Installation

Getting started with the Context Suite event stream is straightforward. Our primary client library is based on Jitsu, a flexible and robust open-source data collection library. Below are the common installation methods for different environments.

In the Browser (Client-Side)

The easiest way to start sending events from a website or web application is to add the Jitsu script tag directly to your HTML file. This is the ideal method for capturing user interactions like page views and clicks.

1. Add the Script to Your HTML

   Place the following <script> tag in the <head> section of your website's HTML. This will load the Jitsu library asynchronously from a CDN, so it won't block the rendering of your page.

   HTML

   html

   1<script>
   2  (function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(d.getElementById(id))return;
   3  js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="[https://cdn.jitsu.com/v2/jitsu.min.js](https://cdn.jitsu.com/v2/jitsu.min.js)";
   4  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}(document,'script','jitsu-sdk'));
   5</script>

2. Initialize the Library

   After including the script, you need to initialize it with your unique write key. This key directs the events to your specific data stream in the Context Suite. You can find this key in your project settings. Add this second script snippet right after the first one.

   HTML

   html

   1<script>
   2  window.jitsu = window.jitsu || (function(){(window.jitsu.q=window.jitsu.q||[]).push(arguments)});
   3  jitsu('init', {
   4    key: 'YOUR_WRITE_KEY_HERE',
   5    log_level: 'DEBUG' // Optional: 'DEBUG', 'INFO', 'ERROR'. Defaults to 'INFO'.
   6  });
   7</script>

Now the jitsu object is available globally in your browser, and you can start sending events like jitsu.page() or jitsu.track('Button Clicked').

Ready to send your first event? Check out Getting Started for a complete walkthrough, or explore the different Event Types available.

In Node.js (Server-Side)

For sending events from your backend services, such as when a user account is created or a payment is processed, you can use the Jitsu NPM package. This ensures that critical events are sent reliably and securely.

1. Install the NPM Package

   Open your terminal and run the following command to add the Jitsu SDK to your project:

   Bash

   bash

   npm install @jitsu/sdk-js

2. Import and Initialize in Your Application

   In your JavaScript or TypeScript file, import the library and create an instance, again providing your write key.

   JavaScript

   javascript

   1import jitsu from "@jitsu/sdk-js";
   2
   3const jitsuClient = jitsu({
   4  key: "YOUR_WRITE_KEY_HERE"
   5});
   6
   7// You can now use the client to send events
   8// await jitsuClient.track('User Registered', { plan: 'premium' });

   Sending events from the server-side is highly recommended for any action that is critical to your business logic or involves sensitive data.

For examples of server-side events with rich commerce data, see the Commerce and Products documentation.

Other Environments (Python, Java, Go, etc.)

For other server-side languages, we provide dedicated libraries that follow the same principles. The general process is always:

1. Add the appropriate library/package to your project.
2. Initialize a client instance with your write key.
3. Use the client instance to send track, identify, and group events.

Please refer to the specific documentation for your language of choice for detailed installation and usage instructions.