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Integration Nextjs App Router

PostHogOfficialCreated by PostHog

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

PostHog integration for Next.js App Router applications
— the description by PostHog

AutoGineer summary

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

This skill provides a systematic workflow for developers to integrate PostHog into Next.js App Router projects. It emphasizes best practices for client-side and server-side event tracking, user identification, and error monitoring while adhering to React-specific guidelines to ensure performance and maintainability.

What it does

  • Provides a multi-step workflow for PostHog setup
  • Defines patterns for client-side and server-side event tracking
  • Outlines user identification strategies for authentication flows
  • Offers guidance on error tracking implementation
  • Enforces React best practices regarding useEffect and component state
  • Includes reference examples for Next.js App Router integration

When to use it

  • When adding product analytics to a new or existing Next.js App Router project
  • When implementing feature flags in a Next.js application
  • When setting up server-side event tracking for API routes or Server Actions
  • When standardizing error tracking across a frontend and backend codebase

Advantages

  • Ensures consistent event naming and tracking patterns
  • Promotes clean code by discouraging misuse of useEffect
  • Facilitates reliable user identification across client and server boundaries
  • Reduces integration errors by providing a clear, step-by-step procedure

Usage examples

“How do I initialize PostHog in my Next.js App Router project?”
The agent will guide you through creating an instrumentation file and configuring the PostHog client with your project token and host.
“Where should I place event tracking code for user logins?”
The agent will instruct you to implement identification logic within your authentication context and capture server-side login events in your API routes.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/posthog/integration-nextjs-app-router/download
  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip integration-nextjs-app-router.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by PostHog

PostHog integration for Next.js App Router

This skill helps you add PostHog analytics to Next.js App Router applications.

Workflow

Follow these steps in order to complete the integration:

  1. basic-integration-1.0-begin.md - PostHog Setup - Begin ← Start here

  2. basic-integration-1.1-edit.md - PostHog Setup - Edit

  3. basic-integration-1.2-revise.md - PostHog Setup - Revise

  4. basic-integration-1.3-conclude.md - PostHog Setup - Conclusion

Reference files

  • references/EXAMPLE.md - Next.js App Router example project code

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

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

  • references/basic-integration-1.0-begin.md - PostHog setup - begin

  • references/basic-integration-1.1-edit.md - PostHog setup - edit

  • references/basic-integration-1.2-revise.md - PostHog setup - revise

  • references/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 Next.js 15.3+, initialize PostHog in instrumentation-client.ts for the simplest setup

  • 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)

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

references/EXAMPLE.md

PostHog Next.js App Router Example Project

Repository: https://github.com/PostHog/context-mill Path: basics/next-app-router


README.md

PostHog Next.js app router example

This is a Next.js App Router example demonstrating PostHog integration with product analytics, session replay, feature flags, and error tracking.

Features

  • Product analytics: Track user events and behaviors

  • Session replay: Record and replay user sessions

  • Error tracking: Capture and track errors

  • User authentication: Demo login system with PostHog user identification

  • Server-side & Client-side tracking: Examples of both tracking methods

  • Reverse proxy: PostHog ingestion through Next.js rewrites

Getting started

1. Install dependencies
npm install
# or
pnpm install
2. Configure environment variables

Create a .env.local file in the root directory:

NEXT_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_PROJECT_TOKEN=your_posthog_project_token
NEXT_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_HOST=https://us.i.posthog.com

Get your PostHog project token from your PostHog project settings.

3. Run the development server
npm run dev
# or
pnpm dev

Open http://localhost:3000 with your browser to see the app.

Project structure

src/
├── app/
│   ├── api/
│   │   └── auth/
│   │       └── login/
│   │           └── route.ts   # Login API with server-side tracking
│   ├── burrito/
│   │   └── page.tsx           # Demo feature page with event tracking
│   ├── profile/
│   │   └── page.tsx           # User profile with error tracking demo
│   ├── layout.tsx             # Root layout with providers
│   ├── page.tsx               # Home/Login page
│   └── globals.css            # Global styles
├── components/
│   └── Header.tsx             # Navigation header with auth state
├── contexts/
│   └── AuthContext.tsx        # Authentication context with PostHog integration
└── lib/
    └── posthog-server.ts      # Server-side PostHog client

instrumentation-client.ts      # Client-side PostHog initialization

Key integration points

Client-side initialization (instrumentation-client.ts)
import posthog from "posthog-js"

posthog.init(process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_PROJECT_TOKEN!, {
  api_host: "/ingest",
  ui_host: "https://us.posthog.com",
  defaults: '2026-01-30',
  capture_exceptions: true,
  debug: process.env.NODE_ENV === "development",
});
User identification (AuthContext.tsx)
posthog.identify(username, {
  username: username,
});
Event tracking (burrito/page.tsx)
posthog.capture('burrito_considered', {
  total_considerations: count,
  username: username,
});
Error tracking (profile/page.tsx)
posthog.captureException(error);
Server-side tracking (app/api/auth/login/route.ts)
const posthog = getPostHogClient();
posthog.capture({
  distinctId: username,
  event: 'server_login',
  properties: { ... }
});

App router differences from pages router

This example uses Next.js App Router instead of Pages Router. Key differences:

  1. File-based routing: Pages in src/app/ instead of src/pages/

  2. layout.tsx: Root layout component wraps all pages

  3. API Routes: Located in src/app/api/ with route.ts files

  4. 'use client': Client components need explicit directive

  5. useRouter: From next/navigation instead of next/router

  6. Metadata: Exported from layout/page instead of Head component

  7. Server Components: Components are server-side by default

Learn more

Deploy on Vercel

The easiest way to deploy your Next.js app is to use the Vercel Platform.

Check out the Next.js deployment documentation for more details.


.env.example

# PostHog Configuration
# Get your PostHog project token from: https://app.posthog.com/project/settings
NEXT_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_PROJECT_TOKEN=your_posthog_project_token_here
# NEXT_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_HOST=https://eu.i.posthog.com
NEXT_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_HOST=https://us.i.posthog.com

instrumentation-client.ts

import posthog from "posthog-js"

posthog.init(process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_PROJECT_TOKEN!, {
  api_host: "/ingest",
  ui_host: "https://us.posthog.com",
  // Include the defaults option as required by PostHog
  defaults: '2026-01-30',
  // Enables capturing unhandled exceptions via Error Tracking
  capture_exceptions: true,
  // Turn on debug in development mode
  debug: process.env.NODE_ENV === "development",
});

//IMPORTANT: Never combine this approach with other client-side PostHog initialization approaches, especially components like a PostHogProvider. instrumentation-client.ts is the correct solution for initializating client-side PostHog in Next.js 15.3+ apps.

next.config.ts

import type { NextConfig } from "next";

const nextConfig: NextConfig = {
  /* config options here */
  async rewrites() {
    return [
      {
        source: "/ingest/static/:path*",
        destination: "https://us-assets.i.posthog.com/static/:path*",
      },
      {
        source: "/ingest/:path*",
        destination: "https://us.i.posthog.com/:path*",
      },
    ];
  },
  // This is required to support PostHog trailing slash API requests
  skipTrailingSlashRedirect: true,
};

export default nextConfig;

src/app/api/auth/login/route.ts

import { NextResponse } from 'next/server';
import { getPostHogClient } from '@/lib/posthog-server';

const users = new Map<string, { username: string; burritoConsiderations: number }>();

export async function POST(request: Request) {
  const { username, password } = await request.json();

  if (!username || !password) {
    return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Username and password required' }, { status: 400 });
  }

  let user = users.get(username);
  const isNewUser = !user;
  
  if (!user) {
    user = { username, burritoConsiderations: 0 };
    users.set(username, user);
  }

  // Capture server-side login event
  const posthog = getPostHogClient();
  posthog.capture({
    distinctId: username,
    event: 'server_login',
    properties: {
      username: username,
      isNewUser: isNewUser,
      source: 'api'
    }
  });

  // Identify user on server side
  posthog.identify({
    distinctId: username,
    properties: {
      username: username,
      createdAt: isNewUser ? new Date().toISOString() : undefined
    }
  });

  return NextResponse.json({ success: true, user });
}

src/app/burrito/page.tsx

'use client';

import { useState } from 'react';
import { useAuth } from '@/contexts/AuthContext';
import { useRouter } from 'next/navigation';
import posthog from 'posthog-js';

export default function BurritoPage() {
  const { user, incrementBurritoConsiderations } = useAuth();
  const router = useRouter();
  const [hasConsidered, setHasConsidered] = useState(false);

  // Redirect to home if not logged in
  if (!user) {
    router.push('/');
    return null;
  }

  const handleConsideration = () => {
    incrementBurritoConsiderations();
    setHasConsidered(true);
    setTimeout(() => setHasConsidered(false), 2000);
    
    // Capture burrito consideration event
    posthog.capture('burrito_considered', {
      total_considerations: user.burritoConsiderations + 1,
      username: user.username,
    });
  };

  return (
    <div className="container">
      <h1>Burrito consideration zone</h1>
      <p>Take a moment to truly consider the potential of burritos.</p>
      
      <div style={{ textAlign: 'center' }}>
        <button 
          onClick={handleConsideration}
          className="btn-burrito"
        >
          I have considered the burrito potential
        </button>
        
        {hasConsidered && (
          <p className="success">
            Thank you for your consideration! Count: {user.burritoConsiderations}
          </p>
        )}
      </div>
      
      <div className="stats">
        <h3>Consideration stats</h3>
        <p>Total considerations: {user.burritoConsiderations}</p>
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}

src/app/layout.tsx

import type { Metadata } from "next";
import "./globals.css";
import { AuthProvider } from "@/contexts/AuthContext";
import Header from "@/components/Header";

export const metadata: Metadata = {
  title: "Burrito Consideration App",
  description: "Consider the potential of burritos",
};

export default function RootLayout({
  children,
}: Readonly<{
  children: React.ReactNode;
}>) {
  return (
    <html lang="en">
      <body>
        <AuthProvider>
          <Header />
          <main>{children}</main>
        </AuthProvider>
      </body>
    </html>
  );
}

src/app/page.tsx

'use client';

import { useState } from 'react';
import { useAuth } from '@/contexts/AuthContext';

export default function Home() {
  const { user, login } = useAuth();
  const [username, setUsername] = useState('');
  const [password, setPassword] = useState('');
  const [error, setError] = useState('');

  const handleSubmit = async (e: React.FormEvent) => {
    e.preventDefault();
    setError('');
    
    try {
      const success = await login(username, password);
      if (success) {
        setUsername('');
        setPassword('');
      } else {
        setError('Please provide both username and password');
      }
    } catch (err) {
      console.error('Login failed:', err);
      setError('An error occurred during login');
    }
  };

  if (user) {
    return (
      <div className="container">
        <h1>Welcome back, {user.username}!</h1>
        <p>You are now logged in. Feel free to explore:</p>
        <ul>
          <li>Consider the potential of burritos</li>
          <li>View your profile and statistics</li>
        </ul>
      </div>
    );
  }

  return (
    <div className="container">
      <h1>Welcome to Burrito Consideration App</h1>
      <p>Please sign in to begin your burrito journey</p>
      
      <form onSubmit={handleSubmit} className="form">
        <div className="form-group">
          <label htmlFor="username">Username:</label>
          <input
            type="text"
            id="username"
            value={username}
            onChange={(e) => setUsername(e.target.value)}
            placeholder="Enter any username"
          />
        </div>
        
        <div className="form-group">
          <label htmlFor="password">Password:</label>
          <input
            type="password"
            id="password"
            value={password}
            onChange={(e) => setPassword(e.target.value)}
            placeholder="Enter any password"
          />
        </div>
        
        {error && <p className="error">{error}</p>}
        
        <button type="submit" className="btn-primary">Sign In</button>
      </form>
      
      <p className="note">
        Note: This is a demo app. Use any username and password to sign in.
      </p>
    </div>
  );
}

src/app/profile/page.tsx

'use client';

import { useAuth } from '@/contexts/AuthContext';
import { useRouter } from 'next/navigation';
import posthog from 'posthog-js';

export default function ProfilePage() {
  const { user } = useAuth();
  const router = useRouter();

  // Redirect to home if not logged in
  if (!user) {
    router.push('/');
    return null;
  }

  const triggerTestError = () => {
    try {
      throw new Error('Test error for PostHog error tracking');
    } catch (err) {
      posthog.captureException(err);
      console.error('Captured error:', err);
      alert('Error captured and sent to PostHog!');
    }
  };

  return (
    <div className="container">
      <h1>User Profile</h1>
      
      <div className="stats">
        <h2>Your Information</h2>
        <p><strong>Username:</strong> {user.username}</p>
        <p><strong>Burrito Considerations:</strong> {user.burritoConsiderations}</p>
      </div>
      
      <div style={{ marginTop: '2rem' }}>
        <button onClick={triggerTestError} className="btn-primary" style={{ backgroundColor: '#dc3545' }}>
          Trigger Test Error (for PostHog)
        </button>
      </div>
      
      <div style={{ marginTop: '2rem' }}>
        <h3>Your Burrito Journey</h3>
        {user.burritoConsiderations === 0 ? (
          <p>You haven&apos;t considered any burritos yet. Visit the Burrito Consideration page to start!</p>
        ) : user.burritoConsiderations === 1 ? (
          <p>You&apos;ve considered the burrito potential once. Keep going!</p>
        ) : user.burritoConsiderations < 5 ? (
          <p>You&apos;re getting the hang of burrito consideration!</p>
        ) : user.burritoConsiderations < 10 ? (
          <p>You&apos;re becoming a burrito consideration expert!</p>
        ) : (
          <p>You are a true burrito consideration master! 🌯</p>
        )}
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}

src/components/Header.tsx

'use client';

import Link from 'next/link';
import { useAuth } from '@/contexts/AuthContext';

export default function Header() {
  const { user, logout } = useAuth();

  return (
    <header className="header">
      <div className="header-container">
        <nav>
          <Link href="/">Home</Link>
          {user && (
            <>
              <Link href="/burrito">Burrito Consideration</Link>
              <Link href="/profile">Profile</Link>
            </>
          )}
        </nav>
        <div className="user-section">
          {user ? (
            <>
              <span>Welcome, {user.username}!</span>
              <button onClick={logout} className="btn-logout">
                Logout
              </button>
            </>
          ) : (
            <span>Not logged in</span>
          )}
        </div>
      </div>
    </header>
  );
}

src/contexts/AuthContext.tsx

'use client';

import { createContext, useContext, useState, ReactNode } from 'react';
import posthog from 'posthog-js';

interface User {
  username: string;
  burritoConsiderations: number;
}

interface AuthContextType {
  user: User | null;
  login: (username: string, password: string) => Promise<boolean>;
  logout: () => void;
  incrementBurritoConsiderations: () => void;
}

const AuthContext = createContext<AuthContextType | undefined>(undefined);

const users: Map<string, User> = new Map();

export function AuthProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
  // Use lazy initializer to read from localStorage only once on mount
  const [user, setUser] = useState<User | null>(() => {
    if (typeof window === 'undefined') return null;

    const storedUsername = localStorage.getItem('currentUser');
    if (storedUsername) {
      const existingUser = users.get(storedUsername);
      if (existingUser) {
        return existingUser;
      }
    }
    return null;
  });

  const login = async (username: string, password: string): Promise<boolean> => {
    try {
      const response = await fetch('/api/auth/login', {
        method: 'POST',
        headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
        body: JSON.stringify({ username, password }),
      });

      if (response.ok) {
        const { user: userData } = await response.json();

        let localUser = users.get(username);
        if (!localUser) {
          localUser = userData as User;
          users.set(username, localUser);
        }

        setUser(localUser);
        localStorage.setItem('currentUser', username);
        
        // Identify user in PostHog using username as distinct ID
        posthog.identify(username, {
          username: username,
        });
        
        // Capture login event
        posthog.capture('user_logged_in', {
          username: username,
        });
        
        return true;
      }
      return false;
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Login error:', error);
      return false;
    }
  };

  const logout = () => {
    // Capture logout event before resetting
    posthog.capture('user_logged_out');
    posthog.reset();
    
    setUser(null);
    localStorage.removeItem('currentUser');
  };

  const incrementBurritoConsiderations = () => {
    if (user) {
      user.burritoConsiderations++;
      users.set(user.username, user);
      setUser({ ...user });
    }
  };

  return (
    <AuthContext.Provider value={{ user, login, logout, incrementBurritoConsiderations }}>
      {children}
    </AuthContext.Provider>
  );
}

export function useAuth() {
  const context = useContext(AuthContext);
  if (context === undefined) {
    throw new Error('useAuth must be used within an AuthProvider');
  }
  return context;
}

src/lib/posthog-server.ts

import { PostHog } from 'posthog-node';

let posthogClient: PostHog | null = null;

export function getPostHogClient() {
  if (!posthogClient) {
    posthogClient = new PostHog(
      process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_PROJECT_TOKEN!,
      { 
        host: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_HOST,
        flushAt: 1,
        flushInterval: 0
      }
    );
    posthogClient.debug(true);
  }
  return posthogClient;
}

export async function shutdownPostHog() {
  if (posthogClient) {
    await posthogClient.shutdown();
  }
}

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

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/nextjs-app-router · 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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Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download integration-nextjs-app-router.zip