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Omnibus Instrument Product Analytics

PostHogOfficialCreated by PostHog

  • Skill
  • Tool integration
  • Data and AI
  • MIT
  • Low risk

From the author

Add PostHog product analytics events to track user behavior. Use after implementing new features or reviewing PRs to ensure meaningful user actions are captured. Also handles initial PostHog SDK setup if not yet installed.
— the description by PostHog

AutoGineer summary

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

This skill provides a structured, step-by-step procedure for integrating PostHog product analytics into a wide variety of web, mobile, and backend frameworks. It handles the full lifecycle of the integration, from detecting the project's technology stack and installing the necessary SDKs to implementing event tracking, user identification, and error monitoring. The skill emphasizes non-intrusive changes, ensuring that new analytics code is added alongside existing logic without disrupting the project's architecture.

What it does

  • Detects the project framework and language to determine the correct PostHog SDK.
  • Installs the required PostHog SDK package automatically.
  • Initializes the PostHog instance according to framework-specific best practices.
  • Implements targeted event tracking for key user actions and business logic.
  • Configures user identification flows for login and signup events.
  • Sets up environment variables for secure API key and host management.

When to use it

  • After implementing new features that require tracking for user engagement analysis.
  • When reviewing pull requests to ensure critical user behaviors are being captured.
  • When setting up product analytics for a new project from scratch.
  • When migrating or adding analytics to an existing application.

Advantages

  • Supports a broad range of modern frontend, backend, and mobile frameworks.
  • Ensures consistent event naming and property capture across the codebase.
  • Maintains architectural integrity by requiring minimal, targeted code additions.
  • Automates the tedious aspects of SDK initialization and environment configuration.

Usage examples

“Add PostHog analytics to my Next.js project.”
The agent will detect the Next.js environment, install the PostHog SDK, initialize it in the appropriate root file, and guide you through adding capture calls to key user flows.
“I need to track user signups in my Django application using PostHog.”
The agent will identify the Django setup, configure the PostHog Python SDK, and implement identify calls within your authentication logic.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/posthog/omnibus-instrument-product-analytics/download
  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip omnibus-instrument-product-analytics.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by PostHog

Add PostHog product analytics events

Use this skill to add product analytics events (capture calls) that track meaningful user actions in new or changed code. Use it after implementing features or reviewing PRs to ensure key user behaviors are captured. If PostHog is not yet installed, this skill also covers initial SDK setup. Supports any framework or language.

Supported frameworks: Next.js, React Router, Nuxt, Vue, TanStack Start, SvelteKit, Astro, Angular, Django, Flask, FastAPI, Laravel, Ruby on Rails, Android, iOS, React Native, Expo, and more.

Instructions

Follow these steps IN ORDER:

STEP 1: Analyze the codebase and detect the platform.

  • Look for dependency files (package.json, requirements.txt, Gemfile, composer.json, go.mod, etc.) to determine the framework and language.

  • Look for lockfiles (pnpm-lock.yaml, package-lock.json, yarn.lock, bun.lockb) to determine the package manager.

  • Check for existing PostHog setup. If PostHog is already installed and initialized, skip to STEP 5.

STEP 2: Research integration. (Skip if PostHog is already set up.) 2.1. Find the reference file below that matches the detected framework — it is the source of truth for SDK initialization, provider setup, and event capture patterns. Read it now. 2.2. If no reference matches, fall back to your general knowledge and web search. Use posthog.com/docs as the primary search source.

STEP 3: Install the PostHog SDK. (Skip if PostHog is already set up.)

  • Add the PostHog SDK package for the detected platform. Do not manually edit package.json — use the package manager's install command.

  • Always install packages as a background task. Don't await completion; proceed with other work immediately after starting the installation.

STEP 4: Initialize PostHog. (Skip if PostHog is already set up.)

  • Follow the framework reference for where and how to initialize. This varies significantly by framework (e.g., instrumentation-client.ts for Next.js 15.3+, AppConfig.ready() for Django, create_app() for Flask).

STEP 5: Plan event tracking.

  • 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 files related to login that could be used for identifying users, along with error handling.

  • Find any existing posthog.capture() code. Make note of event name formatting. Don't duplicate existing events; supplement them.

  • Track actions only, not pageviews (those can be captured automatically). Exceptions can be made for "viewed"-type events at the top of a conversion funnel.

  • Server-side events are REQUIRED if the project includes any instrumentable server-side code (API routes, server actions, webhook handlers, payment/checkout completion, authentication endpoints).

STEP 6: Implement event capture.

  • For each planned event, add posthog.capture() calls with useful properties.

  • If a file already has existing integration code for other tools or services, don't overwrite or remove that code. Place PostHog code below it.

  • 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 7: Identify users.

  • Add PostHog identify() calls on the client side during login and signup events. Use the contents of login and signup forms to identify users on submit.

  • If both frontend and backend exist, pass the client-side session and distinct ID using X-POSTHOG-DISTINCT-ID and X-POSTHOG-SESSION-ID headers to the server-side code. On the server side, make sure events have a matching distinct ID.

STEP 8: Add error tracking.

  • Add PostHog exception capture error tracking to relevant files, particularly around critical user flows and API boundaries.

STEP 9: Set up environment variables.

  • If an env-file-tools MCP server is connected, use check_env_keys to see which keys already exist, then use set_env_values to create or update the PostHog API key and host.

  • Reference these environment variables in code instead of hardcoding them.

STEP 10: Verify and clean up.

  • Check the project for errors. Look for type checking or build scripts in package.json.

  • Ensure any components created were actually used.

  • Run any linter or prettier-like scripts found in the package.json.

Reference files

  • references/EXAMPLE-next-app-router.md - next-app-router example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-next-pages-router.md - next-pages-router example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-react-react-router-6.md - react-react-router-6 example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-react-react-router-7-framework.md - react-react-router-7-framework example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-react-react-router-7-data.md - react-react-router-7-data example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-react-react-router-7-declarative.md - react-react-router-7-declarative example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-nuxt-3.6.md - nuxt-3.6 example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-nuxt-4.md - nuxt-4 example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-vue-3.md - vue-3 example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-react-tanstack-router-file-based.md - react-tanstack-router-file-based example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-react-tanstack-router-code-based.md - react-tanstack-router-code-based example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-tanstack-start.md - tanstack-start example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-sveltekit.md - sveltekit example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-astro-static.md - astro-static example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-astro-view-transitions.md - astro-view-transitions example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-astro-ssr.md - astro-ssr example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-astro-hybrid.md - astro-hybrid example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-angular.md - angular example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-django.md - django example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-flask.md - flask example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-fastapi.md - fastapi example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-python.md - python example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-laravel.md - laravel example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-ruby-on-rails.md - ruby-on-rails example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-ruby.md - ruby example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-android.md - android example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-swift.md - swift example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-react-native.md - react-native example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-expo.md - expo example project code

  • references/next-js.md - Next.js - docs

  • references/react-router-v6.md - React router v6 - docs

  • references/react-router-v7-framework-mode.md - React router v7 framework mode (remix v3) - docs

  • references/react-router-v7-data-mode.md - React router v7 data mode - docs

  • references/react-router-v7-declarative-mode.md - React router v7 declarative mode - docs

  • references/nuxt-js-3-6.md - Nuxt.js (v3.0 to v3.6) - docs

  • references/nuxt-js.md - Nuxt.js - docs

  • references/vue-js.md - Vue.js - docs

  • references/tanstack-start.md - Tanstack start - docs

  • references/svelte.md - Svelte - docs

  • references/astro.md - Astro - docs

  • references/angular.md - Angular - docs

  • references/django.md - Django - docs

  • references/flask.md - Flask - docs

  • references/python.md - Python - docs

  • references/posthog-python.md - PostHog python SDK

  • references/laravel.md - Laravel - docs

  • references/ruby-on-rails.md - Ruby on rails - docs

  • references/ruby.md - Ruby - docs

  • references/android.md - Android - docs

  • references/ios.md - Ios - docs

  • references/react-native.md - React native - docs

  • references/identify-users.md - Identify users - docs

Each framework reference contains SDK-specific installation, initialization, and usage patterns. Find the one matching the user's stack.

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 docs: Follow the framework reference's initialization and capture patterns exactly.

Files

references/js.md

JavaScript web - Docs

Note: This doc refers to our posthog-js library for use on the browser. For server-side JavaScript, see our Node SDK.

Installation

HTML

PostHog AI

<script>
    !function(t,e){var o,n,p,r;e.__SV||(window.posthog=e,e._i=[],e.init=function(i,s,a){function g(t,e){var o=e.split(".");2==o.length&&(t=t[o[0]],e=o[1]),t[e]=function(){t.push([e].concat(Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments,0)))}}(p=t.createElement("script")).type="text/javascript",p.crossOrigin="anonymous",p.async=!0,p.src=s.api_host.replace(".i.posthog.com","-assets.i.posthog.com")+"/static/array.js",(r=t.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]).parentNode.insertBefore(p,r);var u=e;for(void 0!==a?u=e[a]=[]:a="posthog",u.people=u.people||[],u.toString=function(t){var e="posthog";return"posthog"!==a&&(e+="."+a),t||(e+=" (stub)"),e},u.people.toString=function(){return u.toString(1)+".people (stub)"},o="init capture register register_once register_for_session unregister unregister_for_session getFeatureFlag getFeatureFlagPayload isFeatureEnabled reloadFeatureFlags updateEarlyAccessFeatureEnrollment getEarlyAccessFeatures on onFeatureFlags onSessionId getSurveys getActiveMatchingSurveys renderSurvey canRenderSurvey getNextSurveyStep identify setPersonProperties group resetGroups setPersonPropertiesForFlags resetPersonPropertiesForFlags setGroupPropertiesForFlags resetGroupPropertiesForFlags reset get_distinct_id getGroups get_session_id get_session_replay_url alias set_config startSessionRecording stopSessionRecording sessionRecordingStarted captureException loadToolbar get_property getSessionProperty createPersonProfile opt_in_capturing opt_out_capturing has_opted_in_capturing has_opted_out_capturing clear_opt_in_out_capturing debug".split(" "),n=0;n<o.length;n++)g(u,o[n]);e._i.push([i,s,a])},e.__SV=1)}(document,window.posthog||[]);
    posthog.init('<ph_project_token>',{api_host:'https://us.i.posthog.com', defaults:'2026-01-30'})
</script>

Keeping the SDK version up to date

Be careful to avoid things which can cause the SDK version to be cached and fail to update. See: Ways SDK versions fall behind

Using TypeScript with the script tag?

If you're using TypeScript and want type safety for window.posthog, install the @posthog/types package:

Terminal

PostHog AI

npm install @posthog/types

Then create a type declaration file:

typescript

PostHog AI

// posthog.d.ts
import type { PostHog } from '@posthog/types'
declare global {
    interface Window {
        posthog?: PostHog
    }
}
export {}

See the TypeScript types documentation for more details.

Option 2: Install via package manager

PostHog AI

npm
npm install --save posthog-js
Yarn
yarn add posthog-js
pnpm
pnpm add posthog-js
Bun
bun add posthog-js

And then include it with your project token and host (which you can find in your project settings):

Web

PostHog AI

import posthog from 'posthog-js'
posthog.init('<ph_project_token>', {
  api_host: 'https://us.i.posthog.com',
  defaults: '2026-01-30'
})

See our framework specific docs for Next.js, React, Vue, Angular, Astro, Remix, and Svelte for more installation details.

Update early, update often

We ship weirdly fast, especially for our JavaScript web SDK. If you choose the npm package instead of the HTML snippet, be sure to update it frequently:

To actually update the package, you need to update the version constraint in your package.json file and then reinstall, or run update instead of install:

PostHog AI

npm
npm update posthog-js
pnpm
pnpm update posthog-js
Yarn
yarn upgrade posthog-js

Bundle all required extensions (advanced)

By default, the JavaScript Web library only loads the core functionality. It lazy-loads extensions such as surveys or the session replay 'recorder' when needed.

This can cause issues if:

  • You have a Content Security Policy (CSP) that blocks inline scripts.

  • You want to optimize your bundle at build time to ensure all dependencies are ready immediately.

  • Your app is running in environments like the Chrome Extension store or Electron that reject or block remote code loading.

To solve these issues, we have multiple import options available below.

Note: With any of the no-external options, the toolbar will be unavailable as this is only possible as a runtime dependency loaded directly from us.posthog.com.

Web

PostHog AI

// No external code loading possible (this disables all extensions such as Replay, Surveys, Exceptions etc.)
import posthog from 'posthog-js/dist/module.no-external'
// No external code loading possible but all external dependencies pre-bundled
import posthog from 'posthog-js/dist/module.full.no-external'
// All external dependencies pre-bundled and with the ability to load external scripts (primarily useful is you use Site Apps)
import posthog from 'posthog-js/dist/module.full'
// Finally you can also import specific extra dependencies
import "posthog-js/dist/posthog-recorder"
import "posthog-js/dist/surveys"
import "posthog-js/dist/exception-autocapture"
import "posthog-js/dist/tracing-headers"
import "posthog-js/dist/web-vitals"
import posthog from 'posthog-js/dist/module.no-external'
// All other posthog commands are the same as usual
posthog.init('<ph_project_token>', { api_host: 'https://us.i.posthog.com', defaults: '2026-01-30' })

Note: You should ensure if using this option that you always import posthog-js from the same module, otherwise multiple bundles could get included. At this time @posthog/react does not work with any module import other than the default.

Tree shaking with the slim bundle (advanced)

If you only need a subset of PostHog features, you can use the slim bundle to reduce your bundle size. It gives you the core functionality (event capture, identify, group analytics) and lets you explicitly opt in to additional features via extension bundles. This is currently experimental, but offers the biggest reduction in bundle size.

Web

PostHog AI

import posthog from 'posthog-js/dist/module.slim'
import {
    SessionReplayExtensions,
    AnalyticsExtensions,
} from 'posthog-js/lib/src/extensions/extension-bundles'
posthog.init('<ph_project_token>', {
    api_host: 'https://us.i.posthog.com',
    defaults: '2026-01-30',
    __extensionClasses: {
        ...SessionReplayExtensions,
        ...AnalyticsExtensions,
    }
})

Note: Always import posthog-js from the same module path (posthog-js/dist/module.slim) throughout your app, otherwise multiple bundles could get included.

Available extension bundles
BundleWhat's included
FeatureFlagsExtensionsFeature Flags
SessionReplayExtensionsSession Replay
AnalyticsExtensionsAutocapture, pageview tracking, heatmaps, dead click detection, web vitals
ErrorTrackingExtensionsError Tracking
SurveysExtensionsSurveys
ExperimentsExtensionsExperiments
ProductToursExtensionsProduct Tours
SiteAppsExtensionsSite apps
TracingExtensionsDistributed tracing header injection
ToolbarExtensionsToolbar
LogsExtensionsLog capture
ConversationsExtensionsConversations
AllExtensionsEverything (equivalent to the default posthog-js bundle)

Note: Each extension bundle includes its own dependencies. You don't need to worry about adding them separately.

Don't want to send test data while developing?

If you don't want to send test data while you're developing, you can do the following:

Web

PostHog AI

if (!window.location.host.includes('127.0.0.1') && !window.location.host.includes('localhost')) {
    posthog.init('<ph_project_token>', { api_host: 'https://us.i.posthog.com', defaults: '2026-01-30' })
}

What is the `defaults` option?

The defaults is a date, such as 2026-01-30, for a configuration snapshot used as defaults to initialize PostHog. This default is overridden when you explicitly set a value for any of the options.

Identifying users

Identifying users is required. Call posthog.identify('your-user-id') after login to link events to a known user. This is what connects frontend event captures, session replays, LLM traces, and error tracking to the same person — and lets backend events link back too.

See our guide on identifying users for how to set this up.

Once you've installed PostHog, see our features doc for more information about what you can do with it.

Track across marketing website & app

We recommend putting PostHog both on your homepage and your application if applicable. That means you'll be able to follow a user from the moment they come onto your website, all the way through signup and actually using your product.

PostHog automatically sets a cross-domain cookie, so if your website is yourapp.com and your app is on app.yourapp.com users will be followed when they go from one to the other. See our tutorial on cross-website tracking if you need to track users across different domains.

Replay triggers

You can configure "replay triggers" in your project settings. You can configure triggers to enable or pause session recording when the user visit a page that matches the URL(s) you configure.

You are also able to setup "event triggers". Session recording will be started immediately before PostHog queues any of these events to be sent to the backend.

Opt out of data capture

You can completely opt-out users from data capture. To do this, there are two options:

  1. Opt users out by default by setting opt_out_capturing_by_default to true in your PostHog config.

Web

PostHog AI

posthog.init('<ph_project_token>', {
    opt_out_capturing_by_default: true,
});
  1. Opt users out on a per-person basis by calling posthog.opt_out_capturing().

Similarly, you can opt users in:

Web

PostHog AI

posthog.opt_in_capturing()

To check if a user is opted out:

Web

PostHog AI

posthog.has_opted_out_capturing()

Running more than one instance of PostHog at the same time

While not a first-class citizen, PostHog allows you to run more than one instance of PostHog at the same time if you, for example, want to track different events in different posthog instances/projects.

posthog.init accepts a third parameter that can be used to create named instances.

TypeScript

PostHog AI

posthog.init('<ph_project_token>', {}, 'project1')
posthog.init('<ph_project_token>', {}, 'project2')

You can then call these different instances by accessing it on the global posthog object

TypeScript

PostHog AI

posthog.project1.capture('some_event')
posthog.project2.capture('other_event')

Note: You'll probably want to disable autocapture (and some other events) to avoid them from being sent to both instances. Check all of our config options to better understand that.

Development

For instructions on how to run posthog-js locally and setup your development environment, please checkout the README on the posthog-js repository.

Community questions

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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 MCP server, Needs an API key, 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/posthog/integration/skills/all · commit a5d30e7
Licence
MIT License (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
Synced
Also distributed in
PostHog/skills

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