diff --git a/rust/otap-dataflow/crates/otap/src/transform_processor.rs b/rust/otap-dataflow/crates/otap/src/transform_processor.rs
index 3557443a2e..bcb80a4527 100644
--- a/rust/otap-dataflow/crates/otap/src/transform_processor.rs
+++ b/rust/otap-dataflow/crates/otap/src/transform_processor.rs
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ use otap_df_engine::{
 };
 use otap_df_pdata::{OtapArrowRecords, OtapPayload};
 use otap_df_query_engine::pipeline::Pipeline;
-use otap_df_telemetry::metrics::MetricSet;
+use otap_df_telemetry::{metrics::MetricSet, otel_debug};
 use serde_json::Value;
 
 use crate::{OTAP_PROCESSOR_FACTORIES, pdata::OtapPdata};
@@ -173,21 +173,25 @@ impl Processor<OtapPdata> for TransformProcessor {
                 }
             },
             Message::PData(pdata) => {
-                self.metrics.msgs_consumed.inc();
                 let (context, payload) = pdata.into_parts();
+                self.metrics.items_received.add(payload.num_items() as u64);
                 let payload = if !self.should_process(&payload) {
                     // skip handling this pdata
+                    otel_debug!("transform.skipped");
                     payload
                 } else {
                     let mut otap_batch: OtapArrowRecords = payload.try_into()?;
+                    let num_items = otap_batch.num_items() as u64;
                     otap_batch.decode_transport_optimized_ids()?;
                     match self.pipeline.execute(otap_batch).await {
                         Ok(otap_batch) => {
-                            self.metrics.msgs_transformed.inc();
+                            self.metrics
+                                .items_transformed
+                                .add(otap_batch.num_items() as u64);
                             otap_batch.into()
                         }
                         Err(e) => {
-                            self.metrics.msgs_transform_failed.inc();
+                            self.metrics.items_failed.add(num_items);
                             return Err(EngineError::ProcessorError {
                                 processor: effect_handler.processor_id(),
                                 kind: ProcessorErrorKind::Other,
@@ -198,10 +202,11 @@ impl Processor<OtapPdata> for TransformProcessor {
                     }
                 };
 
+                let num_forwarded = payload.num_items() as u64;
                 effect_handler
                     .send_message(OtapPdata::new(context, payload))
                     .await
-                    .inspect(|_| self.metrics.msgs_forwarded.inc())?;
+                    .inspect(|_| self.metrics.items_sent.add(num_forwarded))?;
             }
         };
 
@@ -347,29 +352,29 @@ mod test {
                 // Allow the collector to pull from the channel
                 tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(50)).await;
 
-                let mut msgs_consumed = 0;
-                let mut msgs_forwarded = 0;
-                let mut msgs_transformed = 0;
-                let mut msgs_transform_failed = 0;
+                let mut items_received = 0;
+                let mut items_sent = 0;
+                let mut items_transformed = 0;
+                let mut items_failed = 0;
                 registry.visit_current_metrics(|desc, _attrs, iter| {
                     if desc.name == "transform.processor.metrics" {
                         for (field, v) in iter {
                             let val = v.to_u64_lossy();
                             match field.name {
-                                "msgs.consumed" => msgs_consumed += val,
-                                "msgs.forwarded" => msgs_forwarded += val,
-                                "msgs.transformed" => msgs_transformed += val,
-                                "msgs.transform.failed" => msgs_transform_failed += val,
+                                "items.received" => items_received += val,
+                                "items.sent" => items_sent += val,
+                                "items.transformed" => items_transformed += val,
+                                "items.failed" => items_failed += val,
                                 _ => {}
                             }
                         }
                     }
                 });
 
-                assert_eq!(msgs_consumed, 1);
-                assert_eq!(msgs_forwarded, 1);
-                assert_eq!(msgs_transformed, 1);
-                assert_eq!(msgs_transform_failed, 0)
+                assert_eq!(items_received, 2);
+                assert_eq!(items_sent, 1);
+                assert_eq!(items_transformed, 1);
+                assert_eq!(items_failed, 0)
             });
     }
 
diff --git a/rust/otap-dataflow/crates/otap/src/transform_processor/metrics.rs b/rust/otap-dataflow/crates/otap/src/transform_processor/metrics.rs
index a5fa7576a2..b834813882 100644
--- a/rust/otap-dataflow/crates/otap/src/transform_processor/metrics.rs
+++ b/rust/otap-dataflow/crates/otap/src/transform_processor/metrics.rs
@@ -10,19 +10,19 @@ use otap_df_telemetry_macros::metric_set;
 #[metric_set(name = "transform.processor.metrics")]
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Clone)]
 pub struct Metrics {
-    /// PData messages consumed by this processor.
-    #[metric(unit = "{msg}")]
-    pub msgs_consumed: Counter<u64>,
+    /// Telemetry items (log records, spans, or metrics) received by this processor.
+    #[metric(unit = "{item}")]
+    pub items_received: Counter<u64>,
 
-    /// PData messages forwarded by this processor.
-    #[metric(unit = "{msg}")]
-    pub msgs_forwarded: Counter<u64>,
+    /// Telemetry items sent to the next processor in the pipeline.
+    #[metric(unit = "{item}")]
+    pub items_sent: Counter<u64>,
 
-    /// Number of messages successfully transformed.
-    #[metric(unit = "{msg}")]
-    pub msgs_transformed: Counter<u64>,
+    /// Telemetry items successfully transformed.
+    #[metric(unit = "{item}")]
+    pub items_transformed: Counter<u64>,
 
-    /// Number of failed transform attempts.
-    #[metric(unit = "{msg}")]
-    pub msgs_transform_failed: Counter<u64>,
+    /// Telemetry items that failed during transformation.
+    #[metric(unit = "{item}")]
+    pub items_failed: Counter<u64>,
 }