Shredding JSON columns gave Logfire up to 1000x faster queries

Logfire achieved up to 1000x faster query speeds by implementing "dynamic shredding," an optimization technique for querying semi-structured JSON attribute data in OpenTelemetry logs. Queries that previously timed out after 30 seconds now complete in under a second, with the feature set to roll out to all customers in February 2026. This dramatic improvement addresses a key challenge in querying the mix of fixed-schema and semi-structured data that Logfire ingests from applications.