---
title: Troubleshooting: Not seeing transaction traces
source: https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/apm/transactions/transaction-traces/troubleshooting-not-seeing-transaction-traces
---

## Problem

You do not see transaction traces in the APM UI.

## Solution

If you are not seeing a [transaction trace](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/apm/transactions/transaction-traces/transaction-traces) in [APM](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/apm/new-relic-apm/getting-started/welcome-new-relic-apm), there are several possible reasons.

**Transaction tracing was disabled.**

Transaction traces are enabled by default, but the setting may have been manually disabled. To solve this problem, change the setting back to enable transaction trace settings.

**The transaction does not meet criteria for tracing.**

The transaction is not meeting the [criteria for being traced](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/apm/transactions/transaction-traces/transaction-traces#basics). For example:

-   It is responding more quickly than the 4-times-Apdex threshold or a custom number-of-seconds threshold.
-   It is not being selected as the slowest trace during the minute-long harvest cycle.

**App activity is not being captured as a transaction.**

If you don't see the transaction listed on the APM [Transactions page](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/apm/applications-menu/monitoring/transactions-page), your APM agent is not capturing the activity as a transaction. In this situation, you must set up [custom instrumentation](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/apm/agents/manage-apm-agents/agent-data/custom-instrumentation/) to monitor the activity as a transaction.

**The custom transaction name includes brackets.**

If you used [custom instrumentation](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/apm/agents/manage-apm-agents/agent-data/custom-instrumentation/) to manually create a transaction, make sure you follow New Relic's naming rules.

> #### ⚠️ IMPORTANT
>
> Do not use brackets `[suffix]` at the end of your transaction name. New Relic automatically strips brackets from the name. Instead, use parentheses `(suffix)` or other symbols if needed.

**No traces appear for any transactions.**

Change the **Threshold** value temporarily to `0.0001` so that transactions will definitely exceed the threshold. Be sure to return this to your original setting after you start receiving transaction traces.