logging-best-practices

Canonical log lines create a single, context-rich log per request to improve observability. By capturing environment and business context in one wide event, this logging technique makes querying and analytics significantly easier for effective debugging.

To implement wide-event logging, configure a single startup logger, add a middleware layer to initialize the structured event, enrich it in route handlers, and emit the final event in a finally block.

JSON-formatted wide events centralize timing, status, and business data into one context-rich log per request. This standardized schema across services prevents fragmented logging, enabling easy querying and consistent analytics.

Implementing canonical log lines does not require a specific framework. It requires a single startup logger and a middleware layer to initialize and emit the wide event, ensuring a consistent JSON schema across web services.

Use wide-event logging when you need to capture a single, context-rich log per request across web services. It is ideal when automatic inclusion of environment and business context is required for effective debugging and analytics.

Relying on middleware for canonical logging requires a consistent JSON schema across all services and proper initialization in a finally block. Limitations include ensuring business context is correctly enriched in route handlers before emission.