How to Integrate SimpleActivityLogger in 5 MinutesSimpleActivityLogger is a tiny, focused library that helps you record user actions and system events with minimal setup. This guide walks through a fast, practical integration you can complete in about five minutes — from installation to sending your first log entry, plus a few production-ready tips.
What you’ll accomplish
- Install SimpleActivityLogger
- Initialize it in your project
- Log events (user actions, errors, metadata)
- Configure storage and retention
- Add basic privacy and performance safeguards
Prerequisites
- A project using JavaScript/TypeScript (Node.js, browser, or React Native)
- Node.js and npm/yarn available when installing
- Basic familiarity with importing modules and async code
1) Install the package (30 seconds)
If SimpleActivityLogger is published to npm:
# npm npm install simple-activity-logger # or yarn yarn add simple-activity-logger If you’re importing a local module, place it in your project and use a relative import.
2) Initialize SimpleActivityLogger (1 minute)
Create a small initialization file so logger setup is centralized. The library exposes a createLogger function that accepts a minimal config object.
Example (JavaScript):
// logger.js import { createLogger } from "simple-activity-logger"; const logger = createLogger({ appName: "MyApp", environment: process.env.NODE_ENV || "development", flushIntervalMs: 5000, // batch and send every 5s maxBatchSize: 50, // max events per batch storage: "memory", // "memory" | "localStorage" | "file" enableConsoleFallback: true // also print to console in dev }); export default logger; TypeScript hint:
import { createLogger, LoggerConfig } from "simple-activity-logger"; const cfg: LoggerConfig = { appName: "MyApp", environment: process.env.NODE_ENV ?? "development", flushIntervalMs: 5000, maxBatchSize: 50, storage: "localStorage" }; const logger = createLogger(cfg); export default logger; 3) Log your first event (30 seconds)
Call logger.log or logger.track depending on the API. Use concise event names and attach structured properties.
import logger from "./logger"; logger.log("app.start", { timestamp: Date.now(), userId: null, version: "1.0.0" }); Examples of common events:
- “user.login” { userId, method }
- “item.added_to_cart” { itemId, price, quantity }
- “error.unhandled” { message, stack }
4) Configure persistence and delivery (1 minute)
Decide where logs are kept and how they’re delivered.
- Development: use in-memory or console fallback.
- Browser: use localStorage for short-term persistence across reloads.
- Server: use file or database-backed storage with background flush to remote endpoint.
Example switching to a remote endpoint:
const logger = createLogger({ appName: "MyApp", environment: "production", storage: "memory", remoteEndpoint: "https://logs.example.com/ingest", authToken: process.env.LOG_INGEST_TOKEN, flushIntervalMs: 10000 }); The logger batches events and POSTs them to remoteEndpoint. Ensure your server accepts the payload schema.
5) Add privacy and size limits (30 seconds)
Keep logs useful and safe:
- Do not log PII (emails, SSNs) unless explicitly necessary and encrypted.
- Truncate large fields (limit strings to 1024 characters).
- Hash identifiers where needed (e.g., user IDs) before logging.
Example sanitizer wrapper:
function sanitizeEvent(evt) { if (evt.userEmail) evt.userEmail = hash(evt.userEmail); if (typeof evt.message === "string" && evt.message.length > 1024) { evt.message = evt.message.slice(0, 1024) + "..."; } return evt; } logger.onBeforeLog = sanitizeEvent; 6) Handle errors and retries (30 seconds)
Ensure logs aren’t silently lost:
- Use retry/backoff when sending to remote endpoints.
- Persist failed batches to disk/localStorage for later retry.
- Expose a fallback to write to console or file when network is unavailable.
logger.onDeliveryError = (batch, err) => { console.error("Log delivery failed:", err); // save to localStorage for retry localStorage.setItem("failedLogs", JSON.stringify(batch)); }; 7) Verify with a quick test (30 seconds)
Trigger a few events, then confirm they arrive where expected.
- In dev, check console or localStorage.
- For remote delivery, use a request inspector (ngrok, requestbin) or check your ingestion endpoint logs.
Example test:
logger.log("test.integration", { ok: true }); setTimeout(() => logger.flush(), 1000); // force send immediately Production tips (optional, 1+ minutes)
- Sample high-frequency events (e.g., UI mouse moves) to reduce volume.
- Add rate limits per user/session for noisy actions.
- Tag events with environment and version for easier filtering.
- Rotate or archive logs older than your retention policy (e.g., 30–90 days).
Quick checklist
- Install package
- Initialize centralized logger
- Log structured events
- Configure storage & delivery
- Add sanitization, retries, and throttling
- Test end-to-end
SimpleActivityLogger is deliberately minimal, so integration is straightforward: install, initialize, log, and verify. With the privacy and delivery guards above, you’ll have a robust integration in minutes.
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