diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 70bf5fea..78a72c56 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,24 +1,24 @@
-
+# Grafana OpenTelemetry distribution for .NET
+
+
- 
- 
+
+
-
-
-# Grafana OpenTelemetry distribution for .NET
+
-[](https://github.com/grafana/grafana-opentelemetry-dotnet/actions/workflows/unit-tests.yml)
-[](https://github.com/grafana/grafana-opentelemetry-dotnet/actions/workflows/oats.yml)
-[](https://www.nuget.org/profiles/Grafana)
-[](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-dotnet)
-[](https://grafana.slack.com/archives/C05E87XRK3J)
+[![Build][ci-badge]][ci-status]
+[![OATS][oats-badge]][oats-status]
+[![NuGet][package-badge-version]][package-download]
+[![SDK][otel-badge]][otel]
+[![Slack][slack-badge]][slack-channel]
## About
-This is a pre-configured and pre-packaged bundle of [OpenTelemetry .NET components](http://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-dotnet-contrib),
-optimized for [Grafana Cloud Application Observability](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana-cloud/monitor-applications/application-observability/).
+This is a pre-configured and pre-packaged bundle of [OpenTelemetry .NET components][otel-contrib],
+optimized for [Grafana Cloud Application Observability][app-o11y].
It requires only minimal setup and configuration and makes it very easy to emit
OpenTelemetry metrics, logs, and traces from your .NET application.
@@ -28,8 +28,7 @@ OpenTelemetry metrics, logs, and traces from your .NET application.
### Step 1: Install package
For installing the distribution with the full set of dependencies, add a
-reference to the [`Grafana.OpenTelemetry`](https://www.nuget.org/packages/Grafana.OpenTelemetry)
-package to your project.
+reference to the [`Grafana.OpenTelemetry`][package] package to your project.
```sh
dotnet add package Grafana.OpenTelemetry
@@ -39,7 +38,7 @@ dotnet add package Grafana.OpenTelemetry
The `UseGrafana` extension method on the `TracerProviderBuilder` or the
`MetricProviderBuilder` can be used to set up the Grafana distribution. By
-default, telemetry data will be sent to Grafana Alloy or an OTel collector
+default, telemetry data will be sent to Grafana Alloy or an OpenTelemetry collector
that runs locally and listens to default OTLP ports.
```csharp
@@ -53,9 +52,8 @@ involving an agent or collector. This can be configured via the environment
variables `OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_PROTOCOL`, `OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT`, and
`OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_HEADERS`.
-For details on how to obtain those values, refer to [Push directly from
-applications using the OpenTelemetry
-SDKs](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana-cloud/send-data/otlp/send-data-otlp/#push-directly-from-applications-using-the-opentelemetry-sdks).
+For details on how to obtain those values, refer to
+[Send data to the Grafana Cloud OTLP endpoint: Quickstart architecture][push-oltp].
```sh
export OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_PROTOCOL="http/protobuf"
@@ -76,10 +74,9 @@ documents:
## Troubleshooting
-This project utilizes the [self-diagnostics feature of the .NET OpenTelemetry SDK](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-dotnet/blob/main/src/OpenTelemetry/README.md#self-diagnostics).
+This project utilizes the [self-diagnostics feature of the .NET OpenTelemetry SDK][self-diagnostics].
-To enable self-diagnostics, go to the
-[current working directory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_directory) of
+To enable self-diagnostics, go to the [current working directory][working-dir] of
your process and create a configuration file named `OTEL_DIAGNOSTICS.json` with
the following content:
@@ -98,9 +95,26 @@ To disable self-diagnostics, delete the above file.
To engage with the Grafana Application Observability community:
* Chat with us on our community Slack channel. To invite yourself to the
- Grafana Slack, visit [https://grafana.slack.com/](https://grafana.slack.com)
- and join the [#application-observability](https://grafana.slack.com/archives/C05E87XRK3J)
- channel.
-* Ask questions on the [Discussions page](https://github.com/grafana/grafana-opentelemetry-dotnet/discussions).
-* [File an issue](https://github.com/grafana/grafana-opentelemetry-dotnet/issues/new)
- for bugs, issues, and feature suggestions.
+ Grafana Slack, visit
+ and join the [#application-observability][slack-channel] channel.
+* Ask questions on the [Discussions page][discussions].
+* [File an issue][issues] for bugs, issues, and feature suggestions.
+
+[app-o11y]: https://grafana.com/docs/grafana-cloud/monitor-applications/application-observability/
+[ci-badge]: https://github.com/grafana/grafana-opentelemetry-dotnet/actions/workflows/unit-tests.yml/badge.svg?branch=main
+[ci-status]: https://github.com/grafana/grafana-opentelemetry-dotnet/actions/workflows/unit-tests.yml
+[discussions]: https://github.com/grafana/grafana-opentelemetry-dotnet/discussions
+[issues]: https://github.com/grafana/grafana-opentelemetry-dotnet/issues/new
+[oats-badge]: https://github.com/grafana/grafana-opentelemetry-dotnet/actions/workflows/oats.yml/badge.svg?branch=main
+[oats-status]: https://github.com/grafana/grafana-opentelemetry-dotnet/actions/workflows/oats.yml
+[otel]: https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-dotnet
+[otel-badge]: https://img.shields.io/badge/OTel--SDK-1.9.0-blue?style=flat&logo=opentelemetry
+[otel-contrib]: http://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-dotnet-contrib
+[package]: https://www.nuget.org/packages/Grafana.OpenTelemetry
+[package-badge-version]: https://img.shields.io/nuget/v/Grafana.OpenTelemetry?logo=nuget&label=NuGet&color=blue
+[package-download]: https://www.nuget.org/profiles/Grafana
+[push-oltp]: https://grafana.com/docs/grafana-cloud/send-data/otlp/send-data-otlp/#quickstart-architecture
+[self-diagnostics]: https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-dotnet/blob/main/src/OpenTelemetry/README.md#self-diagnostics
+[slack-badge]: https://img.shields.io/badge/%20Slack-%23app--o11y-brightgreen.svg?logo=slack
+[slack-channel]: https://grafana.slack.com/archives/C05E87XRK3J
+[working-dir]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_directory