OpenTelemetry Events Reference

This page documents all OpenTelemetry log events currently instrumented in Cline. These events are emitted when OpenTelemetry integration is enabled and provide detailed insights into user behavior, task execution, and system operations.

Events are only emitted when OpenTelemetry is enabled. See OpenTelemetry for configuration instructions.

Event Categories

Cline emits events across several categories, each prefixed with a namespace:

user.*

Authentication, telemetry controls, extension lifecycle

task.*

Task execution, conversation turns, tool usage, tokens

workspace.*

Workspace initialization, VCS detection, path resolution

ui.*

User interface interactions and model selection

hooks.*

Hook discovery, execution, and context modification

worktree.*

Git worktree operations and merge handling

host.*

Host environment detection

test.*

Diagnostic and connection testing

User Events

Events related to user authentication, telemetry preferences, and extension lifecycle.

Event	Description	Key Attributes
`user.opt_out`	User explicitly opts out of telemetry	user_id, timestamp
`user.opt_in`	User explicitly opts into telemetry	user_id, timestamp
`user.telemetry_enabled`	Telemetry service enabled/initialization signal	enabled, timestamp
`user.extension_activated`	Extension activation event	extension_version, host_type
`user.extension_storage_error`	Error while reading/writing extension storage state	error_type, error_message
`user.auth_started`	Authentication flow started	provider, timestamp
`user.auth_succeeded`	Authentication flow succeeded	provider, user_id
`user.auth_failed`	Authentication flow failed	provider, error_reason
`user.auth_logged_out`	User logged out	reason, provider
`user.onboarding_progress`	Onboarding step/action progress	step, action, completed

Example: user.auth_succeeded

{
  "event": "user.auth_succeeded",
  "timestamp": "2026-03-05T10:30:00Z",
  "attributes": {
    "provider": "github",
    "user_id": "user_abc123",
    "session_id": "sess_xyz789"
  }
}

Workspace Events

Events related to workspace initialization, version control detection, and multi-root operations.

Event	Description	Key Attributes
`workspace.initialized`	Workspace initialization completed	roots_count, vcs_type, duration_ms
`workspace.init_error`	Workspace initialization failed	error_type, fallback_used
`workspace.vcs_detected`	Version control system detection event	vcs_type, root_path_hash
`workspace.multi_root_checkpoint`	Multi-root checkpoint operation telemetry	operation, roots_count, duration_ms
`workspace.path_resolved`	Workspace path resolution	hint, fallback_used, cross_workspace

Example: workspace.initialized

{
  "event": "workspace.initialized",
  "timestamp": "2026-03-05T10:32:15Z",
  "attributes": {
    "roots_count": 2,
    "vcs_type": "git",
    "duration_ms": 145,
    "multi_root_enabled": true
  }
}

Task Events

Core events tracking task lifecycle, conversation turns, tool usage, and execution details.

Task Lifecycle

Event	Description	Key Attributes
`task.created`	New task/conversation started	task_id, mode, model, provider
`task.restarted`	Existing task restarted/reopened	task_id, time_since_last_message
`task.completed`	Task completed	task_id, duration_ms, model, provider, tokens_total
`task.feedback`	User feedback on task	task_id, feedback_type (thumbs_up/thumbs_down)
`task.historical_loaded`	Historical task loaded from storage	task_id, age_days
`task.retry_clicked`	User clicked retry on a failed action/request	task_id, action_type

Conversation & Tokens

Event	Description	Key Attributes
`task.conversation_turn`	Conversation turn event	role (user/assistant), provider, model, tokens_in, tokens_out
`task.tokens`	Token usage event	tokens_in, tokens_out, cached_tokens, cost
`task.mode`	Plan/Act mode switch event	previous_mode, new_mode, task_id

Tool Usage

Event	Description	Key Attributes
`task.tool_used`	Tool invocation and outcome telemetry	tool_name, success, duration_ms, auto_approved
`task.mcp_tool_called`	MCP tool call lifecycle event	status (started/success/error), tool_name, server_name
`task.browser_tool_start`	Browser tool/session started	url, action
`task.browser_tool_end`	Browser tool/session ended with stats	duration_ms, actions_count, success
`task.browser_error`	Browser tool error event	error_type, url
`task.terminal_execution`	Terminal execution capture success/failure event	success, command_hash, duration_ms
`task.terminal_output_failure`	Terminal output capture failed	reason
`task.terminal_user_intervention`	User intervention during terminal execution	intervention_type
`task.terminal_hang`	Terminal hang/stuck detection event	duration_ms, command_hash

Features & Options

Event	Description	Key Attributes
`task.checkpoint_used`	Checkpoint action used	action (create/restore/compare), task_id
`task.option_selected`	User selected one of AI-provided options	option_index, total_options
`task.options_ignored`	User ignored AI options and entered custom input	options_count
`task.slash_command_used`	Slash command or MCP prompt command used	command_name
`task.mention_used`	Mention resolution succeeded	mention_type (file/url/folder/terminal/problems/git)
`task.mention_failed`	Mention resolution failed	mention_type, error_reason
`task.mention_search_results`	Mention search query result telemetry	query, results_count
`task.workspace_search_pattern`	Workspace search strategy/pattern telemetry	pattern_type, files_scanned

Advanced Features

Event	Description	Key Attributes
`task.focus_chain_enabled`	Focus chain feature enabled	task_id
`task.focus_chain_disabled`	Focus chain feature disabled	task_id
`task.focus_chain_progress_first`	First focus-chain checklist/progress emitted	items_count
`task.focus_chain_progress_update`	Subsequent focus-chain checklist/progress updates	items_total, items_completed
`task.focus_chain_incomplete_on_completion`	Task completed while focus-chain checklist still incomplete	items_remaining
`task.focus_chain_list_opened`	Focus-chain markdown/list opened by user	task_id
`task.focus_chain_list_written`	Focus-chain markdown/list written/saved	task_id
`task.subagent_enabled`	Subagents feature enabled	task_id
`task.subagent_disabled`	Subagents feature disabled	task_id
`task.subagent_started`	Subagent execution started	subagent_id, prompt_length
`task.subagent_completed`	Subagent execution completed	subagent_id, duration_ms, success
`task.skill_used`	Skill invocation event	skill_name, task_id

Auto-Compact & Context

Event	Description	Key Attributes
`task.summarize_task`	Auto-compaction/summarize triggered for context pressure	conversation_length, estimated_tokens
`task.auto_condense_toggled`	Auto-condense setting toggled	enabled

Settings & Features

Event	Description	Key Attributes
`task.feature_toggled`	Generic feature toggle changed	feature_name, enabled
`task.rule_toggled`	Cline rule toggled on/off	rule_name, enabled, is_global
`task.yolo_mode_toggled`	YOLO mode toggled	enabled
`task.cline_web_tools_toggled`	Cline web tools setting toggled	enabled

API & Performance

Event	Description	Key Attributes
`task.gemini_api_performance`	Gemini-specific API performance telemetry	duration_ms, tokens, cache_hit
`task.provider_api_error`	API provider error event	provider, model, error_code, error_message
`task.diff_edit_failed`	Diff/replace edit failed	file_path_hash, error_type
`task.initialization`	Task initialization timing/metadata event	duration_ms, mode

AI Output Feedback

Event	Description	Key Attributes
`task.ai_output.accepted`	AI-generated file edit accepted	lines_added, lines_removed, file_count
`task.ai_output.rejected`	AI-generated file edit rejected	lines_added, lines_removed, file_count

Example: task.tool_used

{
  "event": "task.tool_used",
  "timestamp": "2026-03-05T10:35:22Z",
  "attributes": {
    "task_id": "task_1234567890",
    "tool_name": "write_to_file",
    "success": true,
    "duration_ms": 125,
    "auto_approved": false,
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4",
    "provider": "anthropic"
  }
}

UI Events

Events tracking user interface interactions.

Event	Description	Key Attributes
`ui.model_selected`	Model selected in UI	model, provider, previous_model
`ui.model_favorite_toggled`	Model favorite toggled	model_id, is_favorited
`ui.button_clicked`	UI button click event	button_id, context
`ui.rules_menu_opened`	Rules/skills menu/modal opened	menu_type

Example: ui.model_selected

{
  "event": "ui.model_selected",
  "timestamp": "2026-03-05T11:20:00Z",
  "attributes": {
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4",
    "provider": "anthropic",
    "previous_model": "gpt-4o",
    "mode": "act"
  }
}

Hooks Events

Events related to hook discovery, execution lifecycle, and context modifications.

Event	Description	Key Attributes
`hooks.enabled`	Hooks feature enabled	user_id
`hooks.disabled`	Hooks feature disabled	user_id
`hooks.cancel_requested`	Hook requested cancellation	hook_name, task_id
`hooks.context_modified`	Hook modified context	hook_name, modification_type
`hooks.discovery_completed`	Hook discovery completed	hooks_count, global_count, workspace_count
`hooks.execution`	Unified hook execution lifecycle	hook_name, status (started/completed/failed/cancelled), duration_ms

Hook Execution Lifecycle

The hooks.execution event tracks the complete lifecycle with a status attribute:

started: Hook execution began
completed: Hook finished successfully
failed: Hook encountered an error
cancelled: Hook was cancelled by user or system

Example: hooks.execution

{
  "event": "hooks.execution",
  "timestamp": "2026-03-05T10:40:15Z",
  "attributes": {
    "hook_name": "preToolUse",
    "status": "completed",
    "duration_ms": 234,
    "task_id": "task_1234567890",
    "context_modified": false
  }
}

Worktree Events

Events related to Git worktree operations.

Event	Description	Key Attributes
`worktree.view_opened`	Worktree view opened	user_id
`worktree.created`	Worktree create event	success, branch_name, duration_ms
`worktree.merge_attempted`	Worktree merge attempt event	has_conflicts, delete_option_chosen

Example: worktree.created

{
  "event": "worktree.created",
  "timestamp": "2026-03-05T14:22:00Z",
  "attributes": {
    "success": true,
    "branch_name_hash": "abc123",
    "duration_ms": 1250,
    "parent_branch": "main"
  }
}

Host Events

Events related to host environment detection.

Event	Description	Key Attributes
`host.detected`	Host environment detection event	host_type (vscode/jetbrains/cli), version

Example: host.detected

{
  "event": "host.detected",
  "timestamp": "2026-03-05T09:00:00Z",
  "attributes": {
    "host_type": "vscode",
    "version": "1.95.0",
    "platform": "darwin"
  }
}

Test Events

Diagnostic and connection testing events.

Event	Description	Key Attributes
`cline.test.connection`	OTEL connection test event from “Test OTEL Connection” flow	success, exporter_type, endpoint

Example: cline.test.connection

{
  "event": "cline.test.connection",
  "timestamp": "2026-03-05T15:30:00Z",
  "attributes": {
    "success": true,
    "exporter_type": "otlp",
    "endpoint": "https://api.datadoghq.com:4317",
    "protocol": "grpc"
  }
}

Event Attribute Guidelines

Common Attributes

Most events include these standard attributes:

Attribute	Type	Description
`timestamp`	ISO 8601	Event occurrence time
`user_id`	string	Anonymized user identifier (when authenticated)
`session_id`	string	Current session identifier
`extension_version`	string	Cline extension version
`host_type`	string	vscode, jetbrains, or cli

Privacy & Hashing

Sensitive information is hashed or anonymized:

File paths: Hashed to preserve privacy
Command content: Hashed, not logged verbatim
User identifiers: Anonymized tokens
Branch names: Hashed in worktree events

File paths, command arguments, and code content are never included in raw form. Only hashes or anonymized identifiers are used.

Task Event Deep Dive

Task events are the most detailed category. Here’s a typical task execution flow:

Task Token Tracking

Token events provide detailed cost and usage information:

{
  "event": "task.tokens",
  "timestamp": "2026-03-05T10:35:30Z",
  "attributes": {
    "task_id": "task_1234567890",
    "tokens_in": 2500,
    "tokens_out": 850,
    "cached_tokens": 1200,
    "cost": 0.0043,
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4",
    "provider": "anthropic"
  }
}

Using Events for Analytics

SQL syntax is illustrative only. Attribute access varies by observability platform — for example, JSON_EXTRACT(attributes, '$.model') in BigQuery, attributes['model'] in ClickHouse, or @attributes.model in Datadog. Adapt all queries below to your platform’s query language before use.

Query Patterns

Most used tools:

SELECT attributes.tool_name, COUNT(*) as count
FROM otel_logs
WHERE event = 'task.tool_used'
  AND attributes.success = true
GROUP BY attributes.tool_name
ORDER BY count DESC
LIMIT 10

Average task duration by model:

SELECT 
  attributes.model,
  AVG(attributes.duration_ms) as avg_duration_ms,
  COUNT(*) as task_count
FROM otel_logs
WHERE event = 'task.completed'
GROUP BY attributes.model

Token usage by provider:

SELECT 
  attributes.provider,
  SUM(attributes.tokens_in) as total_tokens_in,
  SUM(attributes.tokens_out) as total_tokens_out,
  SUM(attributes.cost) as total_cost
FROM otel_logs
WHERE event = 'task.tokens'
  AND timestamp >= NOW() - INTERVAL '30 days'
GROUP BY attributes.provider

Tool approval rates:

SELECT 
  attributes.tool_name,
  SUM(CASE WHEN attributes.auto_approved THEN 1 ELSE 0 END)::float / COUNT(*) as auto_approval_rate,
  COUNT(*) as total_uses
FROM otel_logs
WHERE event = 'task.tool_used'
GROUP BY attributes.tool_name
ORDER BY total_uses DESC

Integration Examples

Query syntax below is illustrative. Attribute access varies by platform — for example, JSON_EXTRACT(attributes, '$.model') in BigQuery, attributes['model'] in ClickHouse, or dot notation in Datadog. Adapt to your platform’s query language.

Datadog Dashboard

Create custom Datadog dashboards using these events:

{
  "widgets": [
    {
      "definition": {
        "type": "timeseries",
        "requests": [
          {
            "q": "sum:cline.task.completed{*}.as_count()",
            "display_type": "bars"
          }
        ],
        "title": "Tasks Completed Over Time"
      }
    },
    {
      "definition": {
        "type": "query_value",
        "requests": [
          {
            "q": "sum:cline.task.tokens{*}",
            "aggregator": "sum"
          }
        ],
        "title": "Total Tokens Used"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Grafana Queries

Example Loki query for tool usage:

{event="task.tool_used"} 
| json
| line_format "{{.attributes_tool_name}}: {{.attributes_success}}"

New Relic NRQL

Query task completion rates:

SELECT count(*) 
FROM Log 
WHERE event = 'task.completed' 
FACET attributes.model 
SINCE 1 day ago

Event Schema Reference

All events follow this structure:

interface OtelLogEvent {
  event: string              // Event name (e.g., "task.created")
  timestamp: string           // ISO 8601 timestamp
  attributes: {
    // Event-specific attributes
    [key: string]: string | number | boolean
  }
  resource: {
    service_name: "cline"
    service_version: string   // Extension version
    host_type: string         // vscode | jetbrains | cli
  }
}

Best Practices

Filter Noise

Focus on events relevant to your use case. Not all events need dashboards.

Set Alerts

Alert on error events and usage anomalies for proactive monitoring.

Aggregate Metrics

Roll up events into metrics for long-term trend analysis.

Respect Privacy

Remember events are already anonymized. Don’t attempt to de-anonymize.

Troubleshooting

Events Not Appearing

If events aren’t showing up in your observability platform:

Verify OTel is enabled in remote configuration or environment variables
Check endpoint configuration - ensure URL and protocol are correct
Validate credentials - test with the “Test OTEL Connection” button
Check exporter settings - ensure logs exporter includes otlp
Review platform-specific requirements - some platforms need specific headers

Event Volume Concerns

If you’re seeing excessive event volume:

Sample events - Configure sampling in your OTel collector
Filter events - Use your platform’s filtering to drop noisy events
Aggregate on collection - Pre-aggregate metrics before export
Adjust export intervals - Increase openTelemetryMetricExportInterval and batch settings

OpenTelemetry Setup

Configure OTel integration

Prompt Storage

Backup conversation history

Telemetry

Basic telemetry overview

​Event Categories

user.*

task.*

workspace.*

ui.*

hooks.*

worktree.*

host.*

test.*

​User Events

​Example: user.auth_succeeded

​Workspace Events

​Example: workspace.initialized

​Task Events

​Task Lifecycle

​Conversation & Tokens

​Tool Usage

​Features & Options

​Advanced Features

​Auto-Compact & Context

​Settings & Features

​API & Performance

​AI Output Feedback

​Example: task.tool_used

​UI Events

​Example: ui.model_selected

​Hooks Events

​Hook Execution Lifecycle

​Example: hooks.execution

​Worktree Events

​Example: worktree.created

​Host Events

​Example: host.detected

​Test Events

​Example: cline.test.connection

​Event Attribute Guidelines

​Common Attributes

​Privacy & Hashing

​Task Event Deep Dive

​Task Token Tracking

​Using Events for Analytics

​Query Patterns

​Integration Examples

​Datadog Dashboard

​Grafana Queries

​New Relic NRQL

​Event Schema Reference

​Best Practices

Filter Noise

Set Alerts

Aggregate Metrics

Respect Privacy

​Troubleshooting

​Events Not Appearing

​Event Volume Concerns

​See Also

OpenTelemetry Setup

Prompt Storage

Telemetry

Event Categories

User Events

Example: user.auth_succeeded

Workspace Events

Example: workspace.initialized

Task Events

Task Lifecycle

Conversation & Tokens

Tool Usage

Features & Options

Advanced Features

Auto-Compact & Context

Settings & Features

API & Performance

AI Output Feedback

Example: task.tool_used

UI Events

Example: ui.model_selected

Hooks Events

Hook Execution Lifecycle

Example: hooks.execution

Worktree Events

Example: worktree.created

Host Events

Example: host.detected

Test Events

Example: cline.test.connection

Event Attribute Guidelines

Common Attributes

Privacy & Hashing

Task Event Deep Dive

Task Token Tracking

Using Events for Analytics

Query Patterns

Integration Examples

Datadog Dashboard

Grafana Queries

New Relic NRQL

Event Schema Reference

Best Practices

Troubleshooting

Events Not Appearing

Event Volume Concerns

See Also