Instrument Logs

PostHogOfficialCreated by PostHog

Skill
Tool integration
Data and AI
MIT
Low risk

From the author

Add PostHog log capture to track application logs. Use after implementing features or reviewing PRs to ensure meaningful log events are captured with structured properties. Also handles initial OTLP exporter setup if not yet configured.

— the description by PostHog

AutoGineer summary

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

This skill guides the integration of PostHog log capture into various application stacks. It automates the setup of OTLP exporters and provides instructions for adding structured logging alongside existing application logs. The skill ensures that log events are captured with meaningful properties, facilitating better observability and debugging within the PostHog platform.

What it does

Detects the application platform and existing logging infrastructure.
Configures the OpenTelemetry (OTLP) exporter for PostHog ingestion.
Integrates PostHog log capture without replacing existing logging handlers.
Ensures logs are captured with structured key-value properties.
Manages environment variable configuration for API tokens and host URLs.
Provides platform-specific guidance for SDK-native log capture.

When to use it

After implementing new features that require observability.
During code reviews when you identify a need for better log coverage.
When setting up initial log export for a new project.
When migrating from standard logging to structured, centralized log management.

Advantages

Maintains existing logging architecture without disruptive changes.
Supports a wide range of languages and frameworks via OpenTelemetry.
Enables structured logging for improved search and filtering in PostHog.
Automates the configuration of environment variables and ingestion endpoints.

Usage examples

“Add PostHog log capture to my Node.js application.”: The agent will analyze your package.json, install necessary OpenTelemetry dependencies, configure the OTLP exporter, and guide you through adding PostHog logging calls to your code.
“I need to start tracking logs in my Android app using PostHog.”: The agent will verify your Android SDK setup, configure the PostHogAndroidConfig for logs, and show you how to use PostHog.logger to capture structured events.

Install

Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/posthog/instrument-logs/download

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

mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip instrument-logs.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by PostHog

Add PostHog log capture

Use this skill to add PostHog log capture for new or changed code. Use it after implementing features or reviewing PRs to ensure meaningful log events are captured with structured properties. If PostHog log export is not yet configured, this skill also covers initial OTLP exporter setup. Supports any platform or language.

Supported platforms: Next.js, Node.js, Python, Go, Java, Datadog, Android, React Native, iOS, and any language via OpenTelemetry.

Instructions

Follow these steps IN ORDER:

STEP 1: Analyze the codebase and detect the platform.

Detect the language, framework, and existing logging setup.
Look for dependency files and project files (package.json, Podfile, Package.swift, requirements.txt, go.mod, pom.xml, etc.).
Look for log libraries (winston, pino, logging module, logrus, log4j, serilog, os_log, Logger, etc.).
Look for lockfiles (pnpm-lock.yaml, package-lock.json, yarn.lock, bun.lockb, go.sum, Podfile.lock, Package.resolved, etc.) to determine the package manager.
Check for existing PostHog log export setup. If the OTLP exporter is already configured, skip to STEP 5 to add log capture for new code.

STEP 2: Research log capture. (Skip if PostHog log export is already configured.) 2.1. Find the reference file below that matches the detected platform — it is the source of truth for OTLP exporter configuration and integration with existing logging. Read it now. 2.2. If no reference matches, use the "Other Languages" reference as a fallback — it covers the generic OpenTelemetry approach.

STEP 3: Install dependencies. (Skip if PostHog log export is already configured.)

Install the OpenTelemetry SDK and OTLP exporter packages for the detected platform.
Do not manually edit dependency files — use the package manager's install command.

STEP 4: Configure the OTLP exporter. (Skip if PostHog log export is already configured.)

PostHog logs use the OpenTelemetry protocol. Set up an OTLP exporter pointed at PostHog's ingest endpoint.
For SDK-native log support such as Android, React Native, and iOS, follow the platform reference instead of adding a separate OTLP exporter.
Follow the platform-specific reference for the exact configuration.

STEP 5: Integrate with existing logging.

Add the PostHog log exporter alongside existing logging. Don't replace existing log handlers or outputs.
Do not alter the fundamental architecture of existing files. Make additions minimal and targeted.
You must read a file immediately before attempting to write it.

STEP 6: Add structured properties.

Ensure logs include structured key-value properties for filtering and search in PostHog.
Prefer structured log formats with key-value properties over plain text messages.

STEP 7: Set up environment variables.

Check if the project already has PostHog environment variables configured (e.g. in .env, .env.local, or framework-specific env files). If valid values already exist, skip this step.
If the PostHog project token is missing, use the PostHog MCP server's projects-get tool to retrieve the project's api_token. If multiple projects are returned, ask the user which project to use. If the MCP server is not connected or not authenticated, ask the user for their PostHog project token instead.
For the PostHog host URL: check the projects-get MCP response for a region field — US maps to https://us.i.posthog.com, EU maps to https://eu.i.posthog.com. If the region is not available from the MCP response or from existing project configuration, ask the user: "Are you on PostHog US Cloud or EU Cloud?" Do not assume US Cloud.
For the OpenTelemetry endpoint, use https://us.i.posthog.com/v1 (US) or https://eu.i.posthog.com/v1 (EU), matching the region determined above.
Write these values to the appropriate env file using the framework's naming convention.
Reference these environment variables in code instead of hardcoding them.

Reference files

references/nextjs.md - Next.js logs installation
references/nodejs.md - Node.js logs installation
references/python.md - Python logs installation
references/go.md - Go logs installation
references/java.md - Java logs installation
references/datadog.md - Datadog logs installation
references/android.md - Android logs installation
references/react-native.md - React native logs installation
references/ios.md - Ios logs installation
references/flutter.md - Flutter logs installation
references/other.md - Other languages logs installation
references/start-here.md - Getting started with logs
references/search.md - Search logs
references/best-practices.md - Logging best practices
references/troubleshooting.md - Logs troubleshooting
references/link-session-replay.md - Link session replay
references/mcp.md - Use logs over PostHog mcp
references/COMMANDMENTS.md - Framework-specific rules the integration must follow

Each platform reference contains specific OTLP configuration, SDK setup, and integration patterns. Find the one matching the user's stack.

Key principles

Environment variables: Always use environment variables for PostHog keys and OpenTelemetry endpoints. Never hardcode them.
Minimal changes: Add log export alongside existing logging. Don't replace or restructure existing logging code.
OpenTelemetry: PostHog logs use the OpenTelemetry protocol. Configure an OTLP exporter pointed at PostHog's ingest endpoint unless the platform SDK provides native log capture.
SDK-native logs: For Android, React Native, and iOS, use the SDK logger/capture APIs from the platform reference instead of adding a separate OTLP exporter.
Structured logging: Prefer structured log formats with key-value properties over plain text messages.

Files

ATTRIBUTION.mdAdded by AutoGineer931 B
LICENSELicence file added by AutoGineer1.0 KiB
SKILL.md6.1 KiB
references/COMMANDMENTS.md1.5 KiB
references/android.md9.2 KiB
references/best-practices.md25.2 KiB
references/datadog.md3.8 KiB
references/flutter.md20.4 KiB
references/go.md4.9 KiB
references/ios.md11.1 KiB
references/java.md4.7 KiB
references/link-session-replay.md6.4 KiB
references/mcp.md4.1 KiB
references/nextjs.md6.9 KiB
references/nodejs.md4.8 KiB
references/other.md3.5 KiB
references/python.md4.7 KiB
references/react-native.md10.8 KiB
references/search.md8.0 KiB
references/start-here.md10.2 KiB
references/troubleshooting.md6.5 KiB

references/start-here.md

AI agents: this is one page from PostHog's docs. Full index of Markdown docs for LLMs: https://posthog.com/llms.txt

Getting started with Logs

Canonical URL: https://posthog.com/docs/logs/start-here

Use your logging client

PostHog Logs works with any OpenTelemetry client. No PostHog-specific packages required. Use the OTel SDKs you already have, point them at PostHog's HTTP endpoint, and drop in your project token.

On the frontend, our JavaScript web SDK, React Native SDK, iOS SDK, and Android SDK include first-class logging support.

Follow the guides below to set up your logging client:

Configure logging client

Send context-rich logs

PostHog ingests logs in the same pattern as OTel's structured logging model: resource attributes, log attributes, and trace context.

Enrich your logs with granular detail and business context for INFO, DEBUG, WARN, and ERROR log levels.

import logging

# Configure logging to use OpenTelemetry
logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
logging.getLogger().addHandler(LoggingHandler())

# Use standard Python logging
logger = logging.getLogger("my-app")
logger.info("User action", extra={"userId": "123", "action": "login"})
logger.warning("Deprecated API used", extra={"endpoint": "/old-api"})
logger.error("Database connection failed", extra={"error": "Connection timeout"})

Learn best practices

Search and analyze your logs

Once your logs are flowing into PostHog, you can:

Search through logs using full-text searches, multiple search tokens, and negative filters
Filter by time ranges to find specific events
Filter on attributes for specific resources or events
Correlate logs with events from your PostHog analytics

Image: PostHog Logs search interface

Learn how to search logs

Analyze log patterns

The Patterns view automatically mines your logs to find recurring message templates. Use it to spot noisy log lines consuming your log budget, find new error shapes by their template structure, and see which patterns dominate your log volume.

Expand any pattern and click View matching logs to pivot to the Logs view filtered to lines matching that template. The filter lands in the filter bar as a visible, removable chip, and your date range, service, and severity selections carry over.

Explore log patterns

Set up alerts

Get notified when your logs match specific conditions. Create alerts to:

Monitor error spikes — Alert when error log counts exceed a threshold
Track specific services — Watch for issues in critical services
Filter by attributes — Set up granular alerts based on log attributes

Configure alerting rules in your project settings to stay on top of issues as they happen.

Configure log alerts

Use MCP and AI to debug

Connect the PostHog MCP server and your AI agent can query logs directly. Use Cursor, Claude Code, or any MCP-compatible tool.

Your coding agent pulls the relevant logs it needs to debug and build faster without switching workflows.

Try asking your agent for these:

Show me error logs from the API service in the last hour
What services are logging errors right now?
Compare log patterns from today against yesterday and show me what's new

In the web app, you can also open a single log record and have PostHog AI explain it – what it means, what probably caused it, and what to do next.

Explore logs with AI

Integrate your product data

With PostHog, your logs live alongside your Product Analytics, Session Replays, Error Tracking, and Dashboards, so you can go from a log line to a user's session to the flag variant they were on without switching tools.

Session Replay

Log events in PostHog can be connected to the session and user who triggered them. Jump from a log line to a session replay in one click.

Image: logs and errors

Product Analytics

Turn log patterns into trends, funnels, and retention insights. Know which logged errors actually hurt user retention vs. which are just noise.

Image: logs and product analytics

Error Tracking

Logs with $exception events become issues you can assign, resolve, and alert on. No separate error tracking tool needed.

Image: logs and session replay

Dashboards

Add a Recent logs widget to any dashboard to monitor log entries alongside your other metrics and insights. Filter by severity level and service, and click a row to jump to that log on the Logs page.

Use for free

PostHog's Logs is built to be cost-effective by default, with a generous free tier and transparent usage-based pricing. Since we don't charge per seat, more than 90% of companies use PostHog for free.

TL;DR 💸

No credit card required to start
First 10 GB of ingested logs per month are free
Above 10 GB we have usage-based pricing at $0.25/GB with discounts
All logs are retained 14 days by default. Set custom retention per service or per source for $0.05/GB per month retained – see logs pricing for more details
Set billing limits to avoid surprise charges (they don't cap custom retention)
See our pricing page for more up-to-date details

That's it! You're ready to start integrating.

Install logs

1/8

Use your logging client RequiredSend context-rich logs RequiredSearch and analyze your logs RequiredAnalyze log patterns RecommendedSet up alerts RecommendedUse MCP and AI to debug RecommendedIntegrate your product data RecommendedUse for free Free 10 GB/mo

Use your logging client

Required

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 MCP server, Needs Python, Needs Node.js

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/omnibus/instrument-logs · commit a5d30e7

Licence

MIT License (redistribution allowed)

LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)

Synced

2026-11-08

AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by PostHog.

Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download instrument-logs.zip