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Could we use distributed traces as regression tests for request flows, not just for debugging?

Assert on the shape of a trace: which spans ran, in what order, with which attributes. Catches the cross-service regressions unit and contract tests structurally miss, at the price of instrumentation discipline.

Updated Sep 2026 · Grounded in researched DevOps, SRE and platform engineering interview loops, written to a senior-engineer editorial bar, and never padded to hit a word count.

Assert on the shape of a trace: which spans ran, in what order, with which attributes. Catches the cross-service regressions unit and contract tests structurally miss, at the price of instrumentation discipline.

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