diff --git a/exporter/datadogexporter/config.go b/exporter/datadogexporter/config.go
index 25eddf084976..9ebd11698016 100644
--- a/exporter/datadogexporter/config.go
+++ b/exporter/datadogexporter/config.go
@@ -438,6 +438,10 @@ var _ component.Config = (*Config)(nil)
 
 // Validate the configuration for errors. This is required by component.Config.
 func (c *Config) Validate() error {
+	if err := validateClientConfig(c.ClientConfig); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	if c.OnlyMetadata && (!c.HostMetadata.Enabled || c.HostMetadata.HostnameSource != HostnameSourceFirstResource) {
 		return errNoMetadata
 	}
@@ -478,6 +482,36 @@ func (c *Config) Validate() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func validateClientConfig(cfg confighttp.ClientConfig) error {
+	var unsupported []string
+	if cfg.Auth != nil {
+		unsupported = append(unsupported, "auth")
+	}
+	if cfg.Endpoint != "" {
+		unsupported = append(unsupported, "endpoint")
+	}
+	if cfg.Compression != "" {
+		unsupported = append(unsupported, "compression")
+	}
+	if cfg.ProxyURL != "" {
+		unsupported = append(unsupported, "proxy_url")
+	}
+	if cfg.Headers != nil {
+		unsupported = append(unsupported, "headers")
+	}
+	if cfg.HTTP2ReadIdleTimeout != 0 {
+		unsupported = append(unsupported, "http2_read_idle_timeout")
+	}
+	if cfg.HTTP2PingTimeout != 0 {
+		unsupported = append(unsupported, "http2_ping_timeout")
+	}
+
+	if len(unsupported) > 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("these confighttp client configs are currently not respected by Datadog exporter: %s", strings.Join(unsupported, ", "))
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 var _ error = (*renameError)(nil)
 
 // renameError is an error related to a renamed setting.
diff --git a/exporter/datadogexporter/config_test.go b/exporter/datadogexporter/config_test.go
index ac062be2fb21..62d244f7ca03 100644
--- a/exporter/datadogexporter/config_test.go
+++ b/exporter/datadogexporter/config_test.go
@@ -8,7 +8,10 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"go.opentelemetry.io/collector/component"
+	"go.opentelemetry.io/collector/config/configauth"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/collector/config/confighttp"
+	"go.opentelemetry.io/collector/config/configopaque"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/collector/config/configtls"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/collector/confmap"
 )
@@ -18,6 +21,9 @@ func TestValidate(t *testing.T) {
 	maxIdleConn := 300
 	maxIdleConnPerHost := 150
 	maxConnPerHost := 250
+	ty, err := component.NewType("ty")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	auth := configauth.Authentication{AuthenticatorID: component.NewID(ty)}
 
 	tests := []struct {
 		name string
@@ -139,6 +145,23 @@ func TestValidate(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
+
+		{
+			name: "unsupported confighttp client configs",
+			cfg: &Config{
+				API: APIConfig{Key: "notnull"},
+				ClientConfig: confighttp.ClientConfig{
+					Endpoint:             "endpoint",
+					Compression:          "gzip",
+					ProxyURL:             "proxy",
+					Auth:                 &auth,
+					Headers:              map[string]configopaque.String{"key": "val"},
+					HTTP2ReadIdleTimeout: 250,
+					HTTP2PingTimeout:     200,
+				},
+			},
+			err: "these confighttp client configs are currently not respected by Datadog exporter: auth, endpoint, compression, proxy_url, headers, http2_read_idle_timeout, http2_ping_timeout",
+		},
 	}
 	for _, testInstance := range tests {
 		t.Run(testInstance.name, func(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/exporter/datadogexporter/go.mod b/exporter/datadogexporter/go.mod
index ed9ca4e376bd..9a8e953aec6c 100644
--- a/exporter/datadogexporter/go.mod
+++ b/exporter/datadogexporter/go.mod
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/receiver/prometheusreceiver v0.96.0
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.9.0
 	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/component v0.96.1-0.20240306115632-b2693620eff6
+	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/config/configauth v0.96.1-0.20240306115632-b2693620eff6
 	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/config/configcompression v0.96.1-0.20240306115632-b2693620eff6
 	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/config/confighttp v0.96.1-0.20240306115632-b2693620eff6
 	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/config/confignet v0.96.1-0.20240306115632-b2693620eff6
@@ -235,7 +236,6 @@ require (
 	github.com/zorkian/go-datadog-api v2.30.0+incompatible // indirect
 	go.opencensus.io v0.24.0 // indirect
 	go.opentelemetry.io/collector v0.96.1-0.20240306115632-b2693620eff6 // indirect
-	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/config/configauth v0.96.1-0.20240306115632-b2693620eff6 // indirect
 	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/config/configgrpc v0.96.1-0.20240306115632-b2693620eff6 // indirect
 	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/config/configtelemetry v0.96.1-0.20240306115632-b2693620eff6 // indirect
 	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/config/internal v0.96.1-0.20240306115632-b2693620eff6 // indirect