Google Cloud has introduced a new unified ingestion endpoint for observability data called the Google Cloud Telemetry API. Many project owners recently received an email notification about the automatic activation of telemetry.googleapis.com, and it raised one simple question:
Do I need to do anything?
No. But understanding what this change means is still important — especially if you manage logging, monitoring, or tracing inside Google Cloud.
What Is the Google Cloud Telemetry API?
The Google Cloud Telemetry API (telemetry.googleapis.com) is a new ingestion endpoint that supports the OpenTelemetry Protocol (OTLP). It allows applications to send:
- Logs
- Metrics
- Trace spans
Instead of relying on separate APIs like:
logging.googleapis.comcloudtrace.googleapis.commonitoring.googleapis.com
Google is moving toward a unified OpenTelemetry-native endpoint.
This aligns Google Cloud with the broader industry shift toward OpenTelemetry, an open-source observability standard supported by companies like Google Cloud, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services.
Why Google Is Making This Change
Google Cloud is standardizing how telemetry data gets ingested.
Here’s what improves with the new Telemetry API:
1. Open Standard Compatibility
Developers can use OpenTelemetry SDKs and collectors without depending on proprietary Google exporters.
2. More Generous Limits
The Telemetry API often provides more flexible limits compared to older ingestion APIs.
3. Unified Endpoint
Instead of managing multiple ingestion APIs, Google centralizes logs, traces, and metrics under one service.
4. Future Feature Support
Some advanced observability features rely on telemetry being sent through this new endpoint.
In simple terms, Google is modernizing its observability infrastructure.
Google Cloud Telemetry API: What Changes on March 23, 2026?
Starting March 23, 2026:
- If your project already has Cloud Logging, Cloud Trace, or Cloud Monitoring enabled,
- Google will automatically enable
telemetry.googleapis.comas a dependency.
This applies to:
- New projects created via Console or gcloud (APIs auto-enabled)
- Existing projects that already use ingestion APIs
The key point:
There will be no service disruption and no required migration.
Is Any Action Required for the Google Cloud Telemetry API?
For most users — no action is required.
This update:
- Does not delete data
- Does not force configuration changes
- Does not change how dashboards work
- Does not immediately affect billing
If your services currently work, they will continue to work.
You may disable the API manually in the Google Cloud Console if you manage strict API governance, but doing so could impact observability pipelines.
Who Is Affected by the Google Cloud Telemetry API Update?
While casual project owners can safely ignore this change, certain teams should review it carefully:
1. Enterprise Environments
If you use strict IAM policies tied to specific APIs, check how dependency enablement affects your compliance model.
2. Custom Observability Pipelines
If you run custom OpenTelemetry collectors or exporters, verify ingestion paths to avoid metric duplication.
3. Assured Workloads / Data Residency Users
Organizations using Impact Level 4 (IL4) or strict data residency rules should review trace ingestion policies before sending spans through the Telemetry API.
How the Google Cloud Telemetry API Handles Metrics Differently
The Telemetry API maps OTLP metrics into Cloud Monitoring’s Prometheus format:
prometheus.googleapis.com/{metric_name}/{suffix}Important behavior changes include:
- Integer values are converted to DOUBLE.
- Periods (
.) and slashes (/) remain in metric names. _totaland unit suffixes are not auto-appended.
If you use both the legacy googlemanagedprometheus exporter and the OTLP endpoint, you may see duplicate metric descriptors.
Most standard users won’t notice this difference.
Can You Disable the Telemetry API?
Yes. You can disable telemetry.googleapis.com in:
Google Cloud Console → APIs & Services → Dashboard
However, keep in mind:
- Disabling an API does not delete stored data.
- Disabling ingestion endpoints may affect monitoring or tracing workflows.
- Some services depend on it after activation.
Only disable it if you fully understand your observability setup.
Will the Google Cloud Telemetry API Increase Billing Costs?
Enabling an API does not automatically increase costs.
Billing depends on:
- Volume of logs
- Metrics ingested
- Trace spans generated
If your ingestion volume stays the same, costs remain unchanged.
The Google Cloud Telemetry API is a backend observability upgrade that introduces a unified OpenTelemetry ingestion endpoint for logs, metrics, and traces. It activates automatically for projects using Cloud Logging, Monitoring, or Trace and does not require any user action. For most users, this change does not affect existing workflows or billing and can be treated as an informational update rather than a breaking change.
