });

    export async function handleRequest(userId: string, requestId: string) {
      return observe({ name: 'handleRequest' }, async () => {
        Laminar.setTraceUserId(userId);
        Laminar.setTraceSessionId(`session-${requestId}`);
        Laminar.setTraceMetadata({ environment: process.env.NODE_ENV });

        // ... your LLM calls / tools / business logic ...
      });
    }
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Python">
    ```python theme={null}
    from lmnr import Laminar, observe
    import os

    Laminar.initialize()

    @observe()
    def handle_request(user_id: str, request_id: str):
        Laminar.set_trace_user_id(user_id)
        Laminar.set_trace_session_id(f"session-{request_id}")
        Laminar.set_trace_metadata({"environment": os.getenv("ENVIRONMENT")})

        # ... your LLM calls / tools / business logic ...
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Quick Reference

| I want to...                                              | Use                                                                  |
| --------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Trace a function I wrote                                  | [Trace Functions](/tracing/structure/observe-decorator)              |
| Trace code that isn't a function                          | [Trace Parts of Your Code](/tracing/structure/manual-span-creation)  |
| Make a function show up as a tool call in transcript view | [Span Types](/tracing/structure/span-types)                          |
| Group traces by conversation/workflow                     | [Sessions](/tracing/structure/sessions)                              |
| Associate traces with users                               | [User ID](/tracing/structure/user-id)                                |
| Add key-value context to traces                           | [Metadata](/tracing/structure/metadata)                              |
| Add categorical labels to spans                           | [Tags](/tracing/structure/tags)                                      |
| Trace images sent to LLMs                                 | [Tracing Images](/tracing/structure/images)                          |
| Continue traces across services                           | [Continuing Traces](/tracing/structure/continuing-traces)            |
| Track costs for custom LLM spans                          | [LLM Cost Tracking](/tracing/structure/llm-cost-tracking)            |
| Ensure spans send in serverless/CLI                       | [Flushing & Shutting Down](/tracing/structure/flushing-and-shutdown) |