Software is traced using Extensible Markup Language (XML) messages. A trace command, which includes one or more specified fields to be traced and a trace output file location, is defined. A determination is made as to whether the trace command is for a full trace or a differential trace, where the full trace traces all the one or more specified fields, and the differential trace traces specified fields only in response to the specified fields having a value that has changed during processing. The trace command is added to an XML input message for propagation through one or more products. Trace data is collected from the full trace or the differential trace for defined fields at each product, and then stored at the trace output file location.