# Using the OpenTelemetry Datadog Receiver

> Source: <https://signoz.io/docs/migration/migrate-from-datadog/opentelemetry-datadog-receiver>
> Published: 2026-06-17 00:00:00+00:00

Overview

The OpenTelemetry Datadog Receiver allows you to receive metrics from Datadog Agents without modifying your applications. It's especially handy when exploring [Datadog alternatives](https://signoz.io/blog/datadog-alternatives/) without reinstrumenting your apps. This is useful for:

**Gradual migration**: Continue using Datadog Agent while migrating to OpenTelemetry** DogStatsD metrics**: Receive custom DogStatsD metrics without changing application code

This approach is a bridge solution. For long-term use, we recommend migrating to native OpenTelemetry instrumentation for better integration and standardization.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

[OpenTelemetry Collector](https://signoz.io/docs/opentelemetry-collection-agents/get-started/)installed and running**Datadog Agent** installed (if forwarding from existing agents)- Access to modify configuration files and environment variables
- Network connectivity between Datadog Agent and OpenTelemetry Collector

Step 1: Configure the Datadog Receiver

Add the Datadog receiver to your OpenTelemetry Collector configuration to accept Datadog Agent traffic.

**Add to your otel-collector-config.yaml:**

```
receivers:
  datadog:
    endpoint: 0.0.0.0:8125
    read_timeout: 60s
```

This configures the receiver to:

- Listen on all interfaces (
`0.0.0.0`

) on port`8125`

(default Datadog DogStatsD port) - Wait up to 60 seconds for data before timing out

Step 2: Configure the Exporter

You can skip this step if you followed the steps in [OpenTelemetry Collector Installation](https://signoz.io/docs/opentelemetry-collection-agents/get-started/#installation) to configure the OpenTelemetry Collector.

Set up the OTLP exporter to send data to SigNoz:

```
exporters:
  otlp:
    endpoint: ingest.<region>.signoz.cloud:443
    headers:
      signoz-ingestion-key: <your-ingestion-key>
    tls:
      insecure: false
```

Replace:

`<region>`

: Your[SigNoz Cloud region](https://signoz.io/docs/ingestion/signoz-cloud/overview/#endpoint)`<your-ingestion-key>`

: Your SigNoz[ingestion key](https://signoz.io/docs/ingestion/signoz-cloud/keys/)

Step 3: Update the Pipelines

Integrate the Datadog receiver into your pipelines:

```
service:
  pipelines:
    metrics:
      receivers: [datadog, otlp]
      processors: [batch]
      exporters: [otlp]
```

Step 4: Configure the Datadog Agent

Configure your Datadog Agent to forward data to the OpenTelemetry Collector.

Option A: Forward to Both SigNoz and Datadog

If you want to send data to both SigNoz (via OTel Collector) and Datadog during migration:

**Using environment variable:**

```
DD_ADDITIONAL_ENDPOINTS='{"http://<OTEL_COLLECTOR_HOST>:8125": ["signoz"]}'
```

**Or update datadog.yaml:**

```
additional_endpoints:
  "http://<OTEL_COLLECTOR_HOST>:8125":
    - "signoz"
```

Replace `<OTEL_COLLECTOR_HOST>`

with the hostname or IP where your OTel Collector is running (e.g., `localhost`

, `otel-collector.default.svc.cluster.local`

).

Option B: Forward Only to SigNoz

To send data exclusively to SigNoz (stop sending to Datadog):

**Using environment variable:**

```
DD_DD_URL=http://<OTEL_COLLECTOR_HOST>:8125
```

**Or update datadog.yaml:**

```
dd_url: http://<OTEL_COLLECTOR_HOST>:8125
```

Step 5: Restart Services

After making configuration changes:

Restart the OpenTelemetry Collector

Restart the Datadog Agent

Validate

Verify data is flowing through the Datadog receiver to SigNoz:

**Verify in SigNoz:**- Navigate to
**Metrics** to see DogStatsD metrics - Check that metrics match your Datadog data

- Navigate to
**Compare with Datadog:**- Verify the same metrics appear in both platforms

Troubleshooting

[Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)

Connection refused errors

If the Datadog Agent can't connect to the OTel Collector:

**Check port binding**: Verify the Collector is listening on port 8125:

```
netstat -tlnp | grep 8125
```

**Check firewall**: Ensure port 8125 is open between Agent and Collector.** Verify endpoint**: Confirm the Agent is configured with the correct Collector address.

No data appearing in SigNoz

**Check Collector logs**: Look for errors in the OTel Collector logs.** Verify pipeline configuration**: Ensure the`datadog`

receiver is listed in the appropriate pipeline(s).

Metrics not appearing

**Check metric type**: The Datadog receiver may not support all metric types.** Verify DogStatsD configuration**: Ensure DogStatsD is properly configured in both Agent and Collector.** Check metric names**: Metrics may be renamed during translation to OTel format.

Limitations

Be aware of these limitations when using the Datadog receiver:

**Not all features supported**: Some Datadog-specific features may not translate to OpenTelemetry** Metric types**: Some Datadog metric types may be converted differently** Performance**: Adding a hop (DD Agent → OTel Collector → SigNoz) adds latency

Next Steps

The Datadog receiver is a bridge solution. For long-term benefits, consider migrating to native OpenTelemetry: