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

# Logs in hot path

> Log statements in middleware, loops, or high-frequency code

Code that runs on most requests or records emits hot-path logs without conditions. Common sources include request middleware, item-processing loops, and polling loops.

This category is distinct from [burst protection](/policies/categories/burst-protection). Burst protection applies to logs that flood during failures. Hot-path logs produce high volume even when the service is healthy.

## Signals

| Signal                  | Description                                                                                                          |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Disproportionate volume | One event shape represents a large share of a service's logs.                                                        |
| Generic message text    | Messages such as `Incoming request`, `Processing item`, or `Handling request` repeat with little diagnostic context. |
| Unconditional emission  | The log appears on every request, item, or loop iteration.                                                           |
| Healthy-state volume    | The pattern occurs during normal service operation, not only during incidents.                                       |

## Example

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Middleware logging">
    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Before">
        ```json theme={null}
        {"body": "Incoming request", "http.target": "/api/users", "service.name": "api-gateway"}
        {"body": "Incoming request", "http.target": "/api/orders", "service.name": "api-gateway"}
        {"body": "Incoming request", "http.target": "/api/products", "service.name": "api-gateway"}
        {"body": "Incoming request", "http.target": "/api/users", "service.name": "api-gateway"}
        ```
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="After">
        Log removed from middleware.
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Loop logging">
    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Before">
        ```json theme={null}
        {"body": "Processing item", "item_id": "1", "service.name": "batch-processor"}
        {"body": "Processing item", "item_id": "2", "service.name": "batch-processor"}
        {"body": "Processing item", "item_id": "3", "service.name": "batch-processor"}
        // ... 10,000 more
        ```
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="After">
        Single log at batch completion with item count.
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Recommended enforcement

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Open PRs" icon="code-pull-request" href="/policies/enforcement/open-prs">
    Remove, relocate, or condition the log statement in code.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create tickets" icon="ticket" href="/policies/enforcement/create-tickets">
    Ask the owning team to review the high-volume logging pattern.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

The durable remediation is a code change. Edge filtering can reduce downstream volume, but the service still performs the work required to create the log event.

## Detection notes

Tero identifies hot-path logs by relative volume. If one event shape represents a disproportionate share of a service's logs, Tero treats the event as a hot-path candidate.

Message content can support detection. Generic messages such as `Processing request` or `Handling item` often indicate unconditional logging, but volume is the primary signal.