Add app version to analytics events

apps/x/ANALYTICS.md

@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 
 ## Event catalog
 
+All PostHog events include `app_version` automatically. Main-process events add it in `packages/core/src/analytics/posthog.ts`; renderer events get it from the `analytics:bootstrap` IPC payload and an initialization-time `before_send` hook.
+
 ### `llm_usage`
 
 Emitted whenever ai-sdk returns token usage (one event per LLM call, not per run).
@@ -101,6 +103,7 @@ Persistent across sessions for the same user. Set via `posthog.people.set` or as
 | `email` | main on identify | From `/v1/me`; powers PostHog cohort match + integrations |
 | `plan`, `status` | main on identify | Subscription state |
 | `api_url` | both processes (init + identify) | Distinguishes prod / staging / custom — assign meaning in PostHog dashboard. `https://api.x.rowboatlabs.com` = production |
+| `app_version` | both processes (init + identify) | Electron app version; also included automatically on every event |
 | `signed_in` | renderer | `true` while rowboat OAuth is connected |
 | `{provider}_connected` | renderer | One of `gmail`, `calendar`, `slack`, `rowboat` |
 | `total_notes` | renderer (init) | Workspace size signal |

apps/x/apps/main/bundle.mjs

@@ -10,11 +10,13 @@
  */
 
 import * as esbuild from 'esbuild';
+import { readFile } from 'node:fs/promises';
 
 // In CommonJS, import.meta.url doesn't exist. We need to polyfill it.
 // The banner defines __import_meta_url at the top of the bundle,
 // and we use define to replace all import.meta.url references with it.
 const cjsBanner = `var __import_meta_url = require('url').pathToFileURL(__filename).href;`;
+const pkg = JSON.parse(await readFile(new URL('./package.json', import.meta.url), 'utf8'));
 
 await esbuild.build({
   entryPoints: ['./dist/main.js'],
@@ -36,6 +38,7 @@ await esbuild.build({
     // Empty strings disable analytics gracefully.
     'process.env.POSTHOG_KEY': JSON.stringify(process.env.VITE_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_KEY ?? ''),
     'process.env.POSTHOG_HOST': JSON.stringify(process.env.VITE_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_HOST ?? 'https://us.i.posthog.com'),
+    'process.env.ROWBOAT_APP_VERSION': JSON.stringify(pkg.version ?? ''),
   },
 });
 

apps/x/apps/main/src/ipc.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { ipcMain, BrowserWindow, shell, dialog, systemPreferences, desktopCapturer } from 'electron';
+import { ipcMain, BrowserWindow, shell, dialog, systemPreferences, desktopCapturer, app } from 'electron';
 import { ipc } from '@x/shared';
 import path from 'node:path';
 import os from 'node:os';
@@ -455,6 +455,7 @@ export function setupIpcHandlers() {
       return {
         installationId: getInstallationId(),
         apiUrl: API_URL,
+        appVersion: app.getVersion(),
       };
     },
     'workspace:getRoot': async () => {

apps/x/apps/renderer/src/hooks/useAnalyticsIdentity.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { useEffect } from 'react'
 import posthog from 'posthog-js'
+import { identifyUser, resetAnalyticsIdentity } from '@/lib/analytics'
 
 /**
  * Identifies the user in PostHog when signed into Rowboat,
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@ export function useAnalyticsIdentity() {
         // Identify if Rowboat account is connected
         const rowboat = config.rowboat
         if (rowboat?.connected && rowboat?.userId) {
-          posthog.identify(rowboat.userId)
+          identifyUser(rowboat.userId)
         }
 
         // Set provider connection flags
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ export function useAnalyticsIdentity() {
       // Rowboat sign-in
       if (event.success) {
         if (event.userId) {
-          posthog.identify(event.userId)
+          identifyUser(event.userId)
         }
         posthog.people.set({ signed_in: true, rowboat_connected: true })
         posthog.capture('user_signed_in')
@@ -80,7 +81,7 @@ export function useAnalyticsIdentity() {
       // future events on this device don't get attributed to the prior user.
       posthog.people.set({ signed_in: false, rowboat_connected: false })
       posthog.capture('user_signed_out')
-      posthog.reset()
+      resetAnalyticsIdentity()
     })
 
     return cleanup

apps/x/apps/renderer/src/lib/analytics.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,42 @@
 import posthog from 'posthog-js'
 
+let appVersion: string | undefined
+let apiUrl: string | undefined
+
+function appVersionProperties(): Record<string, string> {
+  return appVersion ? { app_version: appVersion } : {}
+}
+
+export function configureAnalyticsContext(props: { appVersion?: string; apiUrl?: string }) {
+  appVersion = props.appVersion?.trim() || undefined
+  apiUrl = props.apiUrl?.trim() || undefined
+
+  const eventProperties = appVersionProperties()
+  if (Object.keys(eventProperties).length > 0) {
+    posthog.register(eventProperties)
+  }
+
+  const personProperties = {
+    ...(apiUrl ? { api_url: apiUrl } : {}),
+    ...eventProperties,
+  }
+  if (Object.keys(personProperties).length > 0) {
+    posthog.people.set(personProperties)
+  }
+}
+
+export function identifyUser(userId: string, properties?: Record<string, unknown>) {
+  posthog.identify(userId, {
+    ...properties,
+    ...appVersionProperties(),
+  })
+}
+
+export function resetAnalyticsIdentity() {
+  posthog.reset()
+  configureAnalyticsContext({ appVersion, apiUrl })
+}
+
 export function chatSessionCreated(runId: string) {
   posthog.capture('chat_session_created', { run_id: runId })
 }

apps/x/apps/renderer/src/main.tsx

@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@ import { StrictMode } from 'react'
 import { createRoot } from 'react-dom/client'
 import './index.css'
 import App from './App.tsx'
-import posthog from 'posthog-js'
 import { PostHogProvider } from 'posthog-js/react'
+import type { CaptureResult } from 'posthog-js'
 import { ThemeProvider } from '@/contexts/theme-context'
+import { configureAnalyticsContext } from './lib/analytics'
 
 // Fetch the stable installation ID from main so renderer + main share one
 // PostHog distinct_id. Falls back to PostHog's auto-generated anonymous ID
@@ -12,19 +13,36 @@ import { ThemeProvider } from '@/contexts/theme-context'
 async function bootstrap() {
   let installationId: string | undefined
   let apiUrl: string | undefined
+  let appVersion: string | undefined
   try {
     const result = await window.ipc.invoke('analytics:bootstrap', null)
     installationId = result.installationId
     apiUrl = result.apiUrl
+    appVersion = result.appVersion
   } catch (err) {
     console.error('[Analytics] Failed to bootstrap from main:', err)
   }
 
+  configureAnalyticsContext({ apiUrl, appVersion })
+
   const options = {
     api_host: import.meta.env.VITE_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_HOST,
-    defaults: '2025-11-30',
+    defaults: '2025-11-30' as const,
     ...(installationId ? { bootstrap: { distinctID: installationId } } : {}),
-  } as const
+    before_send: (event: CaptureResult | null) => {
+      if (!event) return event
+      if (appVersion) {
+        event.properties = {
+          ...event.properties,
+          app_version: appVersion,
+        }
+      }
+      return event
+    },
+    loaded: () => {
+      configureAnalyticsContext({ apiUrl, appVersion })
+    },
+  }
 
   createRoot(document.getElementById('root')!).render(
     <StrictMode>
@@ -36,11 +54,7 @@ async function bootstrap() {
     </StrictMode>,
   )
 
-  // Tag the active person record with api_url so anonymous users are also
-  // segmentable by environment.
-  if (apiUrl) {
-    posthog.people.set({ api_url: apiUrl })
-  }
+  // The loaded callback applies api_url/app_version once PostHog has initialized.
 }
 
 bootstrap()

apps/x/packages/core/src/analytics/posthog.ts

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { API_URL } from '../config/env.js';
 // In dev/tsc, fall back to process.env so local runs work too.
 const POSTHOG_KEY = process.env.POSTHOG_KEY ?? process.env.VITE_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_KEY ?? '';
 const POSTHOG_HOST = process.env.POSTHOG_HOST ?? process.env.VITE_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_HOST ?? 'https://us.i.posthog.com';
+const APP_VERSION = (process.env.ROWBOAT_APP_VERSION ?? process.env.npm_package_version ?? '').trim();
 
 let client: PostHog | null = null;
 let initAttempted = false;
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ function getClient(): PostHog | null {
     // distinguishes prod / staging / custom — meaning is assigned in PostHog).
     client.identify({
       distinctId: getInstallationId(),
-      properties: { api_url: API_URL },
+      properties: { api_url: API_URL, ...appVersionProperties() },
     });
   } catch (err) {
     console.error('[Analytics] Failed to init PostHog:', err);
@@ -42,6 +43,10 @@ function activeDistinctId(): string {
   return identifiedUserId ?? getInstallationId();
 }
 
+function appVersionProperties(): Record<string, string> {
+  return APP_VERSION ? { app_version: APP_VERSION } : {};
+}
+
 export function capture(event: string, properties?: Record<string, unknown>): void {
   const ph = getClient();
   if (!ph) return;
@@ -49,7 +54,10 @@ export function capture(event: string, properties?: Record<string, unknown>): vo
     ph.capture({
       distinctId: activeDistinctId(),
       event,
-      properties,
+      properties: {
+        ...properties,
+        ...appVersionProperties(),
+      },
     });
   } catch (err) {
     console.error('[Analytics] capture failed:', err);
@@ -68,6 +76,7 @@ export function identify(userId: string, properties?: Record<string, unknown>):
       properties: {
         ...properties,
         api_url: API_URL,
+        ...appVersionProperties(),
       },
     });
     identifiedUserId = userId;

apps/x/packages/shared/src/ipc.ts

@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ const ipcSchemas = {
     res: z.object({
       installationId: z.string(),
       apiUrl: z.string(),
+      appVersion: z.string(),
     }),
   },
   'workspace:getRoot': {