redis/redis-py · error · ImportError

OpenTelemetry is not installed. Install it with: pip…

Error message

OpenTelemetry is not installed. Install it with:
  pip install opentelemetry-api opentelemetry-sdk opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-http

What it means

Raised as ImportError by OTelProviderManager.get_meter_provider() (redis/observability/providers.py:79) when config.is_enabled() is True but the lazy import `from opentelemetry import metrics` fails. Unlike error 461 (which needs only opentelemetry-api for the collector), this path requires the SDK packages so the manager can obtain a real MeterProvider. The message lists the full set: opentelemetry-api, opentelemetry-sdk, and the OTLP HTTP exporter.

Solutions

Install the full SDK set exactly as the message instructs: `pip install opentelemetry-api opentelemetry-sdk opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-http` (or `pip install redis[otel]` plus the exporter if you export over OTLP HTTP).
Confirm both `from opentelemetry import metrics` and `from opentelemetry.sdk.metrics import MeterProvider` import cleanly in the target interpreter.
If you do not want metrics, pass an OTelConfig with enabled_telemetry cleared so get_meter_provider() returns early before the import.
Pin opentelemetry-sdk and the exporter to compatible versions in your lockfile to prevent a resolver from dropping them.

Example fix

# before - only the api package present
pip install opentelemetry-api
otel.init(OTelConfig(enable_metrics=True))  # providers.py:79 ImportError

# after
pip install opentelemetry-api opentelemetry-sdk opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-http

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

def otel_sdk_available():
    try:
        from opentelemetry import metrics  # noqa: F401
        from opentelemetry.sdk.metrics import MeterProvider  # noqa: F401
        return True
    except ImportError:
        return False

# only enable metrics if the full SDK is present
config = OTelConfig(enable_metrics=True) if otel_sdk_available() else OTelConfig(enabled_telemetry=[])

Try / catch

try:
    otel.init(OTelConfig(enable_metrics=True))
except ImportError as e:
    if 'OpenTelemetry' in str(e):
        logging.warning('OpenTelemetry SDK not installed; observability disabled')
    else:
        raise

Prevention

Install opentelemetry-api, opentelemetry-sdk, and opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-http together (or use the otel extra plus the exporter).
Guard the init call with an import probe so a missing SDK disables metrics instead of raising.
Run a startup self-check importing the SDK packages in the production interpreter.
Pin all three OpenTelemetry packages to mutually compatible versions in requirements.

When it happens

Trigger: Calling otel.init(OTelConfig(enable_metrics=True)) (or any default OTelConfig, since DEFAULT_TELEMETRY is METRICS) and then issuing a Redis command that triggers get_meter_provider(). Only opentelemetry-api is installed but not opentelemetry-sdk; or neither is installed and the module happened to construct the manager before hitting the collector check.

Common situations: Developer installed just `opentelemetry-api` (the light API package) thinking it was enough; requirements list `opentelemetry-sdk` but a version conflict removed it; the OTLP exporter package needed to actually export metrics was never added; dev environment works but production slim image omits the SDK wheels.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of redis/redis-py@6a6b581b48 (2026-08-10). Data as JSON: /api/errors/b1e43785a5d094fa. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at redis/observability/providers.py:79

        """
        Get the global MeterProvider set by the application.

        Returns:
            MeterProvider instance or None if metrics are disabled

        Raises:
            ImportError: If OpenTelemetry is not installed
            RuntimeError: If metrics are enabled but no global MeterProvider is set
        """
        if not self.config.is_enabled():
            return None

        # Lazy import - only import OTel when metrics are enabled
        try:
            from opentelemetry import metrics
            from opentelemetry.metrics import NoOpMeterProvider
        except ImportError:
            raise ImportError(
                "OpenTelemetry is not installed. Install it with:\n"
                "  pip install opentelemetry-api opentelemetry-sdk opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-http"
            )

        # Get the global MeterProvider
        if self._meter_provider is None:
            self._meter_provider = metrics.get_meter_provider()

            # Check if it's a real provider (not NoOp)
            if isinstance(self._meter_provider, NoOpMeterProvider):
                raise RuntimeError(
                    "Metrics are enabled but no global MeterProvider is configured.\n"
                    "\n"
                    "Set up OpenTelemetry before initializing redis-py observability:\n"
                    "\n"
                    "  from opentelemetry import metrics\n"
                    "  from opentelemetry.sdk.metrics import MeterProvider\n"
                    "  from opentelemetry.sdk.metrics.export import PeriodicExportingMetricReader\n"

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