diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e45e46c..5589c9b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -144,6 +144,30 @@ harness-instrument python app.py
 library listed in `skip_libraries` is never instrumented even if its category
 is enabled.
 
+### Enrich the current span
+
+Add runtime attributes while the target instrumented span is active:
+
+```python
+from harness_sdk import set_span_attribute, set_span_attributes
+
+set_span_attribute("request.client.name", client_name)
+set_span_attributes({
+    "agent.action.type": action_type,
+    "custom.retry.count": retry_count,
+})
+```
+
+These helpers update only the current recording span. They silently do nothing when no
+recording span is active. Attributes do not propagate to child spans or downstream
+services.
+
+Keys may use any customer-defined name. Values must be valid OpenTelemetry attribute
+values: strings, booleans, integers, floats, or homogeneous sequences of those types.
+For duplicate keys, the last write wins; instrumentation can overwrite a customer value
+if it writes the same key later. Because the span already exists, these attributes
+cannot influence head sampling.
+
 ## Plugins
 
 The SDK loads extensions via [setuptools entry points](https://setuptools.pypa.io/en/latest/userguide/entry_point.html). Each plugin has a **name** (the entry-point key). Names are listed in config or environment variables; only installed plugins are loaded, in the order you configure.
diff --git a/src/harness_sdk/__init__.py b/src/harness_sdk/__init__.py
index 530459a..97bf80f 100644
--- a/src/harness_sdk/__init__.py
+++ b/src/harness_sdk/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """Harness Python SDK — generic instrumentation and plugin architecture."""
 
 from harness_sdk.agent import Agent
+from harness_sdk.span_enrichment import set_span_attribute, set_span_attributes
 
-__all__ = ["Agent"]
+__all__ = ["Agent", "set_span_attribute", "set_span_attributes"]
diff --git a/src/harness_sdk/span_enrichment.py b/src/harness_sdk/span_enrichment.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ae79761
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/harness_sdk/span_enrichment.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+"""Public helpers for enriching the current OpenTelemetry span."""
+
+from typing import Mapping
+
+from opentelemetry import trace
+from opentelemetry.util.types import AttributeValue
+
+
+def set_span_attribute(key: str, value: AttributeValue) -> None:
+    """Set one attribute on the current recording span."""
+    span = trace.get_current_span()
+    if span.is_recording():
+        span.set_attribute(key, value)
+
+
+def set_span_attributes(attributes: Mapping[str, AttributeValue]) -> None:
+    """Set attributes on the current recording span."""
+    span = trace.get_current_span()
+    if not span.is_recording():
+        return
+    for key, value in attributes.items():
+        span.set_attribute(key, value)
diff --git a/test/span_enrichment_test.py b/test/span_enrichment_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..530328c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/span_enrichment_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+import asyncio
+
+from opentelemetry.sdk.trace import TracerProvider
+
+from harness_sdk import set_span_attribute, set_span_attributes
+
+
+def _tracer():
+    return TracerProvider().get_tracer(__name__)
+
+
+def test_set_span_attribute_updates_current_recording_span():
+    with _tracer().start_as_current_span("parent") as span:
+        set_span_attribute("request.client.name", "acme")
+
+        assert span.attributes["request.client.name"] == "acme"
+
+
+def test_set_span_attributes_preserves_supported_types():
+    with _tracer().start_as_current_span("parent") as span:
+        set_span_attributes({
+            "string": "value",
+            "boolean": True,
+            "integer": 7,
+            "float": 1.5,
+            "sequence": ("a", "b"),
+        })
+
+        assert dict(span.attributes) == {
+            "string": "value",
+            "boolean": True,
+            "integer": 7,
+            "float": 1.5,
+            "sequence": ("a", "b"),
+        }
+
+
+def test_last_write_wins():
+    with _tracer().start_as_current_span("parent") as span:
+        set_span_attribute("custom.key", "first")
+        set_span_attribute("custom.key", "second")
+
+        assert span.attributes["custom.key"] == "second"
+
+
+def test_no_active_recording_span_is_noop():
+    assert set_span_attribute("custom.key", "value") is None
+    assert set_span_attributes({"custom.key": "value"}) is None
+
+
+def test_empty_mapping_is_noop():
+    with _tracer().start_as_current_span("parent") as span:
+        assert set_span_attributes({}) is None
+        assert not span.attributes
+
+
+def test_attributes_do_not_inherit_to_child_span():
+    tracer = _tracer()
+    with tracer.start_as_current_span("parent") as parent:
+        set_span_attribute("custom.key", "parent")
+
+        with tracer.start_as_current_span("child") as child:
+            assert "custom.key" not in child.attributes
+
+        assert parent.attributes["custom.key"] == "parent"
+
+
+def test_async_code_updates_active_span():
+    async def enrich():
+        set_span_attribute("agent.action.type", "search")
+
+    with _tracer().start_as_current_span("parent") as span:
+        asyncio.run(enrich())
+
+        assert span.attributes["agent.action.type"] == "search"