19 KiB
PostHog React with TanStack Router (code-based) Example Project
Repository: https://github.com/PostHog/context-mill Path: basics/react-tanstack-router-code-based
README.md
PostHog TanStack Router Example (Code-Based Routing)
This is a React and TanStack Router example demonstrating PostHog integration with product analytics, session replay, and error tracking. This example uses code-based routing where routes are defined programmatically.
Features
- Product analytics: Track user events and behaviors
- Session replay: Record and replay user sessions
- Error tracking: Capture and track errors
- User authentication: Demo login system with PostHog user identification
- Client-side tracking: Pure client-side React implementation
- Reverse proxy: PostHog ingestion through Vite proxy
Getting started
1. Install dependencies
npm install
2. Configure environment variables
Create a .env file in the root directory:
VITE_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_KEY=your_posthog_project_api_key
VITE_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_HOST=https://us.i.posthog.com
Get your PostHog API key from your PostHog project settings.
3. Run the development server
npm run dev
Open http://localhost:3000 with your browser to see the app.
Project structure
src/
├── contexts/
│ └── AuthContext.tsx # Authentication context with PostHog integration
├── main.tsx # App entry point with all routes defined in code
├── reportWebVitals.ts # Performance monitoring
└── styles.css # Global styles
Key integration points
PostHog provider setup (main.tsx)
PostHog is initialized using PostHogProvider from @posthog/react. The provider wraps the entire app in the root route component:
import { PostHogProvider } from '@posthog/react'
import { createRootRoute } from '@tanstack/react-router'
const rootRoute = createRootRoute({
component: RootComponent,
})
function RootComponent() {
return (
<PostHogProvider
apiKey={import.meta.env.VITE_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_KEY!}
options={{
api_host: '/ingest',
ui_host: import.meta.env.VITE_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_HOST || 'https://us.posthog.com',
defaults: '2026-01-30',
capture_exceptions: true,
debug: import.meta.env.DEV,
}}
>
{/* your app */}
</PostHogProvider>
)
}
User identification (contexts/AuthContext.tsx)
import { usePostHog } from '@posthog/react'
const posthog = usePostHog()
posthog.identify(username, {
username: username,
})
Event tracking (main.tsx - BurritoPage)
import { usePostHog } from '@posthog/react'
const posthog = usePostHog()
posthog.capture('burrito_considered', {
total_considerations: count,
username: username,
})
Error tracking (main.tsx - ProfilePage)
posthog.captureException(error)
TanStack Router details
This example uses TanStack Router with code-based routing. Key details:
- Client-side only: No server-side logic, no API routes, no posthog-node
- Code-based routing: All routes defined in
main.tsxusingcreateRoute()andcreateRootRoute() - Manual route tree: Routes connected with
addChildren()method - Standard hooks: Uses
useNavigate()from @tanstack/react-router - Vite proxy: Uses Vite's proxy config for PostHog calls
- Environment variables: Uses
import.meta.env.VITE_* - PostHog provider: Uses
PostHogProviderfrom@posthog/reactin root route
Code-based vs File-based routing
This example demonstrates code-based routing, where routes are defined programmatically:
import { createRoute, createRootRoute, createRouter } from '@tanstack/react-router'
const rootRoute = createRootRoute({ component: RootComponent })
const indexRoute = createRoute({
getParentRoute: () => rootRoute,
path: '/',
component: Home,
})
const burritoRoute = createRoute({
getParentRoute: () => rootRoute,
path: '/burrito',
component: BurritoPage,
})
const routeTree = rootRoute.addChildren([indexRoute, burritoRoute])
const router = createRouter({ routeTree })
For file-based routing (auto-generated from file structure), see the react-tanstack-router-file-based example.
Learn more
- PostHog Documentation
- TanStack Router Documentation
- TanStack Router Code-Based Routing
- PostHog React Integration Guide
.env.example
VITE_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_KEY=<ph_project_api_key>
VITE_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_HOST=<ph_client_api_host>
.prettierignore
package-lock.json
pnpm-lock.yaml
yarn.lock
index.html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
<link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico" />
<meta name="theme-color" content="#000000" />
<meta
name="description"
content="React TanStack Router code-based routing example"
/>
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/logo192.png" />
<link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.json" />
<title>React TanStack Router - Code-Based</title>
</head>
<body>
<div id="app"></div>
<script type="module" src="/src/main.tsx"></script>
</body>
</html>
prettier.config.js
// @ts-check
/** @type {import('prettier').Config} */
const config = {
semi: false,
singleQuote: true,
trailingComma: "all",
};
export default config;
public/robots.txt
# https://www.robotstxt.org/robotstxt.html
User-agent: *
Disallow:
src/contexts/AuthContext.tsx
import { createContext, useContext, useState, type ReactNode } from 'react';
import { usePostHog } from '@posthog/react';
interface User {
username: string;
burritoConsiderations: number;
}
interface AuthContextType {
user: User | null;
login: (username: string, password: string) => Promise<boolean>;
logout: () => void;
incrementBurritoConsiderations: () => void;
}
const AuthContext = createContext<AuthContextType | undefined>(undefined);
const users: Map<string, User> = new Map();
export function AuthProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
// Use lazy initializer to read from localStorage only once on mount
const [user, setUser] = useState<User | null>(() => {
if (typeof window === 'undefined') return null;
const storedUsername = localStorage.getItem('currentUser');
if (storedUsername) {
const existingUser = users.get(storedUsername);
if (existingUser) {
return existingUser;
}
}
return null;
});
const posthog = usePostHog();
const login = async (username: string, password: string): Promise<boolean> => {
if (!username || !password) {
return false;
}
// Get or create user in local map
let user = users.get(username);
const isNewUser = !user;
if (!user) {
user = { username, burritoConsiderations: 0 };
users.set(username, user);
}
setUser(user);
localStorage.setItem('currentUser', username);
// Identify user in PostHog using username as distinct ID
posthog.identify(username, {
username: username,
isNewUser: isNewUser,
});
// Capture login event
posthog.capture('user_logged_in', {
username: username,
isNewUser: isNewUser,
});
return true;
};
const logout = () => {
// Capture logout event before resetting
posthog.capture('user_logged_out');
posthog.reset();
setUser(null);
localStorage.removeItem('currentUser');
};
const incrementBurritoConsiderations = () => {
if (user) {
user.burritoConsiderations++;
users.set(user.username, user);
setUser({ ...user });
}
};
return (
<AuthContext.Provider value={{ user, login, logout, incrementBurritoConsiderations }}>
{children}
</AuthContext.Provider>
);
}
export function useAuth() {
const context = useContext(AuthContext);
if (context === undefined) {
throw new Error('useAuth must be used within an AuthProvider');
}
return context;
}
src/main.tsx
import { StrictMode, useState } from 'react'
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom/client'
import {
Link,
Outlet,
RouterProvider,
createRootRoute,
createRoute,
createRouter,
useNavigate,
} from '@tanstack/react-router'
import { TanStackRouterDevtoolsPanel } from '@tanstack/react-router-devtools'
import { TanStackDevtools } from '@tanstack/react-devtools'
import { PostHogProvider, usePostHog } from '@posthog/react'
import { AuthProvider, useAuth } from './contexts/AuthContext'
import './styles.css'
import reportWebVitals from './reportWebVitals'
// ============================================================================
// Root Route
// ============================================================================
const rootRoute = createRootRoute({
component: RootComponent,
})
function RootComponent() {
return (
<PostHogProvider
apiKey={import.meta.env.VITE_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_KEY!}
options={{
api_host: '/ingest',
ui_host:
import.meta.env.VITE_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_HOST || 'https://us.posthog.com',
defaults: '2026-01-30',
capture_exceptions: true,
debug: import.meta.env.DEV,
}}
>
<AuthProvider>
<Header />
<main>
<Outlet />
</main>
<TanStackDevtools
config={{
position: 'bottom-right',
}}
plugins={[
{
name: 'Tanstack Router',
render: <TanStackRouterDevtoolsPanel />,
},
]}
/>
</AuthProvider>
</PostHogProvider>
)
}
// ============================================================================
// Header Component
// ============================================================================
function Header() {
const { user, logout } = useAuth()
return (
<header className="header">
<div className="header-container">
<nav>
<Link to="/">Home</Link>
{user && (
<>
<Link to="/burrito">Burrito Consideration</Link>
<Link to="/profile">Profile</Link>
</>
)}
</nav>
<div className="user-section">
{user ? (
<>
<span>Welcome, {user.username}!</span>
<button onClick={logout} className="btn-logout">
Logout
</button>
</>
) : (
<span>Not logged in</span>
)}
</div>
</div>
</header>
)
}
// ============================================================================
// Index Route (Home Page)
// ============================================================================
const indexRoute = createRoute({
getParentRoute: () => rootRoute,
path: '/',
component: Home,
})
function Home() {
const { user, login } = useAuth()
const [username, setUsername] = useState('')
const [password, setPassword] = useState('')
const [error, setError] = useState('')
const handleSubmit = async (e: React.FormEvent) => {
e.preventDefault()
setError('')
try {
const success = await login(username, password)
if (success) {
setUsername('')
setPassword('')
} else {
setError('Please provide both username and password')
}
} catch (err) {
console.error('Login failed:', err)
setError('An error occurred during login')
}
}
if (user) {
return (
<div className="container">
<h1>Welcome back, {user.username}!</h1>
<p>You are now logged in. Feel free to explore:</p>
<ul>
<li>Consider the potential of burritos</li>
<li>View your profile and statistics</li>
</ul>
</div>
)
}
return (
<div className="container">
<h1>Welcome to Burrito Consideration App</h1>
<p>Please sign in to begin your burrito journey</p>
<form onSubmit={handleSubmit} className="form">
<div className="form-group">
<label htmlFor="username">Username:</label>
<input
type="text"
id="username"
value={username}
onChange={(e) => setUsername(e.target.value)}
placeholder="Enter any username"
/>
</div>
<div className="form-group">
<label htmlFor="password">Password:</label>
<input
type="password"
id="password"
value={password}
onChange={(e) => setPassword(e.target.value)}
placeholder="Enter any password"
/>
</div>
{error && <p className="error">{error}</p>}
<button type="submit" className="btn-primary">
Sign In
</button>
</form>
<p className="note">
Note: This is a demo app. Use any username and password to sign in.
</p>
</div>
)
}
// ============================================================================
// Burrito Route
// ============================================================================
const burritoRoute = createRoute({
getParentRoute: () => rootRoute,
path: '/burrito',
component: BurritoPage,
})
function BurritoPage() {
const { user, incrementBurritoConsiderations } = useAuth()
const navigate = useNavigate()
const posthog = usePostHog()
const [hasConsidered, setHasConsidered] = useState(false)
// Redirect to home if not logged in
if (!user) {
navigate({ to: '/' })
return null
}
const handleConsideration = () => {
incrementBurritoConsiderations()
setHasConsidered(true)
setTimeout(() => setHasConsidered(false), 2000)
// Capture burrito consideration event
console.log('posthog', posthog)
posthog.capture('burrito_considered', {
total_considerations: user.burritoConsiderations + 1,
username: user.username,
})
}
return (
<div className="container">
<h1>Burrito consideration zone</h1>
<p>Take a moment to truly consider the potential of burritos.</p>
<div style={{ textAlign: 'center' }}>
<button onClick={handleConsideration} className="btn-burrito">
I have considered the burrito potential
</button>
{hasConsidered && (
<p className="success">
Thank you for your consideration! Count: {user.burritoConsiderations}
</p>
)}
</div>
<div className="stats">
<h3>Consideration stats</h3>
<p>Total considerations: {user.burritoConsiderations}</p>
</div>
</div>
)
}
// ============================================================================
// Profile Route
// ============================================================================
const profileRoute = createRoute({
getParentRoute: () => rootRoute,
path: '/profile',
component: ProfilePage,
})
function ProfilePage() {
const { user } = useAuth()
const navigate = useNavigate()
const posthog = usePostHog()
// Redirect to home if not logged in
if (!user) {
navigate({ to: '/' })
return null
}
const triggerTestError = () => {
try {
throw new Error('Test error for PostHog error tracking')
} catch (err) {
posthog.captureException(err)
console.error('Captured error:', err)
alert('Error captured and sent to PostHog!')
}
}
return (
<div className="container">
<h1>User Profile</h1>
<div className="stats">
<h2>Your Information</h2>
<p>
<strong>Username:</strong> {user.username}
</p>
<p>
<strong>Burrito Considerations:</strong> {user.burritoConsiderations}
</p>
</div>
<div style={{ marginTop: '2rem' }}>
<button
onClick={triggerTestError}
className="btn-primary"
style={{ backgroundColor: '#dc3545' }}
>
Trigger Test Error (for PostHog)
</button>
</div>
<div style={{ marginTop: '2rem' }}>
<h3>Your Burrito Journey</h3>
{user.burritoConsiderations === 0 ? (
<p>
You haven't considered any burritos yet. Visit the Burrito
Consideration page to start!
</p>
) : user.burritoConsiderations === 1 ? (
<p>You've considered the burrito potential once. Keep going!</p>
) : user.burritoConsiderations < 5 ? (
<p>You're getting the hang of burrito consideration!</p>
) : user.burritoConsiderations < 10 ? (
<p>You're becoming a burrito consideration expert!</p>
) : (
<p>You are a true burrito consideration master!</p>
)}
</div>
</div>
)
}
// ============================================================================
// Route Tree & Router Setup
// ============================================================================
const routeTree = rootRoute.addChildren([indexRoute, burritoRoute, profileRoute])
const router = createRouter({
routeTree,
context: {},
defaultPreload: 'intent',
scrollRestoration: true,
defaultStructuralSharing: true,
defaultPreloadStaleTime: 0,
})
// Register the router instance for type safety
declare module '@tanstack/react-router' {
interface Register {
router: typeof router
}
}
// ============================================================================
// Render the App
// ============================================================================
const rootElement = document.getElementById('app')
if (rootElement && !rootElement.innerHTML) {
const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(rootElement)
root.render(
<StrictMode>
<RouterProvider router={router} />
</StrictMode>,
)
}
// If you want to start measuring performance in your app, pass a function
// to log results (for example: reportWebVitals(console.log))
// or send to an analytics endpoint. Learn more: https://bit.ly/CRA-vitals
reportWebVitals()
src/reportWebVitals.ts
const reportWebVitals = (onPerfEntry?: () => void) => {
if (onPerfEntry && onPerfEntry instanceof Function) {
import('web-vitals').then(({ onCLS, onINP, onFCP, onLCP, onTTFB }) => {
onCLS(onPerfEntry)
onINP(onPerfEntry)
onFCP(onPerfEntry)
onLCP(onPerfEntry)
onTTFB(onPerfEntry)
})
}
}
export default reportWebVitals
vite.config.ts
import { defineConfig, loadEnv } from 'vite'
import viteReact from '@vitejs/plugin-react'
import tailwindcss from '@tailwindcss/vite'
import { fileURLToPath, URL } from 'node:url'
// https://vitejs.dev/config/
export default defineConfig(({ mode }) => {
const env = loadEnv(mode, process.cwd(), '')
return {
plugins: [viteReact(), tailwindcss()],
resolve: {
alias: {
'@': fileURLToPath(new URL('./src', import.meta.url)),
},
},
server: {
proxy: {
'/ingest': {
target: env.VITE_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_HOST || 'https://us.i.posthog.com',
changeOrigin: true,
rewrite: (path) => path.replace(/^\/ingest/, ''),
},
},
},
}
})