From 6e05d7dca425c952e8985cec1b9aa3cd40cb781b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: WatchTree-19 <119982314+WatchTree-19@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sun, 17 May 2026 12:38:54 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] sdk: tighten `ReadableSpan.attributes` to non-Optional
 `Mapping` (#4569)

The implementation always returns a `MappingProxyType`, never `None`,
because `self._attributes or {}` falls back to an empty dict. Tightening
the return annotation lets callers index `span.attributes["key"]` without
type-checker complaints. Adds the towncrier fragment per CONTRIBUTING.

Signed-off-by: WatchTree-19 <119982314+WatchTree-19@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 .changelog/5183.changed                                   | 1 +
 opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py | 3 ++-
 2 files changed, 3 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
 create mode 100644 .changelog/5183.changed

diff --git a/.changelog/5183.changed b/.changelog/5183.changed
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e59614bf63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/5183.changed
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+`opentelemetry-sdk`: tighten `ReadableSpan.attributes` return type to non-Optional `Mapping`
diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py
index 9cdfebeb47..1901afabbd 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py
@@ -492,7 +492,8 @@ def status(self) -> trace_api.Status:
         return self._status
 
     @property
-    def attributes(self) -> types.Attributes:
+    def attributes(self) -> Mapping[str, types.AttributeValue]:
+        # `or {}` keeps the return non-None; see #4569.
         return MappingProxyType(self._attributes or {})
 
     @property