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

# AutoGen AgentChat

> Trace AutoGen AgentChat applications with OpenInference and send spans to Arize AX for LLM observability.

[AutoGen AgentChat](https://microsoft.github.io/autogen/stable/user-guide/agentchat-user-guide/index.html) is Microsoft's multi-agent framework for building robust agent teams. Arize AX captures every AgentChat run — assistant turns, tool calls, group-chat coordination, and the LLM calls beneath them — via the [`openinference-instrumentation-autogen-agentchat`](https://github.com/Arize-ai/openinference/tree/main/python/instrumentation/openinference-instrumentation-autogen-agentchat) package.

## Prerequisites

* Python 3.10+
* An Arize AX account ([sign up](https://arize.com/sign-up/))
* An `OPENAI_API_KEY` from the [OpenAI Platform](https://platform.openai.com/api-keys)

## Launch Arize AX

1. Sign in to your [Arize AX account](https://app.arize.com/).
2. From **Space Settings**, copy your **Space ID** and **API Key**. You will set them as `ARIZE_SPACE_ID` and `ARIZE_API_KEY` below.

## Install

```bash theme={null}
pip install arize-otel \
  openinference-instrumentation-autogen-agentchat \
  autogen-agentchat "autogen-ext[openai]"
```

## Configure credentials

```bash theme={null}
export ARIZE_SPACE_ID="<your-space-id>"
export ARIZE_API_KEY="<your-api-key>"
export ARIZE_PROJECT_NAME="autogen-agentchat-tracing-example"
export OPENAI_API_KEY="<your-openai-api-key>"
```

## Setup tracing

```python theme={null}
# instrumentation.py
import os

from arize.otel import register
from openinference.instrumentation.autogen_agentchat import (
    AutogenAgentChatInstrumentor,
)

tracer_provider = register(
    space_id=os.environ["ARIZE_SPACE_ID"],
    api_key=os.environ["ARIZE_API_KEY"],
    project_name=os.environ["ARIZE_PROJECT_NAME"],
)

AutogenAgentChatInstrumentor().instrument(tracer_provider=tracer_provider)
print("Arize AX tracing initialized for AutoGen AgentChat.")
```

## Run AutoGen AgentChat

```python theme={null}
# example.py

# Importing instrumentation first ensures tracing is set up
# before `autogen_agentchat` is imported.
from instrumentation import tracer_provider

import asyncio

from autogen_agentchat.agents import AssistantAgent
from autogen_ext.models.openai import OpenAIChatCompletionClient


async def main() -> None:
    # OpenAIChatCompletionClient reads OPENAI_API_KEY from the environment.
    model_client = OpenAIChatCompletionClient(model="gpt-5")

    agent = AssistantAgent(
        name="assistant",
        model_client=model_client,
        system_message="You are a concise factual assistant.",
    )

    result = await agent.run(
        task="Why is the ocean salty? Answer in two sentences.",
    )
    print(result.messages[-1].content)
    await model_client.close()


asyncio.run(main())
```

### Expected output

```text wrap theme={null}
Arize AX tracing initialized for AutoGen AgentChat.
The ocean is salty because rivers continuously dissolve mineral salts from rocks and soil and carry them to the sea, where they accumulate over millions of years. Water leaves the ocean through evaporation but the salts remain, steadily concentrating until reaching today's roughly 3.5% salinity.
```

## Verify in Arize AX

1. Open your Arize AX space and select project **`autogen-agentchat-tracing-example`**.
2. You should see a new trace within \~30 seconds containing an `invoke_agent assistant` parent span wrapping `OpenAIChatCompletionClient.create` LLM child spans with the prompt, response, and token usage attached.
3. If no traces appear, see [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting).

## Troubleshooting

* **No traces in Arize AX.** Confirm `ARIZE_SPACE_ID` and `ARIZE_API_KEY` are set in the same shell that runs `example.py`. Enable OpenTelemetry debug logs with `export OTEL_LOG_LEVEL=debug` and re-run.
* **AgentChat spans missing but other spans present.** `AutogenAgentChatInstrumentor().instrument(...)` must run before any `autogen_agentchat` import. Make sure `instrumentation.py` is the first import in your entry point.
* **`401` from OpenAI.** Verify `OPENAI_API_KEY` is set and has access to `gpt-5`. Swap for a model your key can call.
* **Forgetting `await model_client.close()`.** AutoGen's chat clients hold an HTTP session; close it at the end of the coroutine to release sockets cleanly. The omission won't change traces but will surface in `aiohttp` warnings.

## Resources

<CardGroup>
  <Card icon="book-open" href="https://microsoft.github.io/autogen/stable/user-guide/agentchat-user-guide/index.html" title="AutoGen AgentChat Documentation" horizontal />

  <Card icon="terminal" href="https://github.com/Arize-ai/openinference/tree/main/python/instrumentation/openinference-instrumentation-autogen-agentchat" title="OpenInference AutoGen AgentChat Instrumentor" horizontal />

  <Card icon="github" href="https://github.com/microsoft/autogen" title="AutoGen GitHub" horizontal />
</CardGroup>