Add Analytics to Your AI-Built App

For most apps, Posthog or Plausible are excellent choices - both have generous free tiers and are privacy-friendly alternatives to Google Analytics. Posthog offers full product analytics including session recordings, funnels, and feature flags. Plausible is simpler and better for pure traffic insights with minimal setup. Google Analytics 4 remains a solid option if you need tight integration with Google Ads or Search Console.

Install Posthog with `npm install posthog-js`. Create a `providers/posthog.tsx` file that initializes Posthog with your project API key from `NEXT_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_KEY`. Wrap this provider around your app layout so it initializes once on mount. Posthog will automatically capture page views, clicks, and session data without any additional configuration.

Call `posthog.capture('event_name', { property: value })` whenever a meaningful user action occurs, such as signing up, completing onboarding, or upgrading a plan. Use consistent naming conventions like snake_case for event names and camelCase for properties. Track events that correspond to your key conversion goals rather than every possible interaction. Avoid over-tracking - focus on events that will inform actual product decisions.

After a user logs in, call `posthog.identify(userId, { email, name, plan })` to associate events with a known user. This lets you see the complete journey of individual users and segment analytics by plan or cohort. Call `posthog.reset()` on logout to avoid associating future events with the wrong user. Store only non-sensitive properties in analytics - never pass passwords, tokens, or payment details.

Use Posthog's Insights tab to build funnels showing where users drop off during onboarding. Create retention charts to see how many users return after their first session. Set up a dashboard with your core metrics - signups per day, activation rate, and churn - and review it weekly. Use the data to prioritize which features to build and which friction points to fix.