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Integration Python

PostHogOfficialCreated by PostHog

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

From the author

PostHog integration for any Python application using the Python SDK
— the description by PostHog

AutoGineer summary

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

This skill provides a systematic, multi-step process for adding PostHog event tracking and analytics to Python applications. It emphasizes best practices such as instance-based initialization, proper event flushing, and secure handling of user identification and environment variables. The skill includes a guided workflow that helps developers plan their tracking strategy, implement event capture, and ensure robust error tracking without compromising application performance or security.

What it does

  • Guides the setup of PostHog analytics in Python projects.
  • Provides a structured 4-step workflow for integration.
  • Ensures secure configuration using environment variables.
  • Demonstrates proper instance-based API usage and event flushing.
  • Outlines patterns for user identification and exception autocapture.
  • Defines clear rules for avoiding PII in event properties.

When to use it

  • When you need to add analytics to a new or existing Python application.
  • When you want to track user behavior, business events, or application errors.
  • When you need a reference implementation for PostHog integration patterns.
  • When you want to ensure your tracking implementation follows security and performance best practices.

Advantages

  • Reduces integration errors through a step-by-step guided process.
  • Promotes secure coding practices like avoiding hardcoded API keys.
  • Ensures data integrity by separating PII from event metadata.
  • Provides clear patterns for handling application lifecycle events like shutdown.
  • Includes built-in support for exception tracking.

Usage examples

“How do I start integrating PostHog into my Python CLI application?”
The agent will guide you through the 4-step setup process, starting with the creation of an event tracking plan and the installation of the PostHog SDK.
“What is the best way to track user login events in Python?”
The agent will provide instructions on using the identify pattern, ensuring you use the correct client methods and headers for session correlation.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

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

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip integration-python.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by PostHog

PostHog integration for Python

This skill helps you add PostHog analytics to Python 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 - Python example project code

  • references/python.md - Python - docs

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

  • 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

  • Remember that source code is available in the venv/site-packages directory

  • posthog is the Python SDK package name

  • Install dependencies with pip install posthog or pip install -r requirements.txt and do NOT use unquoted version specifiers like >= directly in shell commands

  • In CLIs and scripts: MUST call posthog.shutdown() before exit or all events are lost

  • Always use the Posthog() class constructor (instance-based API) instead of module-level posthog.api_key config

  • Always include enable_exception_autocapture=True in the Posthog() constructor to automatically track exceptions

  • NEVER send PII in capture() event properties — no emails, full names, phone numbers, physical addresses, IP addresses, or user-generated content

  • PII belongs in identify() person properties, NOT in capture() event properties. Safe event properties are metadata like message_length, form_type, boolean flags.

  • Register posthog_client.shutdown with atexit.register() to ensure all events are flushed on exit

  • The Python SDK has NO identify() method — use posthog_client.set(distinct_id=user_id, properties={...}) to set person properties, or use identify_context(user_id) within a context

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 Python Example Project

Repository: https://github.com/PostHog/context-mill Path: basics/python


README.md

PostHog Python Example - CLI Todo App

A simple command-line todo application built with plain Python (no frameworks) demonstrating PostHog integration for CLIs, scripts, data pipelines, and non-web Python applications.

Purpose

This example serves as:

  • Verification that the context-mill wizard works for plain Python projects

  • Reference implementation of PostHog best practices for non-framework Python code

  • Working example you can run and modify

Features Demonstrated

  • Instance-based API - Uses Posthog(...) class instead of module-level API

  • Exception autocapture - Automatic tracking of unhandled exceptions

  • Proper shutdown - Uses shutdown() to flush events before exit

  • Event tracking - Captures user actions with distinct_id and properties

  • User identification - Sets properties on users via identify(), and updates them later with set() and setOnce()

  • Error handling - Manual exception capture for handled errors

Quick Start

1. Install Dependencies
# Create virtual environment (recommended)
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt
2. 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.com
3. Run the App
# Add a todo
python todo.py add "Buy groceries"

# List all todos
python todo.py list

# Complete a todo
python todo.py complete 1

# Delete a todo
python todo.py delete 1

# Show statistics
python todo.py stats

What Gets Tracked

The app tracks these events in PostHog:

EventPropertiesPurpose
todo_addedtodo_id, todo_length, total_todosWhen user adds a new todo
todos_viewedtotal_todos, completed_todosWhen user lists todos
todo_completedtodo_id, time_to_complete_hoursWhen user completes a todo
todo_deletedtodo_id, was_completedWhen user deletes a todo
stats_viewedtotal_todos, completed_todos, pending_todosWhen user views stats

Code Structure

basics/python/
├── todo.py              # Main CLI application
├── requirements.txt     # Python dependencies
├── .env.example        # Environment variable template
├── .gitignore          # Git ignore rules
└── README.md           # This file

Key Implementation Patterns

1. Instance-Based Initialization
from posthog import Posthog

posthog = Posthog(
    api_key,
    host='https://us.i.posthog.com',
    enable_exception_autocapture=True  # Automatically capture exceptions
)
2. Event Tracking Pattern
# Track events with distinct_id
posthog_client.capture(
    distinct_id="user_123",
    event="event_name",
    properties={"key": "value"}
)
3. Proper Shutdown
try:
    # Your application code
    pass
finally:
    # Always call shutdown() to flush events and close connections
    posthog.shutdown()
4. Identifying Users
# Set person properties on a user profile
posthog_client.set(
    distinct_id="user_123",
    properties={"email": "[email protected]", "plan": "pro"}
)
5. Exception Handling
try:
    # Code that might fail
    risky_operation()
except Exception as e:
    # Manually capture handled errors you want to track
    posthog_client.capture_exception(e, distinct_id="user_123")

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.py to experiment with PostHog tracking

  • Add new commands and track their usage

  • Explore feature flags: posthog.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

requirements.txt

posthog>=3.0.0
python-dotenv>=1.0.0

todo.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""Simple CLI Todo App with PostHog Analytics

A minimal plain Python CLI application demonstrating PostHog integration
for non-framework Python projects (CLIs, scripts, data pipelines, etc.).
"""

import argparse
import json
import os
import sys
from datetime import datetime
from pathlib import Path
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from posthog import Posthog

# Load environment variables
load_dotenv()

# Data file location
DATA_FILE = Path.home() / ".todo_app.json"


def initialize_posthog():
    """Initialize PostHog with instance-based API.

    Returns PostHog instance or None if project token not configured.
    """
    project_token = os.getenv('POSTHOG_PROJECT_TOKEN')

    if not project_token:
        print("WARNING: PostHog not configured (POSTHOG_PROJECT_TOKEN not set)")
        print("         App will work but analytics won't be tracked")
        return None

    # Create PostHog instance with opinionated defaults
    posthog = Posthog(
        project_token,
        host=os.getenv('POSTHOG_HOST', 'https://us.i.posthog.com'),
        debug=os.getenv('POSTHOG_DEBUG', 'False').lower() == 'true',
        enable_exception_autocapture=True  # Auto-capture unhandled exceptions
    )

    return posthog


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.
    In a real app, this would be your actual user ID.
    """
    import uuid

    if DATA_FILE.exists():
        data = json.loads(DATA_FILE.read_text())
        if 'user_id' in data:
            return data['user_id']

    # Create new user ID
    return f"user_{uuid.uuid4().hex[:8]}"


def load_todos():
    """Load todos from disk."""
    if not DATA_FILE.exists():
        return {"user_id": get_user_id(), "todos": []}

    return json.loads(DATA_FILE.read_text())


def save_todos(data):
    """Save todos to disk."""
    DATA_FILE.write_text(json.dumps(data, indent=2))


def track_event(posthog, event_name, properties=None):
    """Track an event with PostHog.

    Uses the real PostHog Python SDK API.
    """
    if not posthog:
        return

    posthog.capture(
        distinct_id=get_user_id(),
        event=event_name,
        properties=properties or {}
    )


def cmd_add(args, posthog):
    """Add a new todo item."""
    data = load_todos()

    todo = {
        "id": len(data["todos"]) + 1,
        "text": args.text,
        "completed": False,
        "created_at": datetime.now().isoformat()
    }

    data["todos"].append(todo)
    save_todos(data)

    print(f"Added todo #{todo['id']}: {todo['text']}")

    # Track the event
    track_event(posthog, "todo_added", {
        "todo_id": todo["id"],
        "todo_length": len(todo["text"]),
        "total_todos": len(data["todos"])
    })


def cmd_list(args, posthog):
    """List all todos."""
    data = load_todos()

    if not data["todos"]:
        print("No todos yet! Add one with: todo add 'Your task'")
        return

    print(f"\nYour Todos ({len(data['todos'])} total):\n")

    for todo in data["todos"]:
        status = "X" if todo["completed"] else " "
        print(f"  [{status}] #{todo['id']}: {todo['text']}")

    print()

    # Track the event
    track_event(posthog, "todos_viewed", {
        "total_todos": len(data["todos"]),
        "completed_todos": sum(1 for t in data["todos"] if t["completed"])
    })


def cmd_complete(args, posthog):
    """Mark a todo as completed."""
    data = load_todos()

    todo = next((t for t in data["todos"] if t["id"] == args.id), None)

    if not todo:
        print(f"ERROR: Todo #{args.id} not found")
        return

    if todo["completed"]:
        print(f"Todo #{args.id} is already completed")
        return

    todo["completed"] = True
    todo["completed_at"] = datetime.now().isoformat()
    save_todos(data)

    print(f"Completed todo #{todo['id']}: {todo['text']}")

    # Track the event
    track_event(posthog, "todo_completed", {
        "todo_id": todo["id"],
        "time_to_complete_hours": (
            datetime.fromisoformat(todo["completed_at"]) -
            datetime.fromisoformat(todo["created_at"])
        ).total_seconds() / 3600
    })


def cmd_delete(args, posthog):
    """Delete a todo."""
    data = load_todos()

    todo = next((t for t in data["todos"] if t["id"] == args.id), None)

    if not todo:
        print(f"ERROR: Todo #{args.id} not found")
        return

    data["todos"].remove(todo)
    save_todos(data)

    print(f"Deleted todo #{args.id}")

    # Track the event
    track_event(posthog, "todo_deleted", {
        "todo_id": todo["id"],
        "was_completed": todo["completed"]
    })


def cmd_stats(args, posthog):
    """Show usage statistics."""
    data = load_todos()

    total = len(data["todos"])
    completed = sum(1 for t in data["todos"] if t["completed"])
    pending = total - completed

    print(f"\nStats:\n")
    print(f"  Total todos:     {total}")
    print(f"  Completed:       {completed}")
    print(f"  Pending:         {pending}")
    print(f"  Completion rate: {(completed/total*100) if total > 0 else 0:.1f}%")
    print()

    # Track the event
    track_event(posthog, "stats_viewed", {
        "total_todos": total,
        "completed_todos": completed,
        "pending_todos": pending
    })


def main():
    """Main CLI entry point."""
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
        description="Simple todo app with PostHog analytics"
    )

    subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(dest="command", help="Available commands")

    # Add command
    add_parser = subparsers.add_parser("add", help="Add a new todo")
    add_parser.add_argument("text", help="Todo text")

    # List command
    subparsers.add_parser("list", help="List all todos")

    # Complete command
    complete_parser = subparsers.add_parser("complete", help="Mark todo as completed")
    complete_parser.add_argument("id", type=int, help="Todo ID")

    # Delete command
    delete_parser = subparsers.add_parser("delete", help="Delete a todo")
    delete_parser.add_argument("id", type=int, help="Todo ID")

    # Stats command
    subparsers.add_parser("stats", help="Show statistics")

    args = parser.parse_args()

    if not args.command:
        parser.print_help()
        return

    # Initialize PostHog
    posthog = initialize_posthog()

    try:
        # Route to appropriate command
        if args.command == "add":
            cmd_add(args, posthog)
        elif args.command == "list":
            cmd_list(args, posthog)
        elif args.command == "complete":
            cmd_complete(args, posthog)
        elif args.command == "delete":
            cmd_delete(args, posthog)
        elif args.command == "stats":
            cmd_stats(args, posthog)

    except Exception as e:
        print(f"ERROR: {e}")

        # Manually capture handled errors
        if posthog:
            posthog.capture_exception(e, get_user_id())

        sys.exit(1)

    finally:
        # IMPORTANT: Always shutdown PostHog to flush events
        if posthog:
            posthog.shutdown()


if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

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, Needs Python

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/python · 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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The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download integration-python.zip