---
title: Add custom events for actions Autocapture can't capture
description: "Autocapture and visual labeling cover most browser interactions without code. Add explicit track calls only for actions they can't see, such as server-confirmed purchases."
product: general
lang: en
last_updated: 2026-10-21
token_estimate: 632
---
# Add custom events for actions Autocapture can't capture

> For AI agents: a documentation index is available at [/docs/llms.txt](/docs/llms.txt). Append `.md` to any page URL for markdown, or send `Accept: text/markdown`.

Custom events are optional. With [Autocapture](https://amplitude.com/docs/get-started/autocapture) turned on, Amplitude collects page views, sessions, clicks, form interactions, file downloads, and more without tracking code. [Visual labeling](https://amplitude.com/docs/data/visual-labeling) turns any captured click into a named event, such as **Sign up clicked**, without code. Visual labeling events work retroactively, because Autocapture already captured the underlying interactions.

Add a custom event with an explicit `track` call when Autocapture can't see the action or can't attach the context you need:

- The action completes on your servers, such as a confirmed purchase or a completed sign-up.
- The event needs business properties, such as plan, price, or order ID, that aren't in the page.
- The action happens in an environment Autocapture doesn't cover. Autocapture supports the Browser, iOS, Android, and Flutter SDKs.

## Prerequisites

- An Amplitude SDK installed and sending events. To install one, go to [Install Amplitude](https://amplitude.com/docs/get-started#install-amplitude).
- Access to the code that runs when the action completes.

## Send a custom event with properties

1. **Call track when the action completes**

   Pass the event name and an object of event properties. This example uses the Browser Unified SDK:

   ```javascript
   import { track } from "@amplitude/unified";

   track("Button Clicked", { buttonId: "signup" });
   ```

   The track call for each other SDK appears on its install page: [mobile SDKs](https://amplitude.com/docs/get-started/install-mobile-sdk), [server SDKs](https://amplitude.com/docs/get-started/install-server-sdk), or the [HTTP API](https://amplitude.com/docs/apis/analytics/http-api-quickstart). To decide whether an event belongs on the client or the server, go to [Client-side vs Server-side](https://amplitude.com/docs/data/client-side-vs-server-side).
2. **Confirm the event in Amplitude**

   Trigger the action in your product, then open the [Amplitude Debugger](https://amplitude.com/docs/analytics/debug-analytics) and check that the event arrives with its properties.

For help choosing which actions deserve custom events, go to [What events do you need](https://amplitude.com/docs/get-started/select-events).