diff --git a/distributions/otelcol-kafka/manifest.yaml b/distributions/otelcol-kafka/manifest.yaml
index 86ca53d..a8261e1 100644
--- a/distributions/otelcol-kafka/manifest.yaml
+++ b/distributions/otelcol-kafka/manifest.yaml
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ receivers:
   - gomod: go.opentelemetry.io/collector/receiver/otlpreceiver v0.101.0
   - gomod: github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/receiver/kafkareceiver v0.101.0
 exporters:
+  - gomod: go.opentelemetry.io/collector/exporter/nopexporter v0.101.0
   - gomod: go.opentelemetry.io/collector/exporter/otlpexporter v0.101.0
   - gomod: go.opentelemetry.io/collector/exporter/otlphttpexporter v0.101.0
   - gomod: github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/exporter/kafkaexporter v0.101.0
diff --git a/distributions/otelcol-kafka/otelcol-test.yaml b/distributions/otelcol-kafka/otelcol-test.yaml
index b39c1a2..82ac7f4 100644
--- a/distributions/otelcol-kafka/otelcol-test.yaml
+++ b/distributions/otelcol-kafka/otelcol-test.yaml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ receivers:
     topic: otlp-spans
 
 exporters:
+  nop:
   kafka:
     protocol_version: 2.0.0
     brokers: kafka-brokers.example.com:9092
@@ -27,5 +28,5 @@ service:
     traces:
       receivers:  [ otlp ] # we are not including Kafka here as it would fail the collector during initialization
       processors: [  ]
-      exporters:  [ otlp, otlphttp ]
+      exporters:  [ nop, otlp, otlphttp ]
 
diff --git a/distributions/otelcol-kafka/otelcol.yaml b/distributions/otelcol-kafka/otelcol.yaml
index 554dfd9..15eb482 100644
--- a/distributions/otelcol-kafka/otelcol.yaml
+++ b/distributions/otelcol-kafka/otelcol.yaml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ receivers:
     topic: otlp-spans
 
 exporters:
+  nop:
   kafka:
     protocol_version: 2.0.0
     brokers: kafka-brokers.example.com:9092
@@ -27,5 +28,5 @@ service:
     traces:
       receivers:  [ otlp, kafka ]
       processors: [  ]
-      exporters:  [ otlp, otlphttp, kafka ]
+      exporters:  [ nop, otlp, otlphttp ]
 
diff --git a/distributions/otelcol-loadbalancer/manifest.yaml b/distributions/otelcol-loadbalancer/manifest.yaml
index 282743b..c574cbc 100644
--- a/distributions/otelcol-loadbalancer/manifest.yaml
+++ b/distributions/otelcol-loadbalancer/manifest.yaml
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ extensions:
 receivers:
   - gomod: go.opentelemetry.io/collector/receiver/otlpreceiver v0.101.0
 exporters:
+  - gomod: go.opentelemetry.io/collector/exporter/nopexporter v0.101.0
   - gomod: go.opentelemetry.io/collector/exporter/otlpexporter v0.101.0
   - gomod: go.opentelemetry.io/collector/exporter/otlphttpexporter v0.101.0
   - gomod: github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/exporter/loadbalancingexporter v0.101.0
diff --git a/distributions/otelcol-loadbalancer/otelcol-test.yaml b/distributions/otelcol-loadbalancer/otelcol-test.yaml
index a0e91cf..95d915d 100644
--- a/distributions/otelcol-loadbalancer/otelcol-test.yaml
+++ b/distributions/otelcol-loadbalancer/otelcol-test.yaml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ receivers:
       grpc: {}
 
 exporters:
+  nop:
   loadbalancing:
     protocol:
       otlp:
@@ -27,4 +28,4 @@ service:
     traces:
       receivers:  [ otlp ]
       processors: [  ]
-      exporters:  [ otlp, otlphttp, loadbalancing ]
+      exporters:  [ nop, otlp, otlphttp, loadbalancing ]
diff --git a/distributions/otelcol-loadbalancer/otelcol.yaml b/distributions/otelcol-loadbalancer/otelcol.yaml
index a0e91cf..95d915d 100644
--- a/distributions/otelcol-loadbalancer/otelcol.yaml
+++ b/distributions/otelcol-loadbalancer/otelcol.yaml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ receivers:
       grpc: {}
 
 exporters:
+  nop:
   loadbalancing:
     protocol:
       otlp:
@@ -27,4 +28,4 @@ service:
     traces:
       receivers:  [ otlp ]
       processors: [  ]
-      exporters:  [ otlp, otlphttp, loadbalancing ]
+      exporters:  [ nop, otlp, otlphttp, loadbalancing ]
diff --git a/distributions/otelcol-otlp/manifest.yaml b/distributions/otelcol-otlp/manifest.yaml
index 14ea539..2e92204 100644
--- a/distributions/otelcol-otlp/manifest.yaml
+++ b/distributions/otelcol-otlp/manifest.yaml
@@ -16,5 +16,6 @@ extensions:
 receivers:
   - gomod: go.opentelemetry.io/collector/receiver/otlpreceiver v0.101.0
 exporters:
+  - gomod: go.opentelemetry.io/collector/exporter/nopexporter v0.101.0
   - gomod: go.opentelemetry.io/collector/exporter/otlpexporter v0.101.0
   - gomod: go.opentelemetry.io/collector/exporter/otlphttpexporter v0.101.0
diff --git a/distributions/otelcol-otlp/otelcol-test.yaml b/distributions/otelcol-otlp/otelcol-test.yaml
index 6b13c62..1e7f3fb 100644
--- a/distributions/otelcol-otlp/otelcol-test.yaml
+++ b/distributions/otelcol-otlp/otelcol-test.yaml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ receivers:
       grpc: {}
 
 exporters:
+  nop:
   otlp:
     endpoint: otlp.example.com:4317
   otlphttp:
@@ -19,4 +20,4 @@ service:
     traces:
       receivers:  [ otlp ]
       processors: [  ]
-      exporters:  [ otlp, otlphttp ]
+      exporters:  [ nop, otlp, otlphttp ]
diff --git a/distributions/otelcol-otlp/otelcol.yaml b/distributions/otelcol-otlp/otelcol.yaml
index 6b13c62..1e7f3fb 100644
--- a/distributions/otelcol-otlp/otelcol.yaml
+++ b/distributions/otelcol-otlp/otelcol.yaml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ receivers:
       grpc: {}
 
 exporters:
+  nop:
   otlp:
     endpoint: otlp.example.com:4317
   otlphttp:
@@ -19,4 +20,4 @@ service:
     traces:
       receivers:  [ otlp ]
       processors: [  ]
-      exporters:  [ otlp, otlphttp ]
+      exporters:  [ nop, otlp, otlphttp ]
diff --git a/distributions/otelcol-tracing/manifest.yaml b/distributions/otelcol-tracing/manifest.yaml
index 56753d6..226b052 100644
--- a/distributions/otelcol-tracing/manifest.yaml
+++ b/distributions/otelcol-tracing/manifest.yaml
@@ -18,5 +18,6 @@ receivers:
   - gomod: github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/receiver/jaegerreceiver v0.101.0
   - gomod: github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/receiver/zipkinreceiver v0.101.0
 exporters:
+  - gomod: go.opentelemetry.io/collector/exporter/nopexporter v0.101.0
   - gomod: go.opentelemetry.io/collector/exporter/otlpexporter v0.101.0
   - gomod: go.opentelemetry.io/collector/exporter/otlphttpexporter v0.101.0
diff --git a/distributions/otelcol-tracing/otelcol-test.yaml b/distributions/otelcol-tracing/otelcol-test.yaml
index ed431dd..c997c15 100644
--- a/distributions/otelcol-tracing/otelcol-test.yaml
+++ b/distributions/otelcol-tracing/otelcol-test.yaml
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ receivers:
   zipkin: {}
 
 exporters:
+  nop:
   otlp:
     endpoint: otlp.example.com:4317
   otlphttp:
@@ -25,4 +26,4 @@ service:
     traces:
       receivers:  [ otlp, jaeger, zipkin ]
       processors: [  ]
-      exporters:  [ otlp, otlphttp ]
+      exporters:  [ nop, otlp, otlphttp ]
diff --git a/distributions/otelcol-tracing/otelcol.yaml b/distributions/otelcol-tracing/otelcol.yaml
index ed431dd..c997c15 100644
--- a/distributions/otelcol-tracing/otelcol.yaml
+++ b/distributions/otelcol-tracing/otelcol.yaml
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ receivers:
   zipkin: {}
 
 exporters:
+  nop:
   otlp:
     endpoint: otlp.example.com:4317
   otlphttp:
@@ -25,4 +26,4 @@ service:
     traces:
       receivers:  [ otlp, jaeger, zipkin ]
       processors: [  ]
-      exporters:  [ otlp, otlphttp ]
+      exporters:  [ nop, otlp, otlphttp ]