AutoGineer summary
Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author
This skill provides a structured workflow for integrating PostHog analytics into Ruby applications. It covers the full lifecycle of implementation, from initial setup and event planning to code modification and error tracking. The skill emphasizes best practices such as using environment variables for configuration, implementing instance-based client initialization, and ensuring proper resource cleanup using Ruby's ensure blocks to prevent event loss.
What it does
- Guides the setup of the posthog-ruby gem within a Ruby project.
- Provides a step-by-step workflow for planning and implementing event tracking.
- Demonstrates how to identify users during authentication flows.
- Includes patterns for capturing exceptions and tracking critical business events.
- Ensures robust resource management by requiring client shutdown in ensure blocks.
- Provides reference examples for CLI and script-based Ruby applications.
When to use it
- When you need to add product analytics to a Ruby-based application.
- When implementing server-side event tracking for critical business operations.
- When you need to track user actions or errors in non-web Ruby scripts or CLIs.
- When you want to follow standardized patterns for PostHog integration in Ruby.
Advantages
- Promotes consistent event tracking patterns across the codebase.
- Reduces the risk of data loss by enforcing proper client shutdown procedures.
- Prevents hardcoding of sensitive API keys through environment variable usage.
- Provides clear separation between event tracking and core application logic.
Usage examples
- “How do I initialize the PostHog client in my Ruby script?”
- The agent will provide the PostHog::Client.new initialization pattern, including the use of environment variables for the API key and host, and the requirement to call client.shutdown.
- “What is the correct way to track a user action in Ruby?”
- The agent will demonstrate the use of the client.capture method, specifying the required distinct_id, event name, and properties hash.
Install
Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/posthog/integration-ruby/downloadUnzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:
mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip integration-ruby.zip -d .agents/skills
Documentation by PostHog
PostHog integration for Ruby
This skill helps you add PostHog analytics to Ruby 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- Ruby example project codereferences/ruby.md- Ruby - 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
posthog-ruby is the Ruby SDK gem name (add
gem 'posthog-ruby'to Gemfile) but require it withrequire 'posthog'(NOTrequire 'posthog-ruby')Use PostHog::Client.new(api_key: key, host: host) for instance-based initialization in scripts and CLIs
In CLIs and scripts: MUST call client.shutdown before exit or all events are lost
Use begin/rescue/ensure with shutdown in the ensure block for proper cleanup
capture and identify take a single hash argument: client.capture(distinct_id: 'user_123', event: 'my_event', properties: { key: 'value' })
capture_exception takes POSITIONAL args (not keyword): client.capture_exception(exception, distinct_id, additional_properties) — do NOT use
distinct_id:keyword syntax
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 AutoGineer948 B
- LICENSELicence file added by AutoGineer1.0 KiB
- SKILL.md2.7 KiB
- references/EXAMPLE.md10.3 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/ruby.md18.9 KiB
references/EXAMPLE.md
PostHog Ruby Example Project
Repository: https://github.com/PostHog/context-mill Path: basics/ruby
README.md
PostHog Ruby Example - CLI Todo App
A simple command-line todo application built with plain Ruby (no frameworks) demonstrating PostHog integration for CLIs, scripts, data pipelines, and non-web Ruby applications.
Purpose
This example serves as:
Verification that the context-mill wizard works for plain Ruby projects
Reference implementation of PostHog best practices for non-framework Ruby code
Working example you can run and modify
Features Demonstrated
Instance-based API - Uses
PostHog::Client.new(...)for explicit client managementProper shutdown - Uses
shutdowninensureblock to flush events before exitEvent tracking - Captures user actions with
distinct_idand propertiesUser identification - Associates properties with users via
identifyError handling - Manual exception capture for handled errors
Quick Start
1. Install Dependencies
# Install bundler if needed
gem install bundler
# Install dependencies
bundle install2. 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
ruby todo.rb add "Buy groceries"
# List all todos
ruby todo.rb list
# Complete a todo
ruby todo.rb complete 1
# Delete a todo
ruby todo.rb delete 1
# Show statistics
ruby todo.rb 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/ruby/
├── todo.rb # Main CLI application
├── Gemfile # Ruby dependencies
├── .env.example # Environment variable template
├── .gitignore # Git ignore rules
└── README.md # This fileKey Implementation Patterns
1. Instance-Based Initialization
require 'posthog-ruby'
posthog = PostHog::Client.new(
api_key: api_key,
host: 'https://us.i.posthog.com',
on_error: proc { |status, msg| puts "PostHog error: #{status} - #{msg}" }
)2. Event Tracking Pattern
# Track events with distinct_id
posthog.capture(
distinct_id: 'user_123',
event: 'event_name',
properties: { key: 'value' }
)3. Proper Shutdown
begin
# Your application code
ensure
# Always call shutdown to flush events and close connections
posthog&.shutdown
end4. Identifying Users
# Identify users (optional - adds user properties)
posthog.identify(
distinct_id: 'user_123',
properties: { email: '[email protected]', plan: 'pro' }
)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.rbto experiment with PostHog trackingAdd new commands and track their usage
Explore feature flags:
posthog.is_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
Gemfile
source 'https://rubygems.org'
gem 'posthog-ruby', '~> 3.0'
gem 'dotenv', '~> 3.0'
todo.rb
#!/usr/bin/env ruby
# frozen_string_literal: true
# Simple CLI Todo App with PostHog Analytics
#
# A minimal plain Ruby CLI application demonstrating PostHog integration
# for non-framework Ruby projects (CLIs, scripts, data pipelines, etc.).
require 'json'
require 'securerandom'
require 'time'
require 'dotenv/load'
require 'posthog'
# Data file location
DATA_FILE = File.join(Dir.home, '.todo_app.json')
def initialize_posthog
# Initialize PostHog with instance-based API.
# Returns PostHog client or nil if project token not configured.
project_token = ENV['POSTHOG_PROJECT_TOKEN']
unless project_token
puts 'WARNING: PostHog not configured (POSTHOG_PROJECT_TOKEN not set)'
puts ' App will work but analytics won\'t be tracked'
return nil
end
PostHog::Client.new(
api_key: project_token,
host: ENV.fetch('POSTHOG_HOST', 'https://us.i.posthog.com'),
on_error: proc { |status, msg| puts "PostHog error: #{status} - #{msg}" }
)
end
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.
if File.exist?(DATA_FILE)
data = JSON.parse(File.read(DATA_FILE))
return data['user_id'] if data['user_id']
end
"user_#{SecureRandom.hex(4)}"
end
def load_todos
# Load todos from disk.
return { 'user_id' => get_user_id, 'todos' => [] } unless File.exist?(DATA_FILE)
JSON.parse(File.read(DATA_FILE))
end
def save_todos(data)
# Save todos to disk.
File.write(DATA_FILE, JSON.pretty_generate(data))
end
def track_event(posthog, event_name, properties = {})
# Track an event with PostHog.
return unless posthog
posthog.capture(
distinct_id: get_user_id,
event: event_name,
properties: properties
)
end
def cmd_add(text, posthog)
# Add a new todo item.
data = load_todos
todo = {
'id' => data['todos'].length + 1,
'text' => text,
'completed' => false,
'created_at' => Time.now.iso8601
}
data['todos'] << todo
save_todos(data)
puts "Added todo ##{todo['id']}: #{todo['text']}"
track_event(posthog, 'todo_added', {
'todo_id' => todo['id'],
'todo_length' => todo['text'].length,
'total_todos' => data['todos'].length
})
end
def cmd_list(posthog)
# List all todos.
data = load_todos
if data['todos'].empty?
puts "No todos yet! Add one with: ruby todo.rb add 'Your task'"
return
end
puts "\nYour Todos (#{data['todos'].length} total):\n\n"
data['todos'].each do |todo|
status = todo['completed'] ? 'X' : ' '
puts " [#{status}] ##{todo['id']}: #{todo['text']}"
end
puts
track_event(posthog, 'todos_viewed', {
'total_todos' => data['todos'].length,
'completed_todos' => data['todos'].count { |t| t['completed'] }
})
end
def cmd_complete(id, posthog)
# Mark a todo as completed.
data = load_todos
todo = data['todos'].find { |t| t['id'] == id }
unless todo
puts "ERROR: Todo ##{id} not found"
return
end
if todo['completed']
puts "Todo ##{id} is already completed"
return
end
todo['completed'] = true
todo['completed_at'] = Time.now.iso8601
save_todos(data)
puts "Completed todo ##{todo['id']}: #{todo['text']}"
time_to_complete = (Time.parse(todo['completed_at']) - Time.parse(todo['created_at'])) / 3600.0
track_event(posthog, 'todo_completed', {
'todo_id' => todo['id'],
'time_to_complete_hours' => time_to_complete
})
end
def cmd_delete(id, posthog)
# Delete a todo.
data = load_todos
todo = data['todos'].find { |t| t['id'] == id }
unless todo
puts "ERROR: Todo ##{id} not found"
return
end
data['todos'].delete(todo)
save_todos(data)
puts "Deleted todo ##{id}"
track_event(posthog, 'todo_deleted', {
'todo_id' => todo['id'],
'was_completed' => todo['completed']
})
end
def cmd_stats(posthog)
# Show usage statistics.
data = load_todos
total = data['todos'].length
completed = data['todos'].count { |t| t['completed'] }
pending = total - completed
puts "\nStats:\n\n"
puts " Total todos: #{total}"
puts " Completed: #{completed}"
puts " Pending: #{pending}"
puts " Completion rate: #{total > 0 ? format('%.1f', completed.to_f / total * 100) : '0.0'}%"
puts
track_event(posthog, 'stats_viewed', {
'total_todos' => total,
'completed_todos' => completed,
'pending_todos' => pending
})
end
def print_usage
puts <<~USAGE
Simple todo app with PostHog analytics
Usage:
ruby todo.rb add "Todo text" Add a new todo
ruby todo.rb list List all todos
ruby todo.rb complete <id> Mark todo as completed
ruby todo.rb delete <id> Delete a todo
ruby todo.rb stats Show statistics
USAGE
end
# Main entry point
posthog = nil
begin
posthog = initialize_posthog
command = ARGV[0]
unless command
print_usage
exit 0
end
case command
when 'add'
text = ARGV[1]
unless text
puts 'ERROR: Please provide todo text'
puts 'Usage: ruby todo.rb add "Your task"'
exit 1
end
cmd_add(text, posthog)
when 'list'
cmd_list(posthog)
when 'complete'
id = ARGV[1]&.to_i
unless id && id > 0
puts 'ERROR: Please provide a valid todo ID'
puts 'Usage: ruby todo.rb complete <id>'
exit 1
end
cmd_complete(id, posthog)
when 'delete'
id = ARGV[1]&.to_i
unless id && id > 0
puts 'ERROR: Please provide a valid todo ID'
puts 'Usage: ruby todo.rb delete <id>'
exit 1
end
cmd_delete(id, posthog)
when 'stats'
cmd_stats(posthog)
else
puts "ERROR: Unknown command '#{command}'"
print_usage
exit 1
end
rescue StandardError => e
puts "ERROR: #{e.message}"
# Manually capture handled errors
posthog&.capture(
distinct_id: get_user_id,
event: '$exception',
properties: {
'$exception_type' => e.class.name,
'$exception_message' => e.message,
'$exception_list' => [{
'type' => e.class.name,
'value' => e.message,
'stacktrace' => { 'frames' => (e.backtrace || []).first(10).map { |line| { 'filename' => line } } }
}]
}
)
exit 1
ensure
# IMPORTANT: Always shutdown PostHog to flush events
posthog&.shutdown
end
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
Security
No issues found by our static scan· No issues found
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/ruby · 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-ruby.zip