# From zero to traces: Choosing the right APM instrumentation method for your stack

DevFeed: [From zero to traces: Choosing the right APM instrumentation method for your stack](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/from-zero-to-traces-choosing-the-right-apm-instrumentation-method-for-your-stack-2240.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.datadoghq.com/blog/choosing-apm-instrumentation/>)

Author: Tarun Kothandaraman

Published: 2026-07-22T00:00:00Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [Datadog | The Monitor blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/datadog-the-monitor-blog.md>)

Topics: [telemetry](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/telemetry.md>), [Processes](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/processes.md>)

Tags: [apm](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/apm.md>), [applications](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/applications.md>), [datadog-agent](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/datadog-agent.md>), [instrumentation](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/instrumentation.md>), [opentelemetry](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/opentelemetry.md>), [process](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/process.md>), [traces](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/traces.md>), [tracing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/tracing.md>)

## AI overview

The article explains how to choose between Datadog Single Step Instrumentation and manual tracer installation for distributed tracing. It distinguishes automatic tracing behavior from the method used to install the tracer, and notes when manual or custom instrumentation may still be useful.

## Source excerpt

Learn why Single Step Instrumentation is our default recommendation for setting up APM traces, and when to consider other methods.