DataSag guides · Updated 27 October 2026

Track custom events on Ruby on Rails

Use data-datasag-goal for a click goal, or call window.datasag.track after a completed action. Choose a stable event name and distinguish a click from a successful conversion. This guide applies to Ruby on Rails.

Start with the Ruby on Rails installation

Add the deferred external script once inside the head of the layout your public Rails views use, commonly app/views/layouts/application.html.erb. Preserve yield, asset tags, CSRF metadata and policy helpers. Inspect controller-specific layouts before assuming the application layout covers every route.

Turbo Drive, Turbo Frames and a full document visit have different lifecycles. The current tracker is a browser script with History API handling, not a native Turbo adapter. Test full-page and Turbo navigation before claiming coverage, and avoid placing the loader in each frame response.

Use the public project key from the DataSag project you are inspecting. A test on a preview domain does not confirm that the production domain has the same code or settings.

Track custom events in Ruby on Rails

  1. For click intent, put data-datasag-goal on the rendered Rails link or button. Avoid installing the global script inside the partial that renders that control.
  2. For a confirmed action, use the browser success information from the actual form or Turbo workflow, or a carefully designed confirmation document. An Active Record callback cannot report a browser event directly.
  3. Test accepted and rejected submissions and repeat after a Turbo visit if enabled. A Stimulus controller that binds DOM listeners must clean up correctly. Confirm one completion payload only after the response establishes the agreed outcome.

The Rails browser integration reports confirmed success without treating model callbacks or every submit as a visitor conversion.

Complete the collection checks

  1. Write the event definition first. For example, signup_click means a visitor pressed a signup link, while signup_completed means your application confirmed account creation.
  2. For click intent, add data-datasag-goal to the element. The tracker delegates clicks, so you do not also need a JavaScript handler for the same goal.
  3. For a completed action, call the JavaScript API in the success handler. Wait for the tracker to be available. An optional guard avoids a crash but intentionally drops the event if the tracker has not loaded.
  4. Send only the context needed for the report, such as a form or plan name. Do not include email addresses, passwords, payment details or freeform form contents.
  5. Complete one successful and one failed attempt. Inspect /api/track for the exact eventName and properties. Only the successful attempt should emit a completed-action event.
  6. Check the event report available to your plan. Collection and access to reports are separate; review current plan details before depending on a particular report.
<!-- Click intent: use this OR your own click handler -->
<a href="/signup" data-datasag-goal="signup_click">Create account</a>

// JavaScript: inside the confirmed-success handler
window.datasag?.track('signup_completed', { form: 'main_signup' });

Use a goal attribute for click intent. For confirmed actions, use the actual browser success result or a deliberately designed confirmation page. An Active Record callback does not run in the visitor browser.

What a successful check looks like

A controlled successful action produces one event with the agreed name. A validation failure does not emit a success event. Network evidence matches the report definition.

Record the public path you tested, the browser state, the approximate time and the observed request. Check one direct page load and one later navigation so the result covers more than the homepage.

Common mistake

A goal attribute on a submit button measures clicks, including attempts that fail. Do not report those clicks as completed signups or purchases.

Installation snippet for Ruby on Rails

The shared installation belongs in the head of the applicable ERB application layout. Use this as the installation reference while checking the procedure above.

<script defer src="https://www.datasag.com/tracker.js" data-datasag-key="YOUR_PUBLIC_KEY"></script>

Related Ruby on Rails guides

Full Ruby on Rails setup guide · Search and AI visibility

References

Official Ruby on Rails documentation covers the integration point. For DataSag data handling, read the privacy policy. Use support if a request fails after these checks.