How to run Tempo with Docker Compose

Running Tempo with Docker Compose gives a local trace backend for testing OpenTelemetry exporters, TraceQL queries, and Grafana trace views. The official quick start uses the Tempo repository's single-binary Compose example so the required support services and provisioning files start together.

The single-binary example starts Tempo, Grafana, Prometheus, Alloy, Redpanda, and a trace generator. Tempo receives OTLP traffic on ports 4317 and 4318 and exposes its HTTP query API on port 3200.

Use this setup to learn Tempo behavior and verify trace ingestion. Production deployments need a reviewed storage backend, retention plan, tenant model, and deployment mode rather than the quick-start example.

1. Clone the Tempo repository.

   $ git clone https://github.com/grafana/tempo.git
   Cloning into 'tempo'...
   ##### snipped #####

2. Change into the single-binary example directory.

   $ cd tempo/example/docker-compose/single-binary

3. Start the example stack.

   $ docker compose up -d
   Container single-binary-redpanda-1    Started
   Container single-binary-tempo-1       Started
   Container single-binary-grafana-1     Started
   Container single-binary-alloy-1       Started
   Container single-binary-k6-tracing-1  Started

4. List the Compose services.

   $ docker compose ps
   NAME                           SERVICE      STATUS    PORTS
   single-binary-grafana-1        grafana      running   0.0.0.0:3000->3000/tcp
   single-binary-tempo-1          tempo        running   0.0.0.0:3200->3200/tcp, 0.0.0.0:4317-4318->4317-4318/tcp
   single-binary-prometheus-1     prometheus   running   0.0.0.0:9090->9090/tcp
   single-binary-redpanda-1       redpanda     running   0.0.0.0:9092->9092/tcp

5. Check the Tempo readiness endpoint.

   $ curl --silent http://127.0.0.1:3200/ready
   ready

6. Open Grafana.

   http://127.0.0.1:3000

   The example stack provisions Grafana for local trace exploration.

7. Open Explore and select the Tempo data source.
8. Run a Search query and select a returned trace.

   The trace generator can need a short warm-up period before recent traces appear.

9. Stop the example stack when testing is complete.

   $ docker compose down -v
   Container single-binary-grafana-1     Removed
   Container single-binary-tempo-1       Removed
   Volume single-binary_tempo-data       Removed

   The down -v option removes example volumes and stored traces.