--- title: Troubleshoot the EDOT React Native SDK description: Resolve setup, build, and startup problems with the EDOT React Native SDK. url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/troubleshoot/ingest/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/react-native products: - Elastic Cloud Serverless - Elastic Distribution of OpenTelemetry React Native - Elastic Distribution of OpenTelemetry SDK - Elastic Documentation - Elastic Observability applies_to: - Serverless Observability projects: Generally available - Elastic Stack: Generally available - Elastic Distribution of OpenTelemetry React Native: Preview --- # Troubleshoot the EDOT React Native SDK Use this guide to resolve React Native-specific setup, build, and startup problems with Elastic Distribution of OpenTelemetry React Native. Check the [requirements](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/react-native/getting-started#requirements) before troubleshooting. In the messages below, placeholders such as `` and `` stand for values from your project. ## Setup command cannot update the project ### Symptoms `setup-android` or `setup-ios` exits with an error and prints: ```text No file was changed. ``` Android setup reports a missing file or insertion point: ```text was not found. has no line . ``` iOS setup can report: ```text The iOS project does not match the supported bare React Native template layout. ``` The following diagnostics identify the layout problem: ```text package.json must declare a react-native dependency. Cannot read package.json: Expected exactly one iOS Xcode project, found . Cannot read the iOS Xcode project: Missing supported Podfile anchor matching . Cannot read ios/Podfile: ``` An unreadable project structure or an unexpected number of application targets can also produce: ```text Cannot parse : Expected exactly one application target in , found . ``` ### Causes The command is running outside the application root, a required file is missing, or the project differs from the supported bare React Native template. ### Resolution Run the command from the application's root directory. Check the named file and diagnostic. For a customized project, follow [Manual host setup fallback](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/react-native/getting-started#manual-host-setup-fallback) and the manual steps printed by the command. Review your changes before building the app. ## Setup command cannot write a file ### Symptoms The setup command prints: ```text Failed to update : ``` ### Causes The command cannot write the named file. The reason in the message identifies the filesystem error. ### Resolution Resolve the reported filesystem error, check `git diff` for any edits already made, and rerun the setup command. If you apply the edits yourself, use [Manual host setup fallback](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/react-native/getting-started#manual-host-setup-fallback). ## Android build fails on the minimum API level ### Symptoms The Android build stops with: ```text EDOT React Native: variant '' has minSdk without Java 8 library desugaring. Raise minSdk to 26, or keep minSdk at 24 or higher and enable Java 8 library desugaring with coreLibraryDesugaringEnabled and a coreLibraryDesugaring dependency. ``` Below API level 24, the Android manifest merger reports a minimum SDK conflict. ### Causes The affected variant does not meet the [Android API requirements](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/react-native/getting-started#requirements). ### Resolution Raise the app's `minSdk` to 26, or use API level 24 or later with [Java 8 library desugaring](/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/troubleshoot/ingest/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/android#why-desugaring). Check the `minSdk` for the variant named in the error. ## Configuration file is missing ### Symptoms The Android build warns: ```text EDOT React Native: /elastic-otel-config.json was not found. ElasticOtelReactNative.initialize(this) fails at startup without it. ``` At startup, initialization throws one of these messages: ```text elastic-otel-config.json was not found in the app assets. Create it at the React Native project root and apply the bridge's Gradle script in android/app/build.gradle. elastic-otel-config.json was not found in the app bundle. Create it at the React Native project root, run setup-ios, and check that the file is in the app target's Copy Bundle Resources build phase. ``` `npx expo prebuild` can fail with: ```text elastic-otel-config.json was not found. Create it at the project root, next to package.json. ``` ### Causes The configuration file is absent from the application root or was not included in the app build. ### Resolution Create the file as described in [Configuration file](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/react-native/configuration#configuration-file). For a bare app, complete `setup-android` or `setup-ios` and the [manual host setup](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/react-native/getting-started#manual-host-setup-fallback) as needed. For Expo, follow [Set up an Expo app](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/react-native/getting-started#set-up-an-expo-app). Rebuild the app after correcting the file or project setup. ## Initialization rejects configuration ### Symptoms `initialize()` throws `BootstrapException`. JSON structure, key, and type errors include: ```text elastic-otel-config.json must contain one JSON object: elastic-otel-config.json contains the unknown key . elastic-otel-config.json is missing the required key exportUrl. elastic-otel-config.json key must be a string. elastic-otel-config.json key must be a number. elastic-otel-config.json key exportProtocol must be "http" or "grpc", not "". elastic-otel-config.json key resourceAttributes must be an object. elastic-otel-config.json key resourceAttributes. must be a string. ``` Export URL errors include: ```text An OTLP export URL is required. The OTLP export URL is invalid. The OTLP export URL must use http or https. The OTLP export URL must include a host. The OTLP base URL must not include a query or fragment. The OTLP base URL must not include a signal-specific path. ``` Sampling, service identity, resource attribute, and API key errors include: ```text The session sample rate must be between 0 and 1. The resource attribute service.name is required. Resource attribute keys must not be blank. The resource attribute must not be blank. The resource attribute key must be at most 255 printable ASCII characters. The API key must not be blank. ``` ### Causes The configuration file or configuration supplied in code does not satisfy the validation rules. Initialization stops before telemetry starts. ### Resolution Correct the setting named in the error using the [configuration reference](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/react-native/configuration). See [Initialization and errors](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/react-native/configuration#initialization-and-errors) for error handling. Rebuild the app after changing its configuration file. ## Initialization runs more than once or fails on iOS ### Symptoms Initialization throws one of these messages: ```text EDOT Android has already been initialized. EDOT iOS has already been initialized. EDOT iOS was initialized outside @elastic/otel-react-native. EDOT iOS failed to initialize. ``` ### Causes The first two messages indicate a duplicate initialization call. On iOS, the third indicates that the app also initializes EDOT iOS separately. The last message indicates that iOS initialization did not succeed. ### Resolution Check the app's startup code against [Bootstrap before React Native](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/react-native/getting-started#bootstrap-before-react-native) and [Initialization and errors](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/react-native/configuration#initialization-and-errors). Keep one EDOT React Native initialization call and remove separate EDOT iOS initialization. If iOS initialization fails, inspect the startup logs and use the [iOS troubleshooting guide](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/troubleshoot/ingest/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/ios) for native SDK problems. ## JavaScript cannot access the SDK ### Symptoms A JavaScript call throws: ```text @elastic/otel-react-native is unavailable. Native autolinking must be enabled and the app rebuilt. ``` Manual telemetry calls can also reject with code `E_ELASTIC_OTEL_REACT_NATIVE` and one of these messages: ```text EDOT Android is not initialized. Bootstrap it in Application.onCreate. EDOT iOS is not initialized. Bootstrap it in AppDelegate before React Native starts. ``` ### Causes The app build does not include the package's native module, or initialization has not completed successfully before the JavaScript call. ### Resolution Enable native autolinking, complete the platform's [getting-started steps](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/react-native/getting-started), and rebuild the native app. Reloading JavaScript does not rebuild the app. For an initialization rejection, check the startup logs for a configuration error and confirm that [bootstrap runs before React Native starts](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/react-native/getting-started#bootstrap-before-react-native). ## Expo config plugin cannot edit a generated file ### Symptoms `npx expo prebuild` fails with: ```text has no . is not Kotlin. Add the bootstrap lines from the getting-started guide manually. is not Swift. Add the bootstrap lines from the getting-started guide manually. ``` ### Causes The config plugin edits the Kotlin `MainApplication`, Swift `AppDelegate`, and Gradle files that the Expo template generates, and inserts its lines after lines from that template. The error means a generated file no longer matches the template, for example because the `android` or `ios` directory was edited by hand or generated by an earlier Expo SDK. ### Resolution Check that the app meets the Expo SDK [requirement](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/react-native/getting-started#requirements), then regenerate the native directories with `npx expo prebuild --clean`. `--clean` deletes the `android` and `ios` directories before it generates them again, so changes made by hand in those directories are lost. Don't fix these errors by editing the generated files: `--clean` discards those edits, and the language errors persist while the config plugin is listed in `expo.plugins`, even though their message suggests adding the bootstrap lines manually. ## Babel plugin options stop the Metro transform ### Symptoms Metro reports a `TypeError` naming a Babel plugin option, for example: ```text Unknown option interactions.. interactions.components must be an array. interactions.components[0].name is required. interactions.components[0] must list an instrumentation in instrumentations or set enabled: false. interactions.widgetId[1] follows @component, which always has a value, so it is never used. ``` ### Causes The plugin options contain an unknown key, an invalid type, an incomplete or duplicate component entry, an unsupported instrumentation or macro, or a source listed after `@component`. ### Resolution Correct the option named in the error using the [Babel plugin configuration](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/react-native/automatic-instrumentation#configuration). Restart Metro with a cleared cache after changing the options. ## Widget taps are missing ### Symptoms Tapping a component produces no widget tap event. ### Causes The bundle does not include the Babel plugin changes, tap instrumentation is turned off, or the element does not match the plugin's instrumentation rules. ### Resolution Check the [widget tap setup and supported components](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/react-native/automatic-instrumentation#widget-tap-events). Reset the Metro cache with `npx react-native start --reset-cache` or `npx expo start --clear`. Use the [`debug: true` report](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/react-native/automatic-instrumentation#report-skipped-elements) to identify skipped elements. ## Next steps For problems outside React Native setup and startup, use these guides: - Native SDK problems: [Android troubleshooting](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/troubleshoot/ingest/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/android) and [iOS troubleshooting](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/troubleshoot/ingest/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/ios). - Export and connectivity: [Connectivity issues](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/troubleshoot/ingest/opentelemetry/connectivity), [No application-level telemetry visible in Kibana](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/troubleshoot/ingest/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/missing-app-telemetry), and [No data visible in Kibana](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/troubleshoot/ingest/opentelemetry/no-data-in-kibana). - Diagnostics: [Enable SDK debug logging](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/troubleshoot/ingest/opentelemetry/edot-sdks/enable-debug-logging). - Kibana visualizations: [Android dashboard troubleshooting](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/otel_android_dashboards#troubleshooting) and [iOS dashboard troubleshooting](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4850/reference/otel_ios_dashboards#troubleshooting). If the problem persists, existing Elastic customers with a support contract can open a ticket in the [Elastic Support portal](https://support.elastic.co/customers/s/login/). Other users can post in the [APM discuss forum](https://discuss.elastic.co/c/apm).