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SQLite3

See every query your app runs through Python’s built-in sqlite3 module (the statement, how long it took, and which ones failed) as a span (one unit of work with a name, a start, and a duration) in Logfire. Related spans link together into a trace (the full journey of one request), so a slow query shows up right next to the code that triggered it.

What you’ll capture

  • Each query as a span, with its duration and any errors
  • The SQL statement that ran

Before you start

You’ll need a Logfire project. Open Add data in your project (top navigation) and follow the setup for your language: it signs your machine in with logfire auth (a browser sign-in, no token to copy) and, for production or other languages, creates a write token (the credential your app uses to send data). New to Logfire? Start with Getting Started.

Installation

Install logfire with the sqlite3 extra:

Terminal
pip install 'logfire[sqlite3]'

Usage

Add two lines to your app: logfire.configure() to connect to your project, and logfire.instrument_sqlite3() to record every query. The example below uses an in-memory database so you can run it as-is.

main.py
import sqlite3

import logfire

logfire.configure()
logfire.instrument_sqlite3()

with sqlite3.connect(':memory:') as connection:
    cursor = connection.cursor()

    cursor.execute('CREATE TABLE users (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, name TEXT)')
    cursor.execute("INSERT INTO users (name) VALUES ('Alice')")

    cursor.execute('SELECT * FROM users')
    print(cursor.fetchall())
    #> [(1, 'Alice')]

connection.close()

Run it with python main.py.

Verify it worked

Run your program, then open your project in the Logfire web app and go to the Live view. Within a few seconds you should see a span for each query the script ran. Click one to see the SQL statement and how long it took.

Troubleshooting

Not seeing your queries in Logfire? Check these first:

  • logfire.configure() runs before logfire.instrument_sqlite3(). Configure the connection first, then instrument.
  • You call instrument_sqlite3() exactly once.
  • You run queries through a cursor, not the connection. The execute method on sqlite3.Connection is not instrumented; use the execute method on a Cursor instead (see the note below).
  • Your write token is set. In local development, run logfire projects use <your-project>; in production, set the LOGFIRE_TOKEN environment variable. See Getting Started.

Advanced

Instrumenting a single connection

Instead of the whole module, you can instrument just one connection:

main.py
import sqlite3

import logfire

logfire.configure()

with sqlite3.connect(':memory:') as connection:
    connection = logfire.instrument_sqlite3(connection)
    cursor = connection.cursor()

    cursor.execute('CREATE TABLE users (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, name TEXT)')
    cursor.execute("INSERT INTO users (name) VALUES ('Alice')")

    cursor.execute('SELECT * FROM users')
    print(cursor.fetchall())
    #> [(1, 'Alice')]

connection.close()

Reference