A team wants to filter X-Ray traces by customer tier (e.g., 'show all traces for enterprise users'). What should the app record on segments?
A.Metadata — it's searchable in trace queries
Metadata isn't indexed — you can't filter by it.
B.Annotations — indexed key/value pairs you can filter traces by
Correct. Annotations = searchable key-values.
C.Subsegments with the tier in the name
Subsegment names aren't filterable attributes.
D.CloudWatch Logs
Logs are separate from trace filtering.
Why this answer
Annotations are indexed for filtering (filter expressions like annotation.tier = "enterprise"). Metadata is arbitrary context attached to segments but NOT indexed — the classic X-Ray distinction.
Correct answer: B · Last reviewed 2026-11-03
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