AutoGineer summary
Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author
This skill provides a systematic, multi-step process for adding PostHog event tracking and analytics to Python applications. It emphasizes best practices such as instance-based initialization, proper event flushing, and secure handling of user identification and environment variables. The skill includes a guided workflow that helps developers plan their tracking strategy, implement event capture, and ensure robust error tracking without compromising application performance or security.
What it does
- Guides the setup of PostHog analytics in Python projects.
- Provides a structured 4-step workflow for integration.
- Ensures secure configuration using environment variables.
- Demonstrates proper instance-based API usage and event flushing.
- Outlines patterns for user identification and exception autocapture.
- Defines clear rules for avoiding PII in event properties.
When to use it
- When you need to add analytics to a new or existing Python application.
- When you want to track user behavior, business events, or application errors.
- When you need a reference implementation for PostHog integration patterns.
- When you want to ensure your tracking implementation follows security and performance best practices.
Advantages
- Reduces integration errors through a step-by-step guided process.
- Promotes secure coding practices like avoiding hardcoded API keys.
- Ensures data integrity by separating PII from event metadata.
- Provides clear patterns for handling application lifecycle events like shutdown.
- Includes built-in support for exception tracking.
Usage examples
- “How do I start integrating PostHog into my Python CLI application?”
- The agent will guide you through the 4-step setup process, starting with the creation of an event tracking plan and the installation of the PostHog SDK.
- “What is the best way to track user login events in Python?”
- The agent will provide instructions on using the identify pattern, ensuring you use the correct client methods and headers for session correlation.
Install
Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/posthog/integration-python/downloadUnzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:
mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip integration-python.zip -d .agents/skills
Documentation by PostHog
PostHog integration for Python
This skill helps you add PostHog analytics to Python applications.
Workflow
Follow these steps in order to complete the integration:
basic-integration-1.0-begin.md- PostHog Setup - Begin ← Start herebasic-integration-1.1-edit.md- PostHog Setup - Editbasic-integration-1.2-revise.md- PostHog Setup - Revisebasic-integration-1.3-conclude.md- PostHog Setup - Conclusion
Reference files
references/EXAMPLE.md- Python example project codereferences/python.md- Python - docsreferences/posthog-python.md- PostHog python SDKreferences/identify-users.md- Identify users - docsreferences/basic-integration-1.0-begin.md- PostHog setup - beginreferences/basic-integration-1.1-edit.md- PostHog setup - editreferences/basic-integration-1.2-revise.md- PostHog setup - revisereferences/basic-integration-1.3-conclude.md- PostHog setup - conclusion
The example project shows the target implementation pattern. Consult the documentation for API details.
Key principles
Environment variables: Always use environment variables for PostHog keys. Never hardcode them.
Minimal changes: Add PostHog code alongside existing integrations. Don't replace or restructure existing code.
Match the example: Your implementation should follow the example project's patterns as closely as possible.
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 posthogorpip install -r requirements.txtand do NOT use unquoted version specifiers like>=directly in shell commandsIn 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
Identifying users
Identify users during login and signup events. Refer to the example code and documentation for the correct identify pattern for this framework. If both frontend and backend code exist, pass the client-side session and distinct ID using X-POSTHOG-DISTINCT-ID and X-POSTHOG-SESSION-ID headers to maintain correlation.
Error tracking
Add PostHog error tracking to relevant files, particularly around critical user flows and API boundaries.
Files
- ATTRIBUTION.mdAdded by AutoGineer954 B
- LICENSELicence file added by AutoGineer1.0 KiB
- SKILL.md3.2 KiB
- references/EXAMPLE.md11.6 KiB
- references/basic-integration-1.0-begin.md2.1 KiB
- references/basic-integration-1.1-edit.md2.5 KiB
- references/basic-integration-1.2-revise.md937 B
- references/basic-integration-1.3-conclude.md1.6 KiB
- references/identify-users.md8.1 KiB
- references/posthog-python.md31.3 KiB
- references/python.md31.1 KiB
references/EXAMPLE.md
PostHog Python Example Project
Repository: https://github.com/PostHog/context-mill Path: basics/python
README.md
PostHog Python Example - CLI Todo App
A simple command-line todo application built with plain Python (no frameworks) demonstrating PostHog integration for CLIs, scripts, data pipelines, and non-web Python applications.
Purpose
This example serves as:
Verification that the context-mill wizard works for plain Python projects
Reference implementation of PostHog best practices for non-framework Python code
Working example you can run and modify
Features Demonstrated
Instance-based API - Uses
Posthog(...)class instead of module-level APIException autocapture - Automatic tracking of unhandled exceptions
Proper shutdown - Uses
shutdown()to flush events before exitEvent tracking - Captures user actions with
distinct_idand propertiesUser identification - Sets properties on users via
identify(), and updates them later withset()andsetOnce()Error handling - Manual exception capture for handled errors
Quick Start
1. Install Dependencies
# Create virtual environment (recommended)
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt2. Configure PostHog
# Copy environment template
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env and add your PostHog project token
# POSTHOG_PROJECT_TOKEN=phc_your_project_token_here
# POSTHOG_HOST=https://us.i.posthog.com3. Run the App
# Add a todo
python todo.py add "Buy groceries"
# List all todos
python todo.py list
# Complete a todo
python todo.py complete 1
# Delete a todo
python todo.py delete 1
# Show statistics
python todo.py statsWhat Gets Tracked
The app tracks these events in PostHog:
| Event | Properties | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
todo_added | todo_id, todo_length, total_todos | When user adds a new todo |
todos_viewed | total_todos, completed_todos | When user lists todos |
todo_completed | todo_id, time_to_complete_hours | When user completes a todo |
todo_deleted | todo_id, was_completed | When user deletes a todo |
stats_viewed | total_todos, completed_todos, pending_todos | When user views stats |
Code Structure
basics/python/
├── todo.py # Main CLI application
├── requirements.txt # Python dependencies
├── .env.example # Environment variable template
├── .gitignore # Git ignore rules
└── README.md # This fileKey Implementation Patterns
1. Instance-Based Initialization
from posthog import Posthog
posthog = Posthog(
api_key,
host='https://us.i.posthog.com',
enable_exception_autocapture=True # Automatically capture exceptions
)2. Event Tracking Pattern
# Track events with distinct_id
posthog_client.capture(
distinct_id="user_123",
event="event_name",
properties={"key": "value"}
)3. Proper Shutdown
try:
# Your application code
pass
finally:
# Always call shutdown() to flush events and close connections
posthog.shutdown()4. Identifying Users
# Set person properties on a user profile
posthog_client.set(
distinct_id="user_123",
properties={"email": "[email protected]", "plan": "pro"}
)5. Exception Handling
try:
# Code that might fail
risky_operation()
except Exception as e:
# Manually capture handled errors you want to track
posthog_client.capture_exception(e, distinct_id="user_123")Running Without PostHog
The app works fine without PostHog configured - it simply won't track analytics. You'll see a warning message but the app continues to function normally.
Next Steps
Modify
todo.pyto experiment with PostHog trackingAdd new commands and track their usage
Explore feature flags:
posthog.feature_enabled('flag-name', user_id)Check your PostHog dashboard to see tracked events
Learn More
.env.example
# PostHog Configuration
POSTHOG_PROJECT_TOKEN=phc_your_project_token_here
POSTHOG_HOST=https://us.i.posthog.com
# Optional: Enable debug mode to see PostHog requests
# POSTHOG_DEBUG=true
requirements.txt
posthog>=3.0.0
python-dotenv>=1.0.0
todo.py
#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""Simple CLI Todo App with PostHog Analytics
A minimal plain Python CLI application demonstrating PostHog integration
for non-framework Python projects (CLIs, scripts, data pipelines, etc.).
"""
import argparse
import json
import os
import sys
from datetime import datetime
from pathlib import Path
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from posthog import Posthog
# Load environment variables
load_dotenv()
# Data file location
DATA_FILE = Path.home() / ".todo_app.json"
def initialize_posthog():
"""Initialize PostHog with instance-based API.
Returns PostHog instance or None if project token not configured.
"""
project_token = os.getenv('POSTHOG_PROJECT_TOKEN')
if not project_token:
print("WARNING: PostHog not configured (POSTHOG_PROJECT_TOKEN not set)")
print(" App will work but analytics won't be tracked")
return None
# Create PostHog instance with opinionated defaults
posthog = Posthog(
project_token,
host=os.getenv('POSTHOG_HOST', 'https://us.i.posthog.com'),
debug=os.getenv('POSTHOG_DEBUG', 'False').lower() == 'true',
enable_exception_autocapture=True # Auto-capture unhandled exceptions
)
return posthog
def get_user_id():
"""Get or create a user ID for this installation.
Uses a UUID stored in the data file to represent this user.
In a real app, this would be your actual user ID.
"""
import uuid
if DATA_FILE.exists():
data = json.loads(DATA_FILE.read_text())
if 'user_id' in data:
return data['user_id']
# Create new user ID
return f"user_{uuid.uuid4().hex[:8]}"
def load_todos():
"""Load todos from disk."""
if not DATA_FILE.exists():
return {"user_id": get_user_id(), "todos": []}
return json.loads(DATA_FILE.read_text())
def save_todos(data):
"""Save todos to disk."""
DATA_FILE.write_text(json.dumps(data, indent=2))
def track_event(posthog, event_name, properties=None):
"""Track an event with PostHog.
Uses the real PostHog Python SDK API.
"""
if not posthog:
return
posthog.capture(
distinct_id=get_user_id(),
event=event_name,
properties=properties or {}
)
def cmd_add(args, posthog):
"""Add a new todo item."""
data = load_todos()
todo = {
"id": len(data["todos"]) + 1,
"text": args.text,
"completed": False,
"created_at": datetime.now().isoformat()
}
data["todos"].append(todo)
save_todos(data)
print(f"Added todo #{todo['id']}: {todo['text']}")
# Track the event
track_event(posthog, "todo_added", {
"todo_id": todo["id"],
"todo_length": len(todo["text"]),
"total_todos": len(data["todos"])
})
def cmd_list(args, posthog):
"""List all todos."""
data = load_todos()
if not data["todos"]:
print("No todos yet! Add one with: todo add 'Your task'")
return
print(f"\nYour Todos ({len(data['todos'])} total):\n")
for todo in data["todos"]:
status = "X" if todo["completed"] else " "
print(f" [{status}] #{todo['id']}: {todo['text']}")
print()
# Track the event
track_event(posthog, "todos_viewed", {
"total_todos": len(data["todos"]),
"completed_todos": sum(1 for t in data["todos"] if t["completed"])
})
def cmd_complete(args, posthog):
"""Mark a todo as completed."""
data = load_todos()
todo = next((t for t in data["todos"] if t["id"] == args.id), None)
if not todo:
print(f"ERROR: Todo #{args.id} not found")
return
if todo["completed"]:
print(f"Todo #{args.id} is already completed")
return
todo["completed"] = True
todo["completed_at"] = datetime.now().isoformat()
save_todos(data)
print(f"Completed todo #{todo['id']}: {todo['text']}")
# Track the event
track_event(posthog, "todo_completed", {
"todo_id": todo["id"],
"time_to_complete_hours": (
datetime.fromisoformat(todo["completed_at"]) -
datetime.fromisoformat(todo["created_at"])
).total_seconds() / 3600
})
def cmd_delete(args, posthog):
"""Delete a todo."""
data = load_todos()
todo = next((t for t in data["todos"] if t["id"] == args.id), None)
if not todo:
print(f"ERROR: Todo #{args.id} not found")
return
data["todos"].remove(todo)
save_todos(data)
print(f"Deleted todo #{args.id}")
# Track the event
track_event(posthog, "todo_deleted", {
"todo_id": todo["id"],
"was_completed": todo["completed"]
})
def cmd_stats(args, posthog):
"""Show usage statistics."""
data = load_todos()
total = len(data["todos"])
completed = sum(1 for t in data["todos"] if t["completed"])
pending = total - completed
print(f"\nStats:\n")
print(f" Total todos: {total}")
print(f" Completed: {completed}")
print(f" Pending: {pending}")
print(f" Completion rate: {(completed/total*100) if total > 0 else 0:.1f}%")
print()
# Track the event
track_event(posthog, "stats_viewed", {
"total_todos": total,
"completed_todos": completed,
"pending_todos": pending
})
def main():
"""Main CLI entry point."""
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
description="Simple todo app with PostHog analytics"
)
subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(dest="command", help="Available commands")
# Add command
add_parser = subparsers.add_parser("add", help="Add a new todo")
add_parser.add_argument("text", help="Todo text")
# List command
subparsers.add_parser("list", help="List all todos")
# Complete command
complete_parser = subparsers.add_parser("complete", help="Mark todo as completed")
complete_parser.add_argument("id", type=int, help="Todo ID")
# Delete command
delete_parser = subparsers.add_parser("delete", help="Delete a todo")
delete_parser.add_argument("id", type=int, help="Todo ID")
# Stats command
subparsers.add_parser("stats", help="Show statistics")
args = parser.parse_args()
if not args.command:
parser.print_help()
return
# Initialize PostHog
posthog = initialize_posthog()
try:
# Route to appropriate command
if args.command == "add":
cmd_add(args, posthog)
elif args.command == "list":
cmd_list(args, posthog)
elif args.command == "complete":
cmd_complete(args, posthog)
elif args.command == "delete":
cmd_delete(args, posthog)
elif args.command == "stats":
cmd_stats(args, posthog)
except Exception as e:
print(f"ERROR: {e}")
# Manually capture handled errors
if posthog:
posthog.capture_exception(e, get_user_id())
sys.exit(1)
finally:
# IMPORTANT: Always shutdown PostHog to flush events
if posthog:
posthog.shutdown()
if __name__ == "__main__":
main()
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/integration/skills/python · commit a5d30e7
- Licence
- MIT License (redistribution allowed)
- LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
- ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
- Synced
- Also distributed in
- PostHog/skills
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 integration-python.zip