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Omnibus Instrument Integration

PostHogOfficialCreated by PostHog

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

Add PostHog SDK integration to your application. Use when setting up PostHog for the first time or reviewing PRs that need PostHog initialization. Covers SDK installation, provider setup, and basic configuration for any framework.
— the description by PostHog

AutoGineer summary

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

This skill provides a structured, multi-step procedure for integrating the PostHog SDK into a wide variety of software projects. It guides the agent through detecting the project's framework, installing the appropriate SDK, initializing the client, and configuring environment variables. By leveraging a library of framework-specific reference files, the skill ensures that PostHog is implemented according to best practices for each supported platform, including web, mobile, and backend environments.

What it does

  • Detects the project's framework and package manager automatically.
  • Installs the correct PostHog SDK for the identified platform.
  • Initializes the PostHog client using framework-specific patterns.
  • Configures environment variables for API keys and host settings.
  • Implements user identification logic for login and signup events.
  • Verifies the integration and performs necessary cleanup.

When to use it

  • When setting up PostHog in a project for the first time.
  • When reviewing pull requests that require PostHog initialization.
  • When migrating or adding analytics to an existing codebase.
  • When you need to ensure PostHog is configured consistently across different frameworks.

Advantages

  • Supports a broad range of frameworks and languages.
  • Ensures secure configuration by enforcing the use of environment variables.
  • Maintains consistency with existing codebase patterns.
  • Reduces manual effort by automating SDK installation and boilerplate setup.

Usage examples

“Add PostHog to my new Next.js project.”
The agent will detect the Next.js framework, install the PostHog SDK, and provide the necessary initialization code in the appropriate file, such as instrumentation-client.ts.
“Help me set up PostHog in our Android app.”
The agent will identify the Android environment, guide the setup in the Application class, and configure the PostHog instance with the required API keys.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/posthog/omnibus-instrument-integration/download

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

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

Documentation by PostHog

Add PostHog SDK integration

Use this skill to add the PostHog SDK to an application. Use it when setting up PostHog for the first time, or reviewing PRs that need PostHog initialization. Covers SDK installation, provider setup, and basic configuration. Supports any framework or language.

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

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, do not modify its code. Inform the user and skip to verification.

STEP 2: Research integration. 2.1. Find the reference file below that matches the detected framework — it is the source of truth for SDK initialization, provider setup, and configuration 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.

  • 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.

  • 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).

  • Set up the PostHog provider/wrapper component if the framework requires one.

STEP 5: Identify users.

  • Add PostHog identify() calls on the client side during login and signup events.

  • 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.

STEP 6: Set up environment variables.

  • Store the PostHog API key and host in environment variables (e.g. .env or framework-specific env files).

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

STEP 7: 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-react-vite.md - react-vite 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-javascript-node.md - javascript-node example project code

  • references/EXAMPLE-javascript-web.md - javascript-web 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.md - React - 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/js.md - JavaScript web - docs

  • references/posthog-js.md - PostHog JavaScript web SDK

  • references/node.md - Node.js - docs

  • references/posthog-node.md - PostHog Node.js SDK

  • 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 example: Your implementation should follow the example project's patterns as closely as possible.

  • Analytics contract: Treat event names, property names, and feature flag keys as part of an analytics contract. Reuse existing names and patterns found in the project. When introducing new ones, make them clear, descriptive, and consistent with existing conventions.

Files

references/ruby-on-rails.md

Ruby on Rails - Docs

PostHog makes it easy to get data about traffic and usage of your Ruby on Rails app. Integrating PostHog enables analytics, custom events capture, feature flags, and automatic exception tracking.

This guide walks you through integrating PostHog into your Rails app using the posthog-rails gem.

Beta: integration via LLM

Install PostHog for Rails in seconds with our wizard by running this prompt with LLM coding agents like Cursor and Bolt, or by running it in your terminal.

npx @posthog/wizard@latest

Learn more

Or, to integrate manually, continue with the rest of this guide.

Features

  • Automatic exception tracking – Captures unhandled and rescued exceptions

  • ActiveJob instrumentation – Tracks background job exceptions

  • User context – Automatically associates exceptions with the current user

  • Smart filtering – Excludes common Rails exceptions (404s, etc.) by default

  • Rails 7.0+ error reporter – Integrates with Rails' built-in error reporting

Installation

Add both gems to your Gemfile:

Gemfile

PostHog AI

gem 'posthog-ruby'
gem 'posthog-rails'

Then run:

Terminal

PostHog AI

bundle install

Identifying users

Identifying users is required. Backend events need a distinct_id that matches the ID your frontend uses when calling posthog.identify(). Without this, backend events are orphaned — they can't be linked to frontend event captures, session replays, LLM traces, or error tracking.

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

Generate the initializer

Run the install generator to create the PostHog initializer:

Terminal

PostHog AI

rails generate posthog:install

This creates config/initializers/posthog.rb with sensible defaults and documentation.

Configuration

The generated initializer includes all available options:

config/initializers/posthog.rb

PostHog AI

# Core PostHog client initialization
PostHog.init do |config|
  # Required: Your PostHog API key
  config.api_key = '<ph_project_token>'
  # Optional: Your PostHog instance URL
  config.host = 'https://us.i.posthog.com'
  # Optional: Personal API key for feature flags
  config.personal_api_key = 'phx_xxxxxxxxx'
  # Error callback to detect misconfiguration
  config.on_error = proc { |status, msg|
    Rails.logger.error("PostHog error: #{msg}")
  }
end
# Rails-specific configuration
PostHog::Rails.configure do |config|
  config.auto_capture_exceptions = true           # Enable automatic exception capture
  config.report_rescued_exceptions = true         # Report exceptions Rails rescues
  config.auto_instrument_active_job = true        # Instrument background jobs
  config.capture_user_context = true              # Include user info in exceptions
  config.current_user_method = :current_user      # Method to get current user
  # Add additional exceptions to ignore
  config.excluded_exceptions = ['MyCustomError']
end

You can find your project token and instance address in your project settings.

Tip: Use Rails.application.credentials to avoid hardcoding API keys. First, add your keys and then reference them in your initializer:

Terminal

PostHog AI

rails credentials:edit

config/credentials.yml.enc

PostHog AI

posthog:
  api_key: <ph_project_token>
  host: https://us.i.posthog.com
  personal_api_key: phx_xxxxxxxxx

config/initializers/posthog.rb

PostHog AI

config.api_key = Rails.application.credentials.posthog[:api_key]
config.host = Rails.application.credentials.posthog[:host]
config.personal_api_key = Rails.application.credentials.posthog[:personal_api_key]

Capturing events

Track custom events anywhere in your Rails app:

Ruby

PostHog AI

# Track an event
PostHog.capture(
  distinct_id: current_user.id,
  event: 'post_created',
  properties: { title: @post.title }
)
# Identify a user
PostHog.identify(
  distinct_id: current_user.id,
  properties: {
    email: current_user.email,
    plan: current_user.plan
  }
)

Error tracking

For full details on setting up error tracking with Rails, see our Rails error tracking installation guide.

Automatic exception tracking

When auto_capture_exceptions is enabled, exceptions are automatically captured:

Ruby

PostHog AI

class PostsController < ApplicationController
  def show
    @post = Post.find(params[:id])
    # Any exception here is automatically captured
  end
end
Manual exception capture

You can also manually capture exceptions:

Ruby

PostHog AI

PostHog.capture_exception(
  exception,
  current_user.id,
  { custom_property: 'value' }
)
Background job exceptions

When auto_instrument_active_job is enabled, ActiveJob exceptions are automatically captured with job context:

Ruby

PostHog AI

class EmailJob < ApplicationJob
  def perform(user_id)
    user = User.find(user_id)
    UserMailer.welcome(user).deliver_now
    # Exceptions are automatically captured
  end
end
Associating jobs with users

By default, PostHog extracts a distinct_id from job arguments by looking for a user_id key:

Ruby

PostHog AI

# PostHog will automatically use options[:user_id] as the distinct_id
ProcessOrderJob.perform_later(order.id, user_id: current_user.id)

For more control, use the posthog_distinct_id class method:

Ruby

PostHog AI

class SendWelcomeEmailJob < ApplicationJob
  posthog_distinct_id ->(user, options) { user.id }
  def perform(user, options = {})
    UserMailer.welcome(user).deliver_now
  end
end
Rails 7.0+ error reporter

PostHog integrates with Rails' built-in error reporting:

Ruby

PostHog AI

# These errors are automatically sent to PostHog
Rails.error.handle do
  # Code that might raise an error
end
Rails.error.record(exception, context: { user_id: current_user.id })

PostHog automatically extracts the user's distinct ID from user_id or distinct_id in the context hash.

User context

PostHog Rails automatically captures user information from your controllers. If your user method has a different name, configure it:

Ruby

PostHog AI

PostHog::Rails.config.current_user_method = :logged_in_user
User ID extraction

By default, PostHog Rails auto-detects the user's distinct ID by trying these methods:

  1. posthog_distinct_id – Define this on your User model for full control

  2. distinct_id – Common analytics convention

  3. id – Standard ActiveRecord primary key

You can configure a specific method:

Ruby

PostHog AI

PostHog::Rails.config.user_id_method = :email

Or define a method on your User model:

Ruby

PostHog AI

class User < ApplicationRecord
  def posthog_distinct_id
    "user_#{id}"  # or external_id, or any unique identifier
  end
end
Excluded exceptions

The following exceptions are not reported by default (common 4xx errors):

  • AbstractController::ActionNotFound

  • ActionController::BadRequest

  • ActionController::InvalidAuthenticityToken

  • ActionController::RoutingError

  • ActionController::UnknownFormat

  • ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound

Add more with:

Ruby

PostHog AI

PostHog::Rails.config.excluded_exceptions = ['MyException']

Feature flags

Use feature flags in your Rails app:

Ruby

PostHog AI

class PostsController < ApplicationController
  def show
    if PostHog.is_feature_enabled('new-post-design', current_user.id)
      render 'posts/show_new'
    else
      render 'posts/show'
    end
  end
end

For local evaluation, ensure you've set personal_api_key:

Ruby

PostHog AI

config.personal_api_key = Rails.application.credentials.posthog[:personal_api_key]

See our Ruby SDK docs for details on local evaluation with Puma and Unicorn servers.

Testing

In your test environment, disable PostHog or use test mode:

config/environments/test.rb

PostHog AI

PostHog.init do |config|
  config.test_mode = true  # Events are queued but not sent
end

Or in your specs:

spec/rails_helper.rb

PostHog AI

RSpec.configure do |config|
  config.before(:each) do
    allow(PostHog).to receive(:capture)
  end
end

Configuration reference

Core PostHog options
OptionTypeDefaultDescription
api_keyStringrequiredYour PostHog project token
hostStringhttps://us.i.posthog.comPostHog instance URL
personal_api_keyStringnilFor feature flag evaluation
test_modeBooleanfalseDon't send events (for testing)
on_errorProcnilError callback
Rails-specific options
OptionTypeDefaultDescription
auto_capture_exceptionsBooleanfalseAutomatically capture exceptions
report_rescued_exceptionsBooleanfalseReport exceptions Rails rescues
auto_instrument_active_jobBooleanfalseInstrument ActiveJob
capture_user_contextBooleantrueInclude user info
current_user_methodSymbol:current_userController method for user
user_id_methodSymbolnilMethod to extract ID from user object
excluded_exceptionsArray[]Additional exceptions to ignore

Troubleshooting

Exceptions not being captured

  1. Verify PostHog is initialized:

    Ruby

    PostHog AI

    Rails.console
> PostHog.initialized?
=> true

  2. Check your excluded exceptions list

  3. Verify middleware is installed:

    Ruby

    PostHog AI

    Rails.application.middleware
User context not working

  1. Verify current_user_method matches your controller method

  2. Check that the user object responds to posthog_distinct_id, distinct_id, or id

  3. If using a custom identifier, set PostHog::Rails.config.user_id_method = :your_method

Feature flags not working

Ensure you've set personal_api_key in your configuration.

Next steps

For any technical questions for how to integrate specific PostHog features into Rails (such as analytics, feature flags, A/B testing, etc.), have a look at our Ruby SDK docs.

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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 API key, Needs Python, Needs Node.js

Security

What our scanner noticed· Low risk

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Attribution and licence

Created by
PostHog
Publisher
PostHog (Official)
Source
PostHog/skills · skills/posthog/all/skills/omnibus-instrument-integration · commit a5d30e7
Licence
MIT License (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
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