Integration React Tanstack Router File Based
PostHogOfficialCreated by PostHog
- Skill
- Tool integration
- Data and AI
- MIT
- No issues found
AutoGineer summary
Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author
This skill provides a systematic approach to implementing PostHog analytics, session recording, and error tracking in React projects built with TanStack Router. It emphasizes a clean, non-intrusive integration pattern that leverages the PostHogProvider for global access and follows specific React best practices to ensure performance and maintainability. The guide includes a multi-step workflow for setup, configuration, and event tracking, supported by a reference implementation that demonstrates how to handle user identification, event capturing, and exception tracking within a file-based routing architecture.
What it does
- Provides a step-by-step workflow for integrating PostHog into React applications.
- Demonstrates how to wrap applications with PostHogProvider for global analytics access.
- Outlines best practices for event tracking and user identification in client-side code.
- Includes patterns for capturing exceptions and errors to improve observability.
- Offers guidance on using environment variables for secure configuration.
- Provides a reference project structure for file-based routing implementations.
When to use it
- When you need to add product analytics to a React application using TanStack Router.
- When you want to implement session replay and error tracking in a file-based routing project.
- When you need a standardized approach to user identification and event capturing.
- When you are setting up a new project and want to follow established PostHog integration patterns.
Advantages
- Promotes clean code by avoiding unnecessary useEffect hooks for event tracking.
- Ensures consistent implementation through a structured, multi-step workflow.
- Leverages native React hooks for efficient feature flag and analytics management.
- Provides clear separation between configuration and business logic.
Usage examples
- “How do I initialize PostHog in my TanStack Router file-based project?”
- The skill directs you to wrap your root route component with the PostHogProvider, passing your project token and host configuration via environment variables.
- “Where should I place event tracking code for user actions?”
- The skill advises placing capture calls directly within event handlers rather than inside useEffect hooks to ensure accurate tracking of user-initiated actions.
Install
Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/posthog/integration-react-tanstack-router-file-based/downloadUnzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:
mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip integration-react-tanstack-router-file-based.zip -d .agents/skills
Documentation by PostHog
PostHog integration for React with TanStack Router (file-based)
This skill helps you add PostHog analytics to React with TanStack Router (file-based) 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- React with TanStack Router (file-based) example project codereferences/tanstack-start.md- Tanstack start - docsreferences/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
For feature flags, use useFeatureFlagEnabled() or useFeatureFlagPayload() hooks - they handle loading states and external sync automatically
Add analytics capture in event handlers where user actions occur, NOT in useEffect reacting to state changes
Do NOT use useEffect for data transformation - calculate derived values during render instead
Do NOT use useEffect to respond to user events - put that logic in the event handler itself
Do NOT use useEffect to chain state updates - calculate all related updates together in the event handler
Do NOT use useEffect to notify parent components - call the parent callback alongside setState in the event handler
To reset component state when a prop changes, pass the prop as the component's key instead of using useEffect
useEffect is ONLY for synchronizing with external systems (non-React widgets, browser APIs, network subscriptions)
Use TanStack Router's built-in navigation events for pageview tracking instead of useEffect
Use PostHogProvider in the root component defined in either the file-based convention (__root.tsx) or code-based convention (wherever createRootRoute() is called) so all child routes have access to the PostHog client
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 AutoGineer1.0 KiB
- LICENSELicence file added by AutoGineer1.0 KiB
- SKILL.md3.3 KiB
- references/EXAMPLE.md18.0 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/tanstack-start.md5.1 KiB
references/basic-integration-1.0-begin.md
title: PostHog Setup - Begin description: Start the event tracking setup process by analyzing the project and creating an event tracking plan
We're making an event tracking plan for this project.
Before proceeding, find any existing posthog.capture() code. Make note of event name formatting.
From the project's file list, select between 10 and 15 files that might have interesting business value for event tracking, especially conversion and churn events. Also look for additional files related to login that could be used for identifying users, along with error handling. Read the files. If a file is already well-covered by PostHog events, replace it with another option. Do not spawn subagents.
Look for opportunities to track client-side events.
IMPORTANT: Server-side events are REQUIRED if the project includes any instrumentable server-side code. If the project has API routes (e.g., app/api/**/route.ts) or Server Actions, you MUST include server-side events for critical business operations like:
Payment/checkout completion
Webhook handlers
Authentication endpoints
Do not skip server-side events - they capture actions that cannot be tracked client-side.
Create a new file with a JSON array at the root of the project: .posthog-events.json. It should include one object for each event we want to add: event name, event description, and the file path we want to place the event in. If events already exist, don't duplicate them; supplement them.
Track actions only, not pageviews. These can be captured automatically. Exceptions can be made for "viewed"-type events that correspond to the top of a conversion funnel.
As you review files, make an internal note of opportunities to identify users and catch errors. We'll need them for the next step.
Status
Before beginning a phase of the setup, you will send a status message with the exact prefix '[STATUS]', as in:
[STATUS] Checking project structure.
Status to report in this phase:
Checking project structure
Verifying PostHog dependencies
Generating events based on project
Upon completion, continue with: basic-integration-1.1-edit.md
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.
Security
No issues found by our static scan· No issues found
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Attribution and licence
- Created by
- PostHog
- Publisher
- PostHog (Official)
- Source
- PostHog/skills · skills/posthog/integration/skills/react-tanstack-router-file-based · 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-react-tanstack-router-file-based.zip