# Make a span becomes transaction **URL:** \ **Category:** APM\ **Tags:** java\ **Created:** [February 16, 2023, 9:57am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/make-a-span-becomes-transaction/325711 "2023-02-16T09:57:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ivan\_Hosea](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ivan_hosea/32/117268_2.png) [@Ivan\_Hosea](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Ivan_Hosea)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 9:57am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/make-a-span-becomes-transaction/325711/1 "2023-02-16T09:57:47Z")
**APM Agent language and version** : 1.36 **Description of the problem including expected versus actual behavior. Please include screenshots (if relevant)**: I tried to trace a method using this: [Core configuration options | APM Java Agent Reference [1.x] | Elastic](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/apm/agent/java/current/config-core.html#config-trace-methods) I successfully made a custom span with it, but I was wondering if I could turn that span into a transaction. The reason for this is because I would like to filter the traces based on that custom method. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Shirazi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jack_shirazi/32/91641_2.png) [@Jack\_Shirazi](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Jack_Shirazi)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 10:30am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/make-a-span-becomes-transaction/325711/2 "2023-02-16T10:30:39Z")
This should have created a transaction unless there was already a transaction active in which case it creates a span in that transaction ---
**Author:** ![Ivan\_Hosea](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ivan_hosea/32/117268_2.png) [@Ivan\_Hosea](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Ivan_Hosea)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 6:26am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/make-a-span-becomes-transaction/325711/3 "2023-02-17T06:26:07Z")
I see. However, in this example: [Elastic Demos](https://demo.elastic.co/app/apm/services/frontend-node/transactions/view?kuery=&rangeFrom=now-15h&rangeTo=now&environment=ENVIRONMENT_ALL&serviceGroup=&comparisonEnabled=true&transactionName=GET%20%2Frecommendations&transactionType=request&offset=1d&latencyAggregationType=avg&score=14.544306×tamp=2023-02-17T06:21:14.879Z&transactionId=a05ccbd396b7c2ff&traceId=19abfd58914add87b8ea4d8c5fd7086d) it is possible that there is a transaction existing inside another transaction, is it because it comes from a different service? Either way, is it not possible to make the previous custom span becomes a transaction if there was already a transaction active? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Shirazi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jack_shirazi/32/91641_2.png) [@Jack\_Shirazi](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Jack_Shirazi)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 12:01pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/make-a-span-becomes-transaction/325711/4 "2023-02-17T12:01:58Z")
The link you have there shows a trace with multiple transactions/spans across several services. A transaction is also a span, one with [more information](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/apm/guide/current/data-model-transactions.html). A trace is a request that contains one or more spans/transactions, linked by a common traceID. If a transaction is active you can add spans to it, or end it and start another transaction ---
**Author:** ![Ivan\_Hosea](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ivan_hosea/32/117268_2.png) [@Ivan\_Hosea](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Ivan_Hosea)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 3:04am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/make-a-span-becomes-transaction/325711/5 "2023-02-20T03:04:10Z")
Okay, if that's the case. However, is there any way for me to filter traces to only feature the ones with a certain span inside it? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2023, 11:05pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/make-a-span-becomes-transaction/325711/6 "2023-03-12T23:05:02Z")
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