redis/node-redis · error · OpenTelemetryError

@opentelemetry/api not found

Error message

@opentelemetry/api not found

What it means

OpenTelemetry.init() tried to require('@opentelemetry/api') and it threw — the peer dependency is not installed or not resolvable from the current working directory. The OTel integration needs this package to access the global MeterProvider and trace APIs.

Solutions

1. Install the peer dependency: npm install @opentelemetry/api
2. In monorepos, install @opentelemetry/api in the specific workspace that calls init
3. Verify resolution: node -e "require.resolve('@opentelemetry/api')" from the calling directory
4. Check package.json includes @opentelemetry/api in dependencies or peerDependencies

Example fix

# before
# (missing dependency)
OpenTelemetry.init(config); // throws

# after
npm install @opentelemetry/api
OpenTelemetry.init(config);

// Verify @opentelemetry/api is resolvable before calling init.
try {
  require.resolve('@opentelemetry/api');
} catch {
  throw new Error('@opentelemetry/api must be installed: npm install @opentelemetry/api');
}

OpenTelemetry.init(config);

try {
  OpenTelemetry.init(config);
} catch (e) {
  if (e instanceof OpenTelemetryError && e.message.includes('not found')) {
    console.error('Install the peer dependency: npm install @opentelemetry/api');
  }
  throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling OpenTelemetry.init() without @opentelemetry/api in node_modules, or in a monorepo workspace where the package is hoisted to a different location.

Common situations: Forgot to install the peer dependency; package was hoisted in a monorepo and not resolvable from the calling workspace; tree-shaking or bundler configuration removed it; npm install with --omit=optional or --production excluding it.

Related errors

• OpenTelemetry already initialized

AI-assisted analysis of redis/node-redis@90fd0652bc (2026-08-11). Data as JSON: /api/errors/66e59217ca42735d. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at packages/client/lib/opentelemetry/index.ts:64

   *   metrics: {
   *     enabled: true,
   *     enabledMetricGroups: ["pubsub", "connection-basic", "resiliency"],
   *     includeCommands: ["GET", "SET"],
   *     hidePubSubChannelNames: true
   *   }
   * });
   * ```
   */
  public static init(config: ObservabilityConfig) {
    if (OpenTelemetry._instance) {
      throw new OpenTelemetryError("OpenTelemetry already initialized");
    }

    const api: OpenTelemetryApiModule = (() => {
      try {
        return require("@opentelemetry/api");
      } catch {
        throw new OpenTelemetryError("@opentelemetry/api not found");
      }
    })();

    OpenTelemetry._instance = new OpenTelemetry();
    ClientRegistry.init();
    OTelMetrics.init({ api, config });
  }
}

export {
  OTelClientAttributes,
  OTEL_ATTRIBUTES,
  CONNECTION_CLOSE_REASON,
  CSC_RESULT,
  CSC_EVICTION_REASON,
} from "./types";
export { OTelMetrics } from "./metrics";
export {

View on GitHub (pinned to 90fd0652bc)