Go Telemetry System

Learn about Go telemetry for contributing anonymous usage data to improve the Go toolchain

Go Telemetry is an opt-in analytics system that collects anonymous usage statistics from the Go toolchain to help the Go team understand how Go is being used and identify areas for improvement.

Understanding Go Telemetry

Go telemetry collects anonymous data about how Go tools are used, such as which commands are run, build configurations, and performance characteristics. This data helps the Go team make informed decisions about future development.

Checking Telemetry Status

Check the current telemetry configuration on your system:

# Check current telemetry status
go telemetry

Configuring Telemetry

Control telemetry data collection with three modes:

# Enable telemetry (collect and upload data)
go telemetry on

# Local mode (collect data locally, no uploading)
go telemetry local

# Disable telemetry (stop all data collection)
go telemetry off

# Check current status
go telemetry

Local Telemetry Data

When telemetry is in local mode, Go collects data locally without uploading. When set to off, no data collection occurs:

# View local telemetry data directory
go env GOTELEMETRYDIR

Analyzing Local Telemetry Data

You can examine your own usage patterns using local telemetry data:

package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"os"
	"os/exec"
	"path/filepath"
	"strings"
)

func analyzeTelemetryData() {
	// Get telemetry directory
	cmd := exec.Command("go", "env", "GOTELEMETRYDIR")
	output, err := cmd.Output()
	if err != nil {
		fmt.Printf("Error getting telemetry directory: %v\n", err)
		return
	}
	
	telemetryDir := strings.TrimSpace(string(output))
	if telemetryDir == "" {
		fmt.Println("No telemetry directory found")
		return
	}
	
	fmt.Printf("Telemetry directory: %s\n", telemetryDir)
	
	// List telemetry files
	files, err := filepath.Glob(filepath.Join(telemetryDir, "*"))
	if err != nil {
		fmt.Printf("Error reading telemetry files: %v\n", err)
		return
	}
	
	fmt.Println("\nTelemetry files:")
	for _, file := range files {
		info, err := os.Stat(file)
		if err != nil {
			continue
		}
		fmt.Printf("  %s (modified: %s)\n", filepath.Base(file), info.ModTime().Format("2006-01-02 15:04:05"))
	}
	
	fmt.Println("\nNote: Telemetry files are in binary format and require specialized tools to read.")
}

Understanding What Data is Collected

Telemetry collects information about Go toolchain usage only (not your built applications):

  • Go toolchain version and environment
  • Command usage frequency (go build, go test, etc.)
  • Build configuration (modules, build tags, etc.)
  • Performance metrics (build times, test durations)
  • Error categories (not specific errors or source code)

Privacy and Security

Go telemetry is designed with privacy in mind:

  • No source code or file paths are collected
  • Only aggregated usage statistics and performance metrics
  • All data is anonymous and cannot be traced back to individuals
  • Data collection only applies to Go toolchain commands, not your built binaries

Telemetry in Development Scripts

You can incorporate telemetry status checks in development workflows:

package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"os/exec"
	"strings"
)

func checkTelemetryStatus() (string, error) {
	cmd := exec.Command("go", "telemetry")
	output, err := cmd.Output()
	if err != nil {
		return "", err
	}
	
	status := strings.TrimSpace(string(output))
	return status, nil
}

func setupDevelopmentEnvironment() {
	status, err := checkTelemetryStatus()
	if err != nil {
		fmt.Printf("Error checking telemetry: %v\n", err)
		return
	}
	
	switch status {
	case "on":
		fmt.Println("Telemetry is on - contributing to Go development")
	case "local":
		fmt.Println("Telemetry is in local mode - collecting data locally")
	case "off":
		fmt.Println("Telemetry is off - consider enabling with 'go telemetry on' or 'go telemetry local'")
		fmt.Println("This helps the Go team understand usage patterns and improve the toolchain")
	default:
		fmt.Printf("Unknown telemetry status: %s\n", status)
	}
}

Corporate and Team Settings

For organizations, you can set consistent telemetry policies:

# In CI/CD environments, typically disable telemetry
export GOTELEMETRY=off

# Or set it explicitly in scripts
go telemetry off

# For development environments, teams might choose to enable it
go telemetry on

# Or collect locally without uploading
go telemetry local

Environment Variables

Control telemetry through environment variables:

# Disable telemetry entirely
export GOTELEMETRY=off

# Set custom telemetry directory
export GOTELEMETRYDIR="/custom/path/to/telemetry"

Contributing to Go Development

Understanding how your telemetry contributions help:

package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"time"
)

func demonstrateTelemetryBenefits() {
	fmt.Println("How your telemetry data helps Go development:")
	fmt.Println()
	
	benefits := []struct {
		area   string
		impact string
	}{
		{"Performance", "Identifies slow operations to optimize"},
		{"Features", "Shows which features are most/least used"},
		{"Platforms", "Ensures good support across different OS/architectures"},
		{"Tools", "Improves the most commonly used commands"},
		{"Errors", "Helps prioritize bug fixes for common issues"},
	}
	
	for _, benefit := range benefits {
		fmt.Printf("• %s: %s\n", benefit.area, benefit.impact)
		time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond) // Simulate reading time
	}
	
	fmt.Println()
	fmt.Println("All data is anonymous and aggregated.")
	fmt.Println("No source code or sensitive information is collected.")
}

Best Practices

  • Enable telemetry (on) in development environments to contribute to Go's improvement.
  • Use local mode (local) if you want to collect data for personal analysis without uploading.
  • Disable telemetry (off) in CI/CD environments to avoid skewing usage statistics.
  • Regularly check telemetry status to ensure it aligns with your preferences.
  • Remember that telemetry only tracks Go toolchain usage, not your built applications.

Common Pitfalls

  • Forgetting to configure telemetry in new development environments.
  • Not understanding that telemetry is opt-in and disabled by default.
  • Confusing off (no collection) with local (local collection only).
  • Assuming telemetry collects sensitive information (it doesn't).
  • Expecting telemetry to track your built applications (it only tracks Go toolchain usage).

Performance Tips

  • Telemetry has minimal performance impact on Go toolchain operations.
  • Local telemetry data (when using local mode) can help identify bottlenecks in your development workflow.
  • Use telemetry data to optimize your build processes and toolchain usage.
  • Consider enabling telemetry to help improve Go performance for everyone.