| name | SDK Analytics Installer |
| description | Use this skill when the user asks to install, configure, or set up @dotcms/analytics, sdk-analytics, analytics SDK, add analytics tracking, or mentions installing analytics in Next.js or React projects |
| allowed-tools | Read, Write, Edit, Bash, Grep, Glob |
| version | 1.0.0 |
DotCMS SDK Analytics Installation Guide
This skill provides step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring the @dotcms/analytics SDK in the Next.js example project at /core/examples/nextjs.
Overview
The @dotcms/analytics SDK is dotCMS's official JavaScript library for tracking content-aware events and analytics. It provides:
- Automatic page view tracking
- Conversion tracking (purchases, downloads, sign-ups, etc.)
- Custom event tracking
- Session management (30-minute timeout)
- Anonymous user identity tracking
- UTM campaign parameter tracking
- Event batching/queuing for performance
🚨 Important: Understanding the Analytics Components
CRITICAL: useContentAnalytics() ALWAYS requires config as a parameter. The hook does NOT use React Context.
Component Roles
-
<DotContentAnalytics /> - Auto Page View Tracker
- Only purpose: Automatically track pageviews on route changes
- NOT a React Context Provider
- Does NOT provide config to child components
- Place in root layout for automatic pageview tracking
-
useContentAnalytics(config) - Manual Tracking Hook
- Used for custom event tracking
- ALWAYS requires config parameter
- Import centralized config in each component that uses it
Correct Usage Pattern
export const analyticsConfig = {
siteAuth: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_SITE_KEY,
server: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_HOST,
autoPageView: true,
debug: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_DEBUG === "true",
};
import { DotContentAnalytics } from "@dotcms/analytics/react";
import { analyticsConfig } from "@/config/analytics.config";
<DotContentAnalytics config={analyticsConfig} />;
import { useContentAnalytics } from "@dotcms/analytics/react";
import { analyticsConfig } from "@/config/analytics.config";
const { track } = useContentAnalytics(analyticsConfig);
Why centralize config? While you must import it in each component, centralizing prevents duplication and makes updates easier.
Quick Setup Summary
Here's the complete setup flow:
1. Install package
└─> npm install @dotcms/analytics
2. Create centralized config file
└─> /src/config/analytics.config.js
└─> export const analyticsConfig = { siteAuth, server, debug, ... }
3. (Optional) Add DotContentAnalytics for auto pageview tracking
└─> /src/app/layout.js
└─> import { analyticsConfig } from "@/config/analytics.config"
└─> <DotContentAnalytics config={analyticsConfig} />
4. Import config in EVERY component that uses the hook
└─> /src/components/MyComponent.js
└─> import { analyticsConfig } from "@/config/analytics.config"
└─> const { track } = useContentAnalytics(analyticsConfig) // ✅ Config required!
Key Benefits of Centralized Config:
- ✅ Single source of truth for configuration values
- ✅ Easy to update environment variables in one place
- ✅ Consistent config across all components
- ✅ Better than duplicating config in every file
Installation Steps
1. Install the Package
Navigate to the Next.js example directory and install the package:
cd /core/examples/nextjs
npm install @dotcms/analytics
2. Verify Installation
Check that the package was added to package.json:
grep "@dotcms/analytics" package.json
Expected output: "@dotcms/analytics": "latest" or similar version.
3. Create Centralized Analytics Configuration
Create a dedicated configuration file to centralize your analytics settings. This makes it easier to maintain and reuse across your application.
File: /core/examples/nextjs/src/config/analytics.config.js
export const analyticsConfig = {
siteAuth: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_SITE_KEY,
server: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_HOST,
autoPageView: true,
debug: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_DEBUG === "true",
queue: {
eventBatchSize: 15,
flushInterval: 5000,
},
};
Benefits of this approach:
- ✅ Single source of truth for analytics configuration
- ✅ Easy to import and reuse across components
- ✅ Centralized environment variable management
- ✅ Type-safe and IDE autocomplete friendly
- ✅ Easy to test and mock in unit tests
4. Configure Analytics in Next.js Layout
Update the root layout file to include the analytics provider using the centralized config.
File: /core/examples/nextjs/src/app/layout.js
import { Inter } from "next/font/google";
import "./globals.css";
const inter = Inter({ subsets: ["latin"] });
export default function RootLayout({ children }) {
return (
<html lang="en">
<body className={inter.className}>{children}</body>
</html>
);
}
Updated with Analytics (using centralized config):
import { Inter } from "next/font/google";
import { DotContentAnalytics } from "@dotcms/analytics/react";
import { analyticsConfig } from "@/config/analytics.config";
import "./globals.css";
const inter = Inter({ subsets: ["latin"] });
export default function RootLayout({ children }) {
return (
<html lang="en">
<body className={inter.className}>
<DotContentAnalytics config={analyticsConfig} />
{children}
</body>
</html>
);
}
4. Add Environment Variables
Create or update .env.local file in the Next.js project root:
File: /core/examples/nextjs/.env.local
NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_AUTH_TOKEN={GENERATE TOKEN FROM USER PORTLET API ACCESS TOKEN}
NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_HOST={URL WHERE DOTCMS IS RUNNING}
NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_SITE_ID={SITE IDENTIFIER}
NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_SITE_KEY={GENERATE KEY FROM CONTENT ANALYTICS APP}
NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_HOST={SITE IDENTIFIER}
NEXT_PUBLIC_EXPERIMENTS_API_KEY={GENERATED KEY FROM THE EXPERIMENTS APP}
NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_MODE='production'
NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=0
Important: Replace your_site_auth_key_here with your actual dotCMS Analytics site auth key. This can be obtained from the Analytics app in your dotCMS instance.
5. Add .env.local to .gitignore
Ensure the environment file is not committed to version control:
grep ".env.local" /core/examples/nextjs/.gitignore
echo ".env.local" >> /core/examples/nextjs/.gitignore
Usage Examples
Basic Setup (Automatic Page Views)
With the configuration above, page views are automatically tracked on every route change. No additional code needed!
Manual Page View with Custom Data
Track page views with additional context:
"use client";
import { useEffect } from "react";
import { useContentAnalytics } from "@dotcms/analytics/react";
import { analyticsConfig } from "@/config/analytics.config";
function MyComponent() {
const { pageView } = useContentAnalytics(analyticsConfig);
useEffect(() => {
pageView({
contentType: "blog",
category: "technology",
author: "john-doe",
wordCount: 1500,
});
}, []);
return <div>Content here</div>;
}
Track Custom Events
Track specific user interactions:
"use client";
import { useContentAnalytics } from "@dotcms/analytics/react";
import { analyticsConfig } from "@/config/analytics.config";
function CallToActionButton() {
const { track } = useContentAnalytics(analyticsConfig);
const handleClick = () => {
track("cta-click", {
button: "Buy Now",
location: "hero-section",
price: 299.99,
});
};
return <button onClick={handleClick}>Buy Now</button>;
}
Form Submission Tracking
"use client";
import { useContentAnalytics } from "@dotcms/analytics/react";
import { analyticsConfig } from "@/config/analytics.config";
function ContactForm() {
const { track } = useContentAnalytics(analyticsConfig);
const handleSubmit = async (e) => {
e.preventDefault();
track("form-submit", {
formName: "contact-form",
formType: "lead-gen",
source: "homepage",
});
};
return <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>{/* Form fields */}</form>;
}
Video/Media Interaction Tracking
"use client";
import { useContentAnalytics } from "@dotcms/analytics/react";
import { analyticsConfig } from "@/config/analytics.config";
function VideoPlayer({ videoId }) {
const { track } = useContentAnalytics(analyticsConfig);
const handlePlay = () => {
track("video-play", {
videoId,
duration: 120,
autoplay: false,
});
};
const handleComplete = () => {
track("video-complete", {
videoId,
watchPercentage: 100,
});
};
return (
<video onPlay={handlePlay} onEnded={handleComplete}>
{/* Video sources */}
</video>
);
}
E-commerce Product View Tracking
"use client";
import { useEffect } from "react";
import { useContentAnalytics } from "@dotcms/analytics/react";
import { analyticsConfig } from "@/config/analytics.config";
function ProductPage({ product }) {
const { track } = useContentAnalytics(analyticsConfig);
useEffect(() => {
track("product-view", {
productId: product.sku,
productName: product.title,
category: product.category,
price: product.price,
inStock: product.inventory > 0,
});
}, [product]);
return <div>{/* Product details */}</div>;
}
Conversion Tracking (E-commerce Purchase)
"use client";
import { useContentAnalytics } from "@dotcms/analytics/react";
import { analyticsConfig } from "@/config/analytics.config";
function CheckoutButton({ product, quantity }) {
const { conversion } = useContentAnalytics(analyticsConfig);
const handlePurchase = () => {
conversion("purchase", {
value: product.price * quantity,
currency: "USD",
productId: product.sku,
productName: product.title,
quantity: quantity,
category: product.category,
});
};
return <button onClick={handlePurchase}>Complete Purchase</button>;
}
Conversion Tracking (Lead Generation)
"use client";
import { useContentAnalytics } from "@dotcms/analytics/react";
import { analyticsConfig } from "@/config/analytics.config";
function DownloadWhitepaper() {
const { conversion } = useContentAnalytics(analyticsConfig);
const handleDownload = () => {
conversion("download", {
fileType: "pdf",
fileName: "whitepaper-2024.pdf",
category: "lead-magnet",
});
};
return (
<button id="download-btn" onClick={handleDownload}>
Download Whitepaper
</button>
);
}
Configuration Options
Analytics Config Object
| Option | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|
siteAuth | string | Yes | - | Site authentication key from dotCMS Analytics |
server | string | Yes | - | Your dotCMS server URL |
debug | boolean | No | false | Enable verbose logging for debugging |
autoPageView | boolean | No | true (React) | Automatically track page views on route changes |
queue | QueueConfig | false | No | Default queue settings | Event batching configuration |
impressions | ImpressionConfig | boolean | No | false | Content impression tracking (disabled by default) |
clicks | boolean | No | false | Content click tracking with 300ms throttle (disabled by default) |
Queue Configuration
Controls how events are batched and sent:
| Option | Type | Default | Description |
|---|
eventBatchSize | number | 15 | Max events per batch - auto-sends when reached |
flushInterval | number | 5000 | Time in ms between flushes |
Disable Queuing (send immediately):
const analyticsConfig = {
siteAuth: "your_key",
server: "https://your-server.com",
queue: false,
};
Impression Tracking Configuration
Controls automatic tracking of content visibility:
| Option | Type | Default | Description |
|---|
visibilityThreshold | number | 0.5 | Min percentage visible (0.0 to 1.0) |
dwellMs | number | 750 | Min time visible in milliseconds |
maxNodes | number | 1000 | Max elements to track (performance limit) |
Enable with defaults:
const analyticsConfig = {
siteAuth: "your_key",
server: "https://your-server.com",
impressions: true,
};
Custom thresholds:
const analyticsConfig = {
siteAuth: "your_key",
server: "https://your-server.com",
impressions: {
visibilityThreshold: 0.7,
dwellMs: 1000,
maxNodes: 500,
},
};
How it works:
- ✅ Tracks contentlets marked with
dotcms-analytics-contentlet class and data-dot-analytics-* attributes
- ✅ Uses Intersection Observer API for high performance and battery efficiency
- ✅ Only fires when element is ≥50% visible for ≥750ms (configurable)
- ✅ Only tracks during active tab (respects page visibility)
- ✅ One impression per contentlet per session (no duplicates)
- ✅ Automatically disabled in dotCMS editor mode
Click Tracking Configuration
Controls automatic tracking of user interactions with content elements.
Enable click tracking:
const analyticsConfig = {
siteAuth: "your_key",
server: "https://your-server.com",
clicks: true,
};
How it works:
- ✅ Tracks clicks on
<a> and <button> elements within contentlets
- ✅ Contentlets must be marked with
dotcms-analytics-contentlet class and data-dot-analytics-* attributes
- ✅ Captures semantic attributes (
href, aria-label, data-*) and excludes CSS classes
- ✅ Throttles rapid clicks to prevent duplicate tracking (300ms fixed)
- ✅ Automatically disabled in dotCMS editor mode
Captured Data:
For each click, the SDK captures:
- Content Info:
identifier, inode, title, content_type
- Element Info:
text - Button/link text (truncated to 100 chars)
type - Element type (a or button)
id - Element ID (required by backend, empty string if not present)
class - Element CSS classes (required by backend, empty string if not present)
href - Link destination as written in HTML (e.g., /signup not http://..., only for <a>, empty string for buttons)
attributes - Additional useful attributes (see below)
- Position Info:
viewport_offset_pct - Position relative to viewport (0-100%)
dom_index - Element position in DOM
Attributes Object:
The attributes object captures additional semantic data:
✅ Included (semantic/analytics value):
data-* - Custom data attributes (e.g., data-category="primary-cta")
aria-* - Accessibility attributes
title, target - Standard HTML attributes
❌ Excluded (to avoid duplication):
class - Already captured as top-level property
id - Already captured as top-level property
href - Already captured as top-level property
data-dot-analytics-* - Internal SDK attributes
Adding Custom Analytics Metadata:
Use data-* attributes to enrich click tracking:
<a
href="/signup"
id="cta-signup"
data-category="primary-cta"
data-campaign="summer-sale"
aria-label="Sign up for free trial">
Start Free Trial →
</a>
<button
data-action="download"
data-file-type="pdf"
data-category="lead-magnet">
Download Whitepaper
</button>
Complete Configuration Example:
export const analyticsConfig = {
siteAuth: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_SITE_KEY,
server: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_HOST,
autoPageView: true,
debug: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_DEBUG === "true",
queue: {
eventBatchSize: 15,
flushInterval: 5000,
},
impressions: {
visibilityThreshold: 0.5,
dwellMs: 750,
maxNodes: 1000,
},
clicks: true,
};
Data Captured Automatically
The SDK automatically enriches events with:
Page View Events
- Page Data: URL, title, referrer, path, protocol, search params, hash
- Device Data: Screen resolution, viewport size, language, user agent
- UTM Parameters: Campaign tracking (source, medium, campaign, term, content)
- Context: Site key, session ID, user ID, timestamp
Custom Events
- Context: Site key, session ID, user ID
- Device Data: Screen resolution, language, viewport dimensions
- Custom Properties: Any data you pass to
track()
Session Management
- Duration: 30-minute timeout of inactivity
- Reset Conditions:
- At midnight UTC
- When UTM campaign changes
- Storage: Uses
dot_analytics_session_id in localStorage
Identity Tracking
- Anonymous User ID: Persisted across sessions
- Storage Key:
dot_analytics_user_id
- Behavior: Generated automatically on first visit, reused on subsequent visits
Testing & Debugging
Enable Debug Mode
Set debug: true in config to see verbose logging:
const analyticsConfig = {
siteAuth: "your_key",
server: "https://your-server.com",
debug: true,
};
Verify Events in Network Tab
- Open browser DevTools � Network tab
- Filter by:
/api/v1/analytics/content/event
- Perform actions in your app
- Check request payloads to see captured data
Check Storage
Open browser DevTools � Application � Local Storage:
dot_analytics_user_id - Anonymous user identifier
dot_analytics_session_id - Current session ID
dot_analytics_session_utm - UTM campaign data
dot_analytics_session_start - Session start timestamp
Troubleshooting
Events Not Appearing
-
Verify Configuration:
- Check
siteAuth and server are correct
- Enable
debug: true to see console logs
-
Check Network Requests:
- Look for requests to
/api/v1/analytics/content/event
- Verify they're returning 200 status
-
Editor Mode Detection:
- Analytics are automatically disabled inside dotCMS editor
- Test in preview or published mode
-
Environment Variables:
- Ensure
.env.local is loaded (restart dev server if needed)
- Verify variable names start with
NEXT_PUBLIC_
Queue Not Flushing
- Check
eventBatchSize - might not be reaching threshold
- Verify
flushInterval is appropriate for your use case
- Events auto-flush on page navigation/close via
visibilitychange
Session Not Persisting
- Check localStorage is enabled in browser
- Verify no browser extensions are blocking storage
- Check console for storage-related errors
Config File Issues
-
Import Path Not Found:
-
Undefined Config Values:
- Verify environment variables are set in
.env.local
- Restart dev server after changing
.env.local
- Check variable names start with
NEXT_PUBLIC_
-
Config Not Updated:
- Clear Next.js cache:
rm -rf .next
- Restart dev server:
npm run dev
Integration with Existing Next.js Example
The Next.js example at /core/examples/nextjs already uses other dotCMS SDK packages:
@dotcms/client - Core API client
@dotcms/experiments - A/B testing
@dotcms/react - React components
@dotcms/types - TypeScript types
@dotcms/uve - Universal Visual Editor
Adding analytics complements these by providing:
- Usage tracking across all content types
- User behavior insights
- Campaign performance metrics
- Content engagement analytics
API Reference
Component: DotContentAnalytics
interface AnalyticsConfig {
siteAuth: string;
server: string;
debug?: boolean;
autoPageView?: boolean;
queue?: QueueConfig | false;
}
interface QueueConfig {
eventBatchSize?: number;
flushInterval?: number;
}
<DotContentAnalytics config={analyticsConfig} />;
Hook: useContentAnalytics
interface ContentAnalyticsHook {
pageView: (customData?: Record<string, unknown>) => void;
track: (eventName: string, properties?: Record<string, unknown>) => void;
conversion: (name: string, options?: Record<string, unknown>) => void;
}
import { analyticsConfig } from "@/config/analytics.config";
const { pageView, track, conversion } = useContentAnalytics(analyticsConfig);
CRITICAL: The hook ALWAYS requires config as a parameter. There is no provider pattern for the hook - <DotContentAnalytics /> is only for auto pageview tracking and does NOT provide context to child components.
Always import and pass the centralized config from /config/analytics.config.js to ensure consistency.
Methods
pageView(customData?)
Track a page view with optional custom data. Automatically captures page, device, UTM, and context data.
Parameters:
customData (optional): Object with custom properties to attach
Example:
pageView({
contentType: "product",
category: "electronics",
});
track(eventName, properties?)
Track a custom event with optional properties.
Parameters:
eventName (required): String identifier for the event (cannot be "pageview" or "conversion")
properties (optional): Object with event-specific data
Example:
track("button-click", {
label: "Subscribe",
location: "sidebar",
});
conversion(name, options?)
Track a conversion event (purchase, download, sign-up, etc.) with optional metadata.
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Conversion events are business events that should only be tracked after a successful action or completed goal. Tracking conversions on clicks or attempts (before success) diminishes their value as conversion metrics. Only track conversions when:
- ✅ Purchase is completed and payment is confirmed
- ✅ Download is successfully completed
- ✅ Sign-up form is submitted and account is created
- ✅ Form submission is successful and data is saved
- ✅ Any business goal is actually achieved
Parameters:
name (required): String identifier for the conversion (e.g., "purchase", "download", "signup")
options (optional): Object with conversion metadata (all properties go into custom object)
Examples:
conversion("download");
conversion("purchase", {
value: 99.99,
currency: "USD",
productId: "SKU-12345",
});
conversion("signup", {
source: "homepage",
plan: "premium",
});
Best Practices
-
Centralize Configuration: Create a dedicated config file (/config/analytics.config.js) for all analytics settings
export const analyticsConfig = {
siteAuth: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_SITE_KEY,
server: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_HOST,
debug: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_DEBUG === "true",
autoPageView: true,
};
const config = { siteAuth: "...", server: "..." };
const config = { siteAuth: "...", server: "..." };
-
Always Import and Pass Config: The hook requires config as a parameter
import { analyticsConfig } from "@/config/analytics.config";
const { track } = useContentAnalytics(analyticsConfig);
const { track } = useContentAnalytics({
siteAuth: "...",
server: "...",
});
-
Use DotContentAnalytics for Auto PageViews: Add to layout for automatic tracking
import { analyticsConfig } from "@/config/analytics.config";
<DotContentAnalytics config={analyticsConfig} />;
-
Environment Variables: Always use environment variables for sensitive config (siteAuth)
-
Event Naming: Use consistent, descriptive event names (e.g., cta-click, not just click)
-
Custom Data: Include relevant context in event properties
-
Queue Configuration: Use default queue settings unless you have specific performance needs
-
Debug Mode: Enable only in development, disable in production
-
Auto Page Views: Keep enabled for SPAs (Next.js) to track route changes
Related Resources
- Analytics SDK README:
/core/core-web/libs/sdk/analytics/README.md
- Package Location:
/core/core-web/libs/sdk/analytics/
- Next.js Example:
/core/examples/nextjs/
Quick Command Reference
cd /core/examples/nextjs
npm install @dotcms/analytics
npm run dev
npm run build
npm run start
npm list @dotcms/analytics