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Error Tracking Node

PostHogOfficialCreated by PostHog

  • Skill
  • Tool integration
  • Data and AI
  • MIT
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From the author

PostHog error tracking for Node.js
— the description by PostHog

AutoGineer summary

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

This skill provides guidance on implementing PostHog error tracking within Node.js server-side environments. It covers SDK initialization, exception capture strategies, and best practices for maintaining observability in long-running or short-lived processes. The skill emphasizes using environment variables for configuration, leveraging autocapture for global exceptions, and using manual capture for specific error boundaries to ensure comprehensive monitoring.

What it does

  • Guides the installation and configuration of the posthog-node SDK.
  • Provides patterns for capturing exceptions in route handlers and middleware.
  • Explains how to optimize event flushing for different process types.
  • Details the importance of uploading source maps for readable stack traces.
  • Outlines methods for assigning issues and setting up alerts for error spikes.

When to use it

  • When you need to monitor server-side errors in a Node.js application.
  • When you want to centralize error reporting and user action tracking.
  • When you need to resolve minified stack traces using source maps.
  • When you want to automate issue assignment and alerting for your development team.

Advantages

  • Enables unified tracking of user actions and system exceptions.
  • Supports automated issue assignment based on error properties.
  • Provides flexible alerting options including Slack, Discord, and webhooks.
  • Allows for granular control over event flushing to suit various server architectures.

Usage examples

“How do I initialize PostHog in my Express app for error tracking?”
The skill instructs you to use the posthog-node SDK, enable exception autocapture in the constructor, and integrate captureException in your error middleware.
“How can I alert my team when a specific error spikes?”
The skill explains how to configure spike alerts in the PostHog error tracking settings to notify teams when error rates exceed historical baselines.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/posthog/error-tracking-node/download

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

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip error-tracking-node.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by PostHog

PostHog error tracking for Node.js

This skill helps you add PostHog error tracking to Node.js applications.

Reference files

  • references/node.md - Node.js error tracking installation - docs

  • references/fingerprints.md - Fingerprints - docs

  • references/alerts.md - Send error tracking alerts - docs

  • references/monitoring.md - Monitor and search issues - docs

  • references/assigning-issues.md - Assign issues to teammates - docs

  • references/upload-source-maps.md - Upload source maps - docs

Consult the documentation for API details and framework-specific patterns.

Key principles

  • Environment variables: Always use environment variables for PostHog keys and host URLs. Never hardcode them.

  • Minimal changes: Add error tracking alongside existing error handling. Don't replace or restructure existing error handling code.

  • Autocapture first: Enable exception autocapture in the SDK initialization before adding manual captures.

  • Source maps: Upload source maps so stack traces resolve to original source code, not minified bundles.

  • Manual capture for boundaries: Use captureException() at error boundaries and catch blocks for errors that don't propagate to the global handler.

Framework guidelines

  • posthog-node is the Node.js server-side SDK package name – do NOT use posthog-js on the server

  • Include enableExceptionAutocapture: true in the PostHog constructor options

  • Add posthog.capture() calls in route handlers for meaningful user actions – every route that creates, updates, or deletes data should track an event with contextual properties

  • Add posthog.captureException(err, distinctId) in the application's error handler (e.g., Express error middleware, Fastify setErrorHandler, Koa app.on('error'))

  • In long-running servers, the SDK batches events automatically – do NOT set flushAt or flushInterval unless you have a specific reason to

  • For short-lived processes (scripts, CLIs, serverless), set flushAt to 1 and flushInterval to 0 to send events immediately

  • Reverse proxy is NOT needed for server-side Node.js – only client-side JavaScript needs a proxy to avoid ad blockers

  • Remember that source code is available in the node_modules directory

  • Check package.json for type checking or build scripts to validate changes

Files

references/fingerprints.md

Fingerprints - Docs

Every captured exception is assigned a fingerprint. This fingerprint is used to group similar exceptions into issues. This page covers how fingerprints are generated, how they're used, and how you can override them when capturing exceptions.

Fingerprint and issue grouping

Every exception has a fingerprint, whether generated or defined by the user. Each fingerprint links to exactly one issue. Exceptions that share the same fingerprint define an issue.

Multiple different fingerprints can point to the same issue (a many-to-one relationship) if you merge issues.

How are fingerprints generated?

Fingerprints are built iteratively using components of the exception event. The flowchart below shows how fingerprints are generated.

flowchart LR A[Add exception type to fingerprint] --> B{Stack trace<br/>available?} B -->|No| C[Add error message to fingerprint] C --> D[Final fingerprint] B -->|Yes| E{In-app frames<br/>exist?} E -->|No| F[Add first frame to fingerprint] E -->|Yes| G[Add in-app frame to fingerprint<br/>Priority: resolved > unresolved] F --> D G --> D

The flowchart in text

Fingerprints are generated by considering the following in combination:

  1. The exception type

  2. If there's no resolved stack trace, add the error message to the fingerprint

  3. If there are stack traces but no in-app frames (frames from your code, not a dependency), use the first frame of the stack trace

  4. If there are stack traces, in-app frames, and source maps available, use the resolved in-app stack frames

  5. If there are stack traces, in-app frames, and source maps not available, use the first in-app stack frame

In some languages, like Python, one error can trigger another, creating a chain of linked exceptions. PostHog records the entire chain in the event and generates a single fingerprint for it.

Ensuring accurate fingerprints

Resolved stack traces are critical for accurate fingerprinting. Without accurate stack traces, PostHog cannot group exceptions consistently. If you have not uploaded source maps, follow the source map guide to do so.

This also means that if the exception type or message changes from one version to the next, the fingerprint will change.

When are generated fingerprints used?

Fingerprints are used to group similar exceptions into issues automatically. Automatic issue grouping is only done when:

You can find details about how issue grouping works in the issues and exceptions guide.

Customizing fingerprints

Fingerprints can be manually set during exception capture. This is a very useful way to group exceptions that are not related to each other. You can find examples of how to do this in the custom issue grouping section.

You can also learn more about grouping issues using rules in the grouping issues guide.

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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 Node.js

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/error-tracking/skills/node · 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 or PostHog.

Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download error-tracking-node.zip