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Error Tracking Python

PostHogOfficialCreated by PostHog

  • Skill
  • Tool integration
  • Data and AI
  • MIT
  • Low risk
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From the author

PostHog error tracking for Python
— the description by PostHog

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

This skill provides the necessary guidelines and patterns for implementing PostHog error tracking within Python applications. It covers SDK initialization, best practices for capturing exceptions, and how to leverage PostHog's platform features for monitoring, alerting, and assigning issues to team members. The guide emphasizes secure data handling, such as avoiding PII in event properties, and ensures proper SDK lifecycle management to prevent event loss.

What it does

  • Guides the installation and configuration of the PostHog Python SDK.
  • Provides patterns for enabling automatic exception capture.
  • Explains how to manually capture exceptions at error boundaries.
  • Details how to configure alerts for new or spiking issues.
  • Outlines methods for assigning issues to specific users or roles.
  • Instructs on uploading source maps for readable stack traces.

When to use it

  • When you need to monitor and track runtime exceptions in a Python application.
  • When you want to automate the triage and assignment of software errors.
  • When you need to set up real-time alerts for critical application failures.
  • When you are integrating PostHog into a new or existing Python project.

Advantages

  • Centralizes error reporting and management within the PostHog platform.
  • Supports automated issue assignment based on custom rules.
  • Provides clear guidelines on avoiding PII in event data.
  • Ensures reliable event flushing with proper SDK shutdown procedures.

Usage examples

“How do I initialize the PostHog client in my Python script to track exceptions?”
The agent provides a code snippet using the Posthog() constructor with enable_exception_autocapture=True and an atexit.register() call for the shutdown method.
“How can I alert my team when a specific error spikes in volume?”
The agent explains how to configure spike alerts in the PostHog error tracking settings to monitor error rates against historical baselines.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/posthog/error-tracking-python/download

  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip error-tracking-python.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by PostHog

PostHog error tracking for Python

This skill helps you add PostHog error tracking to Python applications.

Reference files

  • references/python.md - Python error tracking installation - docs

  • references/fingerprints.md - Fingerprints - docs

  • references/alerts.md - Send error tracking alerts - docs

  • references/monitoring.md - Monitor and search issues - docs

  • references/assigning-issues.md - Assign issues to teammates - docs

  • references/upload-source-maps.md - Upload source maps - docs

Consult the documentation for API details and framework-specific patterns.

Key principles

  • Environment variables: Always use environment variables for PostHog keys and host URLs. Never hardcode them.

  • Minimal changes: Add error tracking alongside existing error handling. Don't replace or restructure existing error handling code.

  • Autocapture first: Enable exception autocapture in the SDK initialization before adding manual captures.

  • Source maps: Upload source maps so stack traces resolve to original source code, not minified bundles.

  • Manual capture for boundaries: Use captureException() at error boundaries and catch blocks for errors that don't propagate to the global handler.

Framework guidelines

  • Remember that source code is available in the venv/site-packages directory

  • posthog is the Python SDK package name

  • Install dependencies with pip install posthog or pip install -r requirements.txt and do NOT use unquoted version specifiers like >= directly in shell commands

  • In CLIs and scripts: MUST call posthog.shutdown() before exit or all events are lost

  • Always use the Posthog() class constructor (instance-based API) instead of module-level posthog.api_key config

  • Always include enable_exception_autocapture=True in the Posthog() constructor to automatically track exceptions

  • NEVER send PII in capture() event properties — no emails, full names, phone numbers, physical addresses, IP addresses, or user-generated content

  • PII belongs in identify() person properties, NOT in capture() event properties. Safe event properties are metadata like message_length, form_type, boolean flags.

  • Register posthog_client.shutdown with atexit.register() to ensure all events are flushed on exit

  • The Python SDK has NO identify() method — use posthog_client.set(distinct_id=user_id, properties={...}) to set person properties, or use identify_context(user_id) within a context

Files

references/assigning-issues.md

Assign issues to teammates - Docs

Error tracking enables you to assign issues to specific PostHog roles or teammates. This helps your team find relevant issues through filtering. You can also set up team-specific alerting to notify them when assigned issues are created or reopened.

Assign issues

You can manually assign issues as you triage them in the UI. This can be done both in the issue list and issue detail pages.

Image: Error tracking assignment UIImage: Error tracking assignment UI

  1. In your error tracking issue list, click the unassigned selector under each issue to assign it to a role or user.

  2. On the detail page of each issue, click the Assignee selector to assign it to a role or user.

Want to assign issues to a team rather than an individual teammate? You can create a role in your project settings.

Image: Error tracking role assigneesImage: Error tracking role assignees

Automatic issue assignment

You can set up automatic issue assignment through a set of rules. This can be configured in the error tracking settings using auto assignment rules.

Image: Error tracking auto assignment rulesImage: Error tracking auto assignment rules

Assignment conditions are evaluated against the properties of the exception event that created the issue. Because assignment rules are evaluated during ingestion, the stack trace (if present) will be unminified, which enables filtering on exception properties such as function name and source file.

Issues can be automatically assigned to a role or user by configuring a set of filters. These filters can be configured to match any or all of the criteria.

You can configure automatic assignment to filter on any event property in PostHog. When there are multiple values for a property, the filters return true if it matches any of the values. For example, if you have multiple exception_functions values, the filters returns true if it matches any of the functions.

Here are some common properties you can filter on:

PropertyEvent propertyDescription
Exception type$exception_typesThe type of exception(s) that occurred
Exception message$exception_valuesThe message(s) detected on the error
Exception function$exception_functionsThe function(s) where the exception occurred
Exception source$exception_sourcesThe source file(s) where the exception occurred
Exception was handled$exception_handledWhether the exception was handled by the application
Device type$device_typeThe type of device that the error occurred on
Browser$browserThe browser that the error occurred in
Current URL$current_urlThe URL that the error occurred on
Feature flag$feature_flagThe feature flag that the error occurred on

You can also set custom properties on the error tracking event to filter on. For example, setting a custom params_received property to provide more context or debug information.

Order of issue assignment rules

Issue assignment filters are evaluated in the order they are configured. They can also be reordered once created. The first filter that matches is used to assign the issue. This means you should configure the most specific filters first, and then the more general filters later.

Disabled assignment rules

Assignment rules can become disabled if an error occurs during ingestion. When a rule is disabled, a banner displays the original error message. To re-enable the rule, edit it to fix the problem and save your changes. If the issue persists, reach out to support.

Alerting based on assignment

A common use case for automatic issue assignment is to alert assignees of new issues. Once the issues are automatically assigned, you can set up alerts to notify the assignee. See the alerts guide for more information.

Create external issues

You can also create issues in external tracking systems like GitHub Issues, Linear, GitLab, or Jira.

First, set up an integration with your tracking system. Then, from an issue's details page, under External references, click Create issue.

Image: Error tracking create issue in external tracking systemImage: Error tracking create issue in external tracking system

The new issue will have a partial stack trace and a link to the issue in PostHog.

If you use another issue tracking system and would like to request it, let us know in-app.

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Requirements and compatibility

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Needs: Needs an API key, Needs Python

Security

What our scanner noticed· Low risk

  • Instructions that use the network

A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.

Attribution and licence

Created by
PostHog
Publisher
PostHog (Official)
Source
PostHog/skills · skills/posthog/error-tracking/skills/python · commit a5d30e7
Licence
MIT License (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
Synced
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PostHog/skills

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Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download error-tracking-python.zip