# Telemetry

Diffblue Cover captures telemetry (usage) data to help improve Cover services and features. Data is sent to the following endpoints:

* **Diffblue** - Telemetry data is sent to Diffblue by default.
* **Cover Reports** - Telemetry data can be sent to your Cover Reports instance (if required), allowing you to monitor Diffblue Cover usage across your organization.

Further information on our data collection and policies is provided in the [Diffblue Privacy Notice](/legal/diffblue-legal/privacy-notice.md).

## Configure telemetry

Telemetry can be configured (if required) using environment variables, and/or a properties file, on the host machine (where Diffblue Cover is being used). Note that these configuration settings apply to Cover CLI **and** Cover Plugin.

* Environment variables always take priority and is the recommended method for configuring telemetry - variables listed below.
* If you use a properties file, create a `telemetry.properties` file in the home directory under the `.diffblue` folder (for example, `/users/joeblogs/.diffblue/telemetry.properties`) and define one or more of the properties listed below.
* If an individual environment variable or property is not found, the default value will be used.

<table data-full-width="false"><thead><tr><th width="239">Environment variable</th><th width="138">Property</th><th width="253">Description</th><th width="131">Default</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><code>DIFFBLUE_TELEMETRY_</code><br><code>EXTERNAL_ENABLED</code></td><td><p><code>telemetry.</code></p><p><code>external.</code></p><p><code>enabled</code></p></td><td>Enable (<code>true</code>) or disable (<code>false</code>) telemetry data for Diffblue. <strong>*</strong></td><td><code>true</code></td></tr><tr><td><code>DIFFBLUE_TELEMETRY_</code><br><code>REPORTS_ENABLED</code></td><td><p><code>telemetry.</code></p><p><code>reports.</code></p><p><code>enabled</code></p></td><td>Enable (<code>true</code>) or disable (<code>false</code>) telemetry data for Cover Reports. <strong>**</strong></td><td><code>false</code></td></tr><tr><td><code>DIFFBLUE_TELEMETRY_</code><br><code>REPORTS_HOSTNAME</code></td><td><p><code>telemetry.</code></p><p><code>reports.</code></p><p><code>hostname</code></p></td><td>Hostname of your Cover Reports server. <strong>**</strong></td><td><code>localhost</code></td></tr><tr><td><code>DIFFBLUE_TELEMETRY_</code><br><code>REPORTS_PORT</code></td><td><p><code>telemetry.</code></p><p><code>reports.</code></p><p><code>port</code></p></td><td>Port number of your Cover Reports instance <strong>**</strong></td><td><code>8080</code></td></tr><tr><td><code>DIFFBLUE_TELEMETRY_</code><br><code>REPORTS_SCHEME</code></td><td><p><code>telemetry.</code></p><p><code>reports.</code></p><p><code>scheme</code></p></td><td>Protocol used to communicate with Cover Reports - <code>http</code> or <code>https</code> <strong>**</strong></td><td><code>http</code></td></tr><tr><td><p><code>DIFFBLUE_TELEMETRY_</code></p><p><code>COLLECT_USERNAME</code></p></td><td><p><code>telemetry.</code></p><p><code>collect.</code></p><p><code>username</code></p></td><td>Whether the username of the logged in user and/or the email address as configured by git should be collected (<code>true</code>) or not (<code>false</code>).</td><td><code>false</code></td></tr></tbody></table>

> **\*** Disabling the Diffblue endpoint for telemetry data is only available to Diffblue Cover Enterprise Edition customers.
>
> **\*\*** See your Cover Reports Administrator for help, if needed.

**Example `telemetry.properties` file:**

```
# Copyright 2021-2024 Diffblue Limited. All Rights Reserved.
# Example telemetry.properties file
telemetry.external.enabled=true
telemetry.reports.enabled=true
telemetry.reports.hostname=localhost
telemetry.reports.port=8080
telemetry.reports.scheme=http
```

## Manage configurations

Diffblue Cover will consult the `telemetry.properties` files in the following order of precedence:

* the user's home folder
* the installation directory
* the bundled files

If a value is set in multiple places, then the value from the location higher in the list will take effect.

Alternatively, if you need to manage telemetry configuration across your organization, you can set the environment variables defined above (as needed) and apply these settings across your organization (for example, using a group policy).

{% hint style="info" %}
From release 2024.01.02, it is no longer possible to repackage Cover CLI with telemetry disabled.
{% endhint %}


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