# Error Tracking Ruby

> PostHog error tracking for Ruby

- Skill: `posthog-skills/error-tracking-ruby` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 7 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add posthog-skills/error-tracking-ruby`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/posthog-skills/error-tracking-ruby/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: posthog (https://skillmd.com/u/posthog-skills)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/posthog-skills/error-tracking-ruby

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# PostHog error tracking for Ruby

This skill helps you add PostHog error tracking to Ruby applications.

## Reference files

- `references/ruby.md` - Ruby 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-ruby is the Ruby SDK gem name (add `gem 'posthog-ruby'` to Gemfile) but require it with `require 'posthog'` (NOT `require 'posthog-ruby'`)
- Use PostHog::Client.new(api_key: key, host: host) for instance-based initialization in scripts and CLIs
- In CLIs and scripts: MUST call client.shutdown before exit or all events are lost
- Use begin/rescue/ensure with shutdown in the ensure block for proper cleanup
- capture and identify take a single hash argument: client.capture(distinct_id: 'user_123', event: 'my_event', properties: { key: 'value' })
- capture_exception takes POSITIONAL args (not keyword): client.capture_exception(exception, distinct_id, additional_properties) — do NOT use `distinct_id:` keyword syntax