---
title: Quickstart for engineers
description: "Instrument your product with Amplitude, set up Autocapture, and identify your users as an engineer."
product: general
lang: en
last_updated: 2026-10-29
token_estimate: 1170
---
# Quickstart for engineers

This quickstart is for engineers implementing Amplitude for the first time. Follow these steps to install the Browser SDK, verify that events flow into your project, and identify your users.

> 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`.

**Outcome:** [Browser Unified SDK](https://amplitude.com/docs/sdks/analytics/browser/browser-unified-sdk/get-started)

Installed and sending events to your Amplitude project.

**Outcome:** [Autocapture enabled](https://amplitude.com/docs/data/autocapture)

Clicks, page views, and sessions tracked without manual event calls.

**Outcome:** [Identified users](https://amplitude.com/docs/get-started/identify-users)

Activity tied to real accounts across sessions and devices.

An Amplitude account and a project API key. Go to [Create a project](https://amplitude.com/docs/get-started/create-project) if you don't have one.

Access to your product's codebase (front-end or back-end, depending on your stack).

A Member, Developer, or Admin role in your Amplitude organization.

> **Note:**
>
> If your team is still deciding what to track, go to [Instrumentation prework](https://amplitude.com/docs/get-started/instrumentation-prework) first to align on a tracking plan before you write any code.

1. **Add the Browser SDK**

   The [Browser SDK](https://amplitude.com/docs/sdks/analytics/browser/browser-unified-sdk/get-started) is the fastest path to getting data into Amplitude. Choose one install method and follow its page, which ends with confirming that events arrive:

   - [Install with a script snippet](https://amplitude.com/docs/get-started/install-with-snippet): one script tag, no build step.
   - [Install with npm or yarn](https://amplitude.com/docs/get-started/install-with-package-manager): for bundled JavaScript apps.
   - [Set up with an AI prompt](https://amplitude.com/docs/get-started/install-with-ai-prompt): an AI coding tool makes the changes.

   Amplitude also provides a pre-configured snippet and an AI prompt in your project settings when you first create an account.

   After initialization, call `amplitude.track('Event Name', { property: 'value' })` to send your first custom event.
2. **Enable Autocapture**

   [Autocapture](https://amplitude.com/docs/data/autocapture) tracks clicks, page views, sessions, form interactions, file downloads, and marketing attribution without any manual event calls. The [script snippet](https://amplitude.com/docs/get-started/install-with-snippet) and [AI prompt](https://amplitude.com/docs/get-started/install-with-ai-prompt) install methods turn it on for you. To set it yourself, pass the `autocapture` options during initialization:

   ```js
   amplitude.init("AMPLITUDE_API_KEY", {
     autocapture: {
       attribution: true,
       fileDownloads: true,
       formInteractions: true,
       pageViews: true,
       sessions: true,
       elementInteractions: true,
       networkTracking: true,
       webVitals: true,
       frustrationInteractions: true,
     },
   });
   ```

   Open the [Amplitude Debugger](https://amplitude.com/docs/analytics/debug-analytics) to confirm that page view, session, and interaction events are arriving. You don't need to add additional tracking code for the behaviors Autocapture handles.

   > **Note:**
   >
   > Autocapture is best for capturing broad behavioral data. For business-critical actions, such as purchases, upgrades, and key feature usage, add explicit `amplitude.track()` calls so those events carry the right properties.
3. **Identify your users**

   Autocapture records what users do, but not who they are. Set a user ID when someone signs up or logs in so Amplitude connects their activity across sessions and devices. Call `reset()` at logout so the next person on that device doesn't inherit the ID.

   ```js
   // On sign-up or login
   amplitude.setUserId("USER_ID");

   // On logout
   amplitude.reset();
   ```

   Replace `USER_ID` with a stable identifier from your own system, not an email address. Set the user ID before you send events that belong to that user. Go to [Identify users](https://amplitude.com/docs/get-started/identify-users) for best practices on choosing user IDs.

## Next steps

### [Get answers about your implementation](https://amplitude.com/docs/get-started/engineer-questions)

Common questions about identity, event batching, and data validation.

### [Prepare for production](https://amplitude.com/docs/get-started/prepare-for-production)

Decide on project structure, consent, and an ad-blocker proxy before launch.