Add dedicated traces view docs

explore-analyze/discover/discover-get-started.md

@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ Learn how to explore your {{product.elasticsearch}} data using **Discover**. Thi
 * Observability:
   * **[Logs exploration](/solutions/observability/logs/discover-logs.md)**
   * **[Metrics exploration](/solutions/observability/infra-and-hosts/discover-metrics.md)** {applies_to}`stack: preview 9.2` {applies_to}`serverless: preview`
+  * **[Traces exploration](/solutions/observability/apm/discover-traces.md)**
+  {applies_to}`stack: preview 9.2` {applies_to}`serverless: preview`
 % LINK/PAGE TBD  * **Traces exploration**
 % * Security:
 % LINK/PAGE TBD  * **Security data exploration**

solutions/observability/apm/discover-traces.md

@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+---
+applies_to:
+  stack: preview 9.1+
+  serverless: preview
+description: Explore trace data in Discover.
+products:
+  - id: observability
+---
+
+# Explore traces in Discover [explore-traces-discover]
+
+:::{important}
+This functionality is experimental. It may change or be removed at anytime.
+:::
+
+**Discover** offers a dedicated experience for exploring trace data. When **Discover** detects data in `traces-*` indices, it automatically enables features that help you investigate distributed traces more effectively. The traces experience includes a pre-selected set of trace fields in the data grid, a structured overview of each document's key attributes, latency comparisons for similar spans, and a waterfall visualization of the full trace timeline.
+
+If you're just getting started with **Discover** and want to learn its main principles, you should get familiar with the [default experience](/explore-analyze/discover.md).
+
+:::{image} /solutions/images/discover-traces-main.png
+:alt: Discover showing trace data with the traces profile active, including pre-selected columns for service name, transaction name, span name, and duration.
+:screenshot:
+:::
+
+## Requirements [traces-discover-requirements]
+
+### Data recognition [traces-data-recognition]
+
+Data stored in `traces-*` indices is automatically recognized as trace data and triggers the **Discover** experience described on this page.
+
+### Required {{kib}} privileges [traces-kibana-privileges]
+
+Viewing trace data in **Discover** requires at least `read` privileges for **Discover**.
+
+For more information, refer to [{{kib}} privileges](/deploy-manage/users-roles/cluster-or-deployment-auth/kibana-privileges.md).
+
+## Load trace data [load-trace-data]
+
+The traces experience is available in:
+
+* **{{data-source-cap}} mode**: Select a {{data-source}} that matches a `traces-*` index pattern from the **Discover** main page.
+
+* **{{esql}} mode**: Switch to **{{esql}}** mode and use the `FROM` command to query your trace data:
+
+    ```esql
+    FROM traces-*
+    ```
+
+    You can also query a specific index:
+
+    ```esql
+    FROM traces-apm-default
+    ```
+
+## Traces-specific features [traces-specific-features]
+
+When **Discover** recognizes trace data, it pre-selects a set of relevant fields as columns in the data grid: `service.name`, `transaction.name`, `span.name`, `transaction.duration.us`, `span.duration.us`, and `event.outcome`. You can [reorder or resize these columns](/explore-analyze/discover/document-explorer.md#document-explorer-columns), or add new ones, using the standard **Discover** column controls.
+
+### Overview charts ({{esql}}) [traces-overview-charts]
+
+In {{esql}} mode, **Discover** displays three summary charts above the results:
+
+- **Latency**: Average response time over the selected time range.
+- **Error Rate**: Percentage of failed trace events over time.
+- **Throughput**: Number of trace events per unit of time.
+
+:::{image} /solutions/images/discover-traces-esql-charts.png
+:alt: {{esql}} mode showing Latency, Error Rate, and Throughput summary charts above the trace results.
+:screenshot:
+:::
+
+### Trace document overview [trace-document-overview]
+
+Select {icon}`expand` in any row to open the document detail panel. The **Overview** tab shows the key attributes of the selected trace document:
+
+- **Span ID** and **Span name**: Identify the specific operation.
+- **Trace ID**: Links all documents that belong to the same trace.
+- **Service name**: The service that generated this span.
+- **Duration**: How long the operation took, and what percentage of the total trace duration it represents.
+- **Start time**: When the operation started.
+- **Type** and **Subtype**: The category of the operation, for example `db` / `postgresql` or `external` / `http`.
+
+:::{image} /solutions/images/discover-traces-document-overview.png
+:alt: The Overview tab in the document detail panel showing span attributes including Trace ID, Service name, Duration as a percentage of trace, and a latency chart in the Similar spans section.
+:screenshot:
+:::
+
+### Similar spans [similar-spans]
+
+The **Similar spans** section shows a latency chart for spans with the same type and name across your data. Use this view to compare the selected span's performance against historical samples and identify outliers.
+
+:::{image} /solutions/images/discover-traces-document-similar-spans.png
+:alt: The Similar spans section in the document detail panel showing a latency chart for spans with the same type and name, with an Open in Discover link.
+:screenshot:
+:::
+
+Select **Open in Discover** to open a filtered view of all similar spans.
+
+### Trace summary [trace-waterfall]
+
+The **Trace summary** section shows a condensed waterfall of the trace the selected document belongs to. Each row represents a span or transaction, positioned on a timeline to show when it started and how long it took.
+
+:::::{applies-switch}
+
+:::{applies-item} {"stack": "preview 9.4+", "serverless": "preview"}
+:::{image} /solutions/images/discover-traces-document-trace-serverless.png
+:alt: The Trace summary section in the document detail panel showing a condensed waterfall with spans and links to expand the trace timeline and open in Discover.
+:screenshot:
+:::
+:::
+
+:::{applies-item} {"stack": "preview 9.1-9.3"}
+:::{image} /solutions/images/discover-traces-document-trace.png
+:alt: The Trace section in the document detail panel showing a mini waterfall with spans and a link to expand the full trace timeline.
+:screenshot:
+:::
+:::
+
+:::::
+
+Select **Expand trace timeline** to open the expanded waterfall view.
+
+#### Expanded trace timeline [expanded-trace-timeline]
+
+The expanded trace timeline shows all spans and transactions in a trace in a dedicated flyout waterfall view. A color-coded legend identifies which service each span belongs to. Failed spans are highlighted to help you quickly locate errors.
+
+:::{tip}
+```{applies_to}
+stack: preview 9.4+
+serverless: preview
+```
+Toggle **Show critical path** to highlight the sequence of spans that determined the trace's total duration.
+:::
+
+:::::{applies-switch}
+
+:::{applies-item} {"stack": "preview 9.4+", "serverless": "preview"}
+:::{image} /solutions/images/discover-traces-timeline-serverless.png
+:alt: The expanded trace timeline showing a waterfall visualization with spans from multiple services, a Show critical path toggle, service legend, and failure badges.
+:screenshot:
+:::
+:::
+
+:::{applies-item} {"stack": "preview 9.1-9.3"}
+:::{image} /solutions/images/discover-traces-timeline.png
+:alt: The expanded trace timeline showing a waterfall visualization with spans from multiple services, including duration labels and failure badges.
+:screenshot:
+:::
+:::
+
+:::::
+
+### Logs [traces-logs]
+
+The **Logs** section shows log entries correlated with the selected trace. Select **Open in Discover** to explore those logs in context.

solutions/toc.yml

@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 project: "Solutions and use cases"
 toc:
   - file: index.md
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@
                       - file: observability/apm/metrics-ui.md
                       - file: observability/apm/infrastructure.md
                       - file: observability/apm/logs.md
+                  - file: observability/apm/discover-traces.md
                   - file: observability/apm/filter-search-data.md
                     children:
                       - file: observability/apm/filter-data.md