# GraphQL Tracing Recommendations

To mitigate the risks associated with GraphQL Tracing, consider the following recommendations:

1. **Understand Tracing Implementation**: GraphQL tracing is typically implemented using plugins and often sends data to separate tracing servers (e.g., Jaeger) rather than exposing it directly in GraphQL responses.

2. **Control Tracing in Production**: Use environment variables or configuration settings to easily enable or disable tracing based on the environment.

3. **Implement Access Controls**: If tracing is enabled in production, implement strict access controls on the tracing server (e.g., Jaeger) to ensure only authorized personnel can access the tracing data.

4. **Sanitize Tracing Data**: Ensure that sensitive information is not included in the traced data before it's sent to the tracing server.

5. **Use Secure APM Tools**: Consider using dedicated Application Performance Monitoring (APM) tools that provide secure and comprehensive monitoring capabilities for production environments.

Example of implementing tracing with environment-based control in Apollo Server:

```javascript
const { ApolloServer } = require('apollo-server');
const { ApolloServerPluginInlineTrace } = require('apollo-server-core');

const isProduction = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production';
const plugins = [];

if (!isProduction) {
  plugins.push(ApolloServerPluginInlineTrace({
    rewriteError: (err) => {
      // Optionally rewrite errors before sending to the tracing service
      return err;
    },
  }));
}

const server = new ApolloServer({
  typeDefs,
  resolvers,
  plugins,
});
```

This setup allows you to easily control tracing based on the environment, ensuring it's not accidentally enabled in production.

For other GraphQL server implementations, consult the specific documentation on how to implement and control tracing securely.