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SDK: @dotcms/analytics Library

Beta Feature

Content Analytics SDK for tracking content-aware events in dotCMS-powered React applications.

Quick Start #

1. Install #

npm install @dotcms/analytics

2. Create a centralized config file #

// 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',
    impressions: true,
    clicks: true
};

3. Add automatic page view tracking to your layout #

// src/app/layout.js
import { DotContentAnalytics } from '@dotcms/analytics/react';
import { analyticsConfig } from '@/config/analytics.config';

export default function RootLayout({ children }) {
    return (
        <html lang="en">
            <body>
                <DotContentAnalytics config={analyticsConfig} />
                {children}
            </body>
        </html>
    );
}

4. Track events in your components #

'use client';

import { useContentAnalytics } from '@dotcms/analytics/react';
import { analyticsConfig } from '@/config/analytics.config';

function ContactForm() {
    const { conversion } = useContentAnalytics(analyticsConfig);

    const handleSubmit = (e) => {
        e.preventDefault();
        // ... submit form logic ...

        // Track conversion ONLY after successful submission
        conversion('form-submit', {
            formName: 'contact-us',
            formType: 'lead-gen'
        });
    };

    return <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>{/* form fields */}</form>;
}

Understanding the Components #

The SDK exports two React primitives. Understanding their roles is critical for correct usage.

`<DotContentAnalytics />` -- Automatic Page View Tracker #

Its only purpose is to automatically track page views on route changes
It is NOT a React Context Provider
It does NOT share config with child components
Place it once in your root layout

`useContentAnalytics(config)` -- Manual Tracking Hook #

Used for custom events, conversions, and manual page views
ALWAYS requires config as a parameter -- it does not read from context
Import the centralized config in every component that uses the hook

// Every component that tracks events must import config explicitly
import { useContentAnalytics } from '@dotcms/analytics/react';
import { analyticsConfig } from '@/config/analytics.config';

const { track, pageView, conversion } = useContentAnalytics(analyticsConfig);

Why centralize config? You must import it in each component, but having a single file prevents duplication and makes updates easier.

Configuration #

Environment Variables #

Add these to your .env.local file:

NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_SITE_KEY=YOUR_ANALYTICS_SITE_KEY
NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_HOST=http://localhost:8080
NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_DEBUG=true

Variable	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_SITE_KEY`	Site auth key from the Content Analytics app in dotCMS
`NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_HOST`	URL where your dotCMS instance is running
`NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_DEBUG`	Set to `"true"` to enable verbose console logging

Config Options #

Option	Type	Required	Default	Description
`siteAuth`	`string`	Yes	--	Site auth from dotCMS Analytics app
`server`	`string`	Yes	--	Your dotCMS server URL
`debug`	`boolean`	No	`false`	Enable verbose logging
`autoPageView`	`boolean`	No	`true`	Auto track page views on route changes
`queue`	`QueueConfig \| false`	No	See below	Event batching configuration
`impressions`	`ImpressionConfig \| boolean`	No	`false`	Content impression tracking
`clicks`	`boolean`	No	`false`	Content click tracking (300ms throttle)

Queue Configuration #

Controls how events are batched before being sent to the server:

false: Disable queuing, send events immediately
undefined (default): Enable queuing with default settings
QueueConfig object: Custom settings

Option	Type	Default	Description
`eventBatchSize`	`number`	`15`	Max events per batch -- auto-sends when reached
`flushInterval`	`number`	`5000`	Time between flushes in milliseconds

How it works:

Sends immediately when eventBatchSize is reached
Sends pending events every flushInterval milliseconds
Auto-flushes on page navigation/close using visibilitychange + pagehide
Uses navigator.sendBeacon() for reliable delivery on page unload

// Disable queuing (send immediately)
export const analyticsConfig = {
    siteAuth: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_SITE_KEY,
    server: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_HOST,
    queue: false
};

// Custom queue settings
export const analyticsConfig = {
    siteAuth: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_SITE_KEY,
    server: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_DOTCMS_ANALYTICS_HOST,
    queue: {
        eventBatchSize: 10,
        flushInterval: 3000
    }
};

Impression Tracking #

Controls automatic tracking of content visibility in the viewport:

false or undefined (default): Disabled
true: Enabled with default settings
ImpressionConfig object: Custom settings

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)

How it works:

Tracks contentlets marked with dotcms-contentlet class and data-dot-* attributes
Uses Intersection Observer API for performance
Only fires when an element is visible for the configured threshold and dwell time
One impression per contentlet per session (no duplicates)
Automatically disabled in dotCMS editor mode

// Enable with defaults (50% visible, 750ms dwell)
export const analyticsConfig = {
    // ...required fields
    impressions: true
};

// Custom thresholds
export const analyticsConfig = {
    // ...required fields
    impressions: {
        visibilityThreshold: 0.7,
        dwellMs: 1000,
        maxNodes: 500
    }
};

Click Tracking #

Controls automatic tracking of user clicks on content elements:

false or undefined (default): Disabled
true: Enabled with 300ms throttle

How it works:

Tracks clicks on <a> and <button> elements within contentlets
Contentlets must be marked with dotcms-contentlet class and data-dot-* attributes
Captures semantic attributes (href, aria-label, data-*) and excludes CSS classes
Throttles rapid clicks to prevent duplicates (300ms)
Automatically disabled in dotCMS editor mode

Captured data per click:

Content Info: identifier, inode, title, content_type
Element Info: text, type (a/button), id, class, href, attributes
Position Info: viewport_offset_pct, dom_index

You can enrich click data using data-* attributes in your HTML:

<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>

Core Concepts #

Event Types #

The SDK sends four types of events, identified by event_type:

Event Type	Trigger	Requires
`pageview`	Automatically on route change, or manually via `pageView()`	`autoPageView: true` or manual call
`content_impression`	When a contentlet becomes visible in the viewport	`impressions` config enabled
`content_click`	When a user clicks a link/button inside a contentlet	`clicks` config enabled
`conversion`	Explicitly via `conversion()` after a successful business action	Manual call

Page Views #

The pageView() method tracks page navigation events. It automatically enriches the event with:

Page data: URL, title, referrer, path, protocol, search params
Device data: Screen resolution, viewport size, language, user agent
UTM parameters: Campaign tracking data (source, medium, campaign, term, content)
Context: Site key, session ID, user ID, timestamp

You can optionally pass custom data that will be sent in addition to all the automatic enrichment.

Conversion Tracking #

The conversion() method tracks user conversions (purchases, downloads, sign-ups, etc.).

Only track conversions after a successful action or completed goal. Tracking on clicks or attempts (before success) diminishes their value as conversion metrics. Track when:

Purchase is completed and payment is confirmed
Download is successfully completed
Sign-up form is submitted and account is created
Any business goal is actually achieved

Custom Events #

The track() method tracks any custom user action with a unique event name and optional properties.

eventName cannot be "pageview" or "conversion" (reserved)
Use descriptive names: "button-click", "form-submit", "video-play", etc.

Sessions #

30-minute inactivity timeout
Resets at midnight UTC
New session if UTM campaign changes

Identity #

Anonymous user ID persisted across sessions
Stored in dot_analytics_user_id

Usage Examples #

Automatic Page View Tracking #

Add DotContentAnalytics to your root layout. No additional code is needed -- page views are tracked on every route change.

// src/app/layout.js
import { DotContentAnalytics } from '@dotcms/analytics/react';
import { analyticsConfig } from '@/config/analytics.config';

export default function RootLayout({ children }) {
    return (
        <html lang="en">
            <body>
                <DotContentAnalytics config={analyticsConfig} />
                {children}
            </body>
        </html>
    );
}

Manual Page View with Custom Data #

'use client';

import { useEffect } from 'react';
import { useContentAnalytics } from '@dotcms/analytics/react';
import { analyticsConfig } from '@/config/analytics.config';

function BlogPost({ post }) {
    const { pageView } = useContentAnalytics(analyticsConfig);

    useEffect(() => {
        pageView({
            contentType: 'blog',
            category: post.category,
            author: post.author,
            wordCount: post.wordCount
        });
    }, []);

    return <article>{/* post content */}</article>;
}

Custom Event Tracking #

'use client';

import { useContentAnalytics } from '@dotcms/analytics/react';
import { analyticsConfig } from '@/config/analytics.config';

function CallToAction() {
    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>;
}

Conversion Tracking (Real-World Example)#

This example is based on the Contact Us form in the Next.js example app:

'use client';

import { useState } from 'react';
import { useContentAnalytics } from '@dotcms/analytics/react';
import { analyticsConfig } from '@/config/analytics.config';

export default function ContactUs({ description }) {
    const [isSubmitting, setIsSubmitting] = useState(false);
    const [isSuccess, setIsSuccess] = useState(false);
    const { conversion } = useContentAnalytics(analyticsConfig);

    const handleSubmit = (e) => {
        e.preventDefault();
        setIsSubmitting(true);

        // Simulate form submission
        setTimeout(() => {
            setIsSuccess(true);

            // Track conversion ONLY after successful submission
            conversion('form-submit', {
                formName: 'contact-us',
                formType: 'lead-gen'
            });
        }, 3000);
    };

    return (
        <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
            {/* form fields */}
            <button type="submit" disabled={isSubmitting}>
                {isSubmitting ? 'Submitting...' : 'Submit'}
            </button>
        </form>
    );
}

E-commerce Purchase Conversion #

'use client';

import { useContentAnalytics } from '@dotcms/analytics/react';
import { analyticsConfig } from '@/config/analytics.config';

function CheckoutButton({ product, quantity }) {
    const { conversion } = useContentAnalytics(analyticsConfig);

    const handlePurchase = async () => {
        // Process payment...
        const result = await processPayment(product, quantity);

        if (result.success) {
            // Track conversion ONLY after confirmed payment
            conversion('purchase', {
                value: product.price * quantity,
                currency: 'USD',
                productId: product.sku,
                category: product.category
            });
        }
    };

    return <button onClick={handlePurchase}>Complete Purchase</button>;
}

API Reference #

`<DotContentAnalytics />`#

React component for automatic page view tracking on route changes.

interface DotContentAnalyticsProps {
    config: DotCMSAnalyticsConfig;
}

Place once in your root layout. Wraps the internal tracker in <Suspense> for Next.js App Router compatibility.

`useContentAnalytics(config)`#

React hook that returns tracking methods. Always requires config as a parameter.

function useContentAnalytics(config: DotCMSAnalyticsConfig): DotCMSAnalytics;

interface DotCMSAnalytics {
    /** Track a page view with optional custom data */
    pageView: (customData?: Record<string, unknown>) => void;

    /** Track a custom event (eventName cannot be "pageview" or "conversion") */
    track: (eventName: string, properties?: Record<string, unknown>) => void;

    /** Track a conversion after a successful business action */
    conversion: (name: string, options?: Record<string, unknown>) => void;
}

`DotCMSAnalyticsConfig`#

interface DotCMSAnalyticsConfig {
    server: string;
    siteAuth: string;
    debug?: boolean;
    autoPageView?: boolean;
    queue?: QueueConfig | false;
    impressions?: ImpressionConfig | boolean;
    clicks?: boolean;
}

interface QueueConfig {
    eventBatchSize?: number;
    flushInterval?: number;
}

interface ImpressionConfig {
    visibilityThreshold?: number;
    dwellMs?: number;
    maxNodes?: number;
}

Event Payload Structures #

Page View Event #

When you call pageView(customData?), the SDK sends:

{
    context: {
        site_key: string;          // Your site key
        session_id: string;        // Current session ID
        user_id: string;           // Anonymous user ID
        device: {
            screen_resolution: string;
            language: string;
            viewport_width: string;
            viewport_height: string;
        }
    },
    events: [{
        event_type: "pageview",
        local_time: string,        // ISO 8601 timestamp with timezone
        data: {
            page: {                // Captured automatically
                url: string;
                title: string;
                referrer: string;
                path: string;
                doc_host: string;
                doc_protocol: string;
                doc_search: string;
                doc_hash: string;
                doc_encoding: string;
            },
            utm?: {                // Captured automatically (if present in URL)
                source: string;
                medium: string;
                campaign: string;
                term: string;
                content: string;
            },
            custom?: {             // Your optional data from pageView(customData)
                // Any properties you pass
            }
        }
    }]
}

Custom Event #

When you call track(eventName, properties):

{
    context: { /* same as above */ },
    events: [{
        event_type: string,        // Your custom event name
        local_time: string,
        data: {
            custom: {
                // Your properties object
            }
        }
    }]
}

Conversion Event #

When you call conversion(name, options):

{
    context: { /* same as above */ },
    events: [{
        event_type: "conversion",
        local_time: string,
        data: {
            conversion: {
                name: string;      // Your conversion name
            },
            page: {
                url: string;
                title: string;
            },
            custom?: {             // Your optional data from options parameter
                // All properties from options
            }
        }
    }]
}

Click Event #

When click tracking is enabled and a user clicks on a contentlet element:

{
    "content": {
        "identifier": "abc123",
        "inode": "xyz789",
        "title": "Product Page",
        "content_type": "Page"
    },
    "element": {
        "text": "Start Free Trial",
        "type": "a",
        "id": "cta-signup",
        "class": "btn btn-primary",
        "href": "/signup",
        "attributes": [
            "data-category:primary-cta",
            "data-campaign:summer-sale",
            "aria-label:Sign up for free trial"
        ]
    },
    "position": {
        "viewport_offset_pct": 45.2,
        "dom_index": 2
    }
}

Under the Hood #

Storage Keys #

Key	Purpose
`dot_analytics_user_id`	Anonymous user identifier (persisted across sessions)
`dot_analytics_session_id`	Current session ID
`dot_analytics_session_utm`	UTM campaign data for the session
`dot_analytics_session_start`	Session start timestamp

Editor Detection #

Analytics are automatically disabled when inside the dotCMS Universal Visual Editor (UVE). No events are sent in editor mode.

Endpoint #

All events are sent via POST to:

{server}/api/v1/analytics/content/event

Where {server} is the server value from your config.

Debugging & Troubleshooting #

Enable Debug Mode #

Set debug: true in your config to see verbose logging in the browser console.

Verify Events in the Network Tab #

Open browser DevTools > Network tab
Filter by /api/v1/analytics/content/event
Perform actions in your app
Inspect request payloads to see captured data

Check Storage #

Open browser DevTools > Application > Local Storage and look for:

dot_analytics_user_id
dot_analytics_session_id
dot_analytics_session_utm
dot_analytics_session_start

Common Issues #

Events not appearing?

Verify siteAuth and server are correct in your config
Enable debug: true to see console logs
Ensure environment variables are set in .env.local (restart dev server after changes)
Check that variable names start with NEXT_PUBLIC_
Analytics are auto-disabled in dotCMS editor mode -- test in preview or published mode

Queue not flushing?

Check eventBatchSize -- the threshold might not be reached yet
Verify flushInterval is appropriate for your use case
Events auto-flush on page navigation/close via visibilitychange

Session not persisting?

Check that localStorage is enabled in the browser
Verify no browser extensions are blocking storage

Support #

We offer multiple channels to get help with the dotCMS Analytics SDK:

GitHub Issues: For bug reports and feature requests, please open an issue in the GitHub repository.
Community Forum: Join our community discussions to ask questions and share solutions.
Stack Overflow: Use the tag dotcms-analytics when posting questions.
Enterprise Support: Enterprise customers can access premium support through the dotCMS Support Portal.

When reporting issues, please include:

SDK version you're using
Framework/library version (if applicable)
Minimal reproduction steps
Expected vs. actual behavior

Contributing #

GitHub pull requests are the preferred method to contribute code to dotCMS. We welcome contributions to the dotCMS Analytics SDK! If you'd like to contribute, please follow these steps:

Fork the repository dotCMS/core
Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
Open a Pull Request

Please ensure your code follows the existing style and includes appropriate tests.

dotCMS comes in multiple editions and as such is dual-licensed. The dotCMS Community Edition is licensed under the GPL 3.0 and is freely available for download, customization, and deployment for use within organizations of all stripes. dotCMS Enterprise Editions (EE) adds several enterprise features and is available via a supported, indemnified commercial license from dotCMS. For the differences between the editions, see the feature page.

This SDK is part of dotCMS's dual-licensed platform (GPL 3.0 for Community, commercial license for Enterprise).

Learn more at dotcms.com.

Source: core-web/libs/sdk/analytics/README.md

Branch: main

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