Getting Started

This guide will walk you through setting up SkySignal in your Meteor.js application in under 5 minutes.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• A Meteor.js application (v3.0 or later)
• A SkySignal account (free tier available)

Step 1: Create a Site

1. Log in to your SkySignal dashboard
2. Click "Add Site" in the Sites view
3. Enter a name for your application
4. Copy both keys:
   • API Key (sk_xxx) - For server-side monitoring
   • Public Key (pk_xxx) - For client-side RUM tracking

Keep your keys secure

Your API key authenticates your server with SkySignal. Never commit it to version control. The public key is safe to include in client code.

Step 2: Add the Agent Package

Add the SkySignal agent to your Meteor project:

meteor add skysignal:agent

Step 3: Configure Your Settings

Add your keys to your Meteor settings file. Create or update settings.json:

{
  "skysignal": {
    "apiKey": "sk_live_xxxxxxxxxxxx"
  },
  "public": {
    "skysignal": {
      "publicKey": "pk_live_xxxxxxxxxxxx"
    }
  }
}

The skysignal key (private) configures server-side monitoring, while public.skysignal configures client-side Real User Monitoring (RUM).

Development Settings

For development with debug logging enabled:

{
  "skysignal": {
    "apiKey": "sk_dev_xxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "debug": true
  },
  "public": {
    "skysignal": {
      "publicKey": "pk_dev_xxxxxxxxxxxx",
      "rum": {
        "enabled": true,
        "debug": true
      },
      "errorTracking": {
        "enabled": true,
        "debug": true
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Start Your Application

Run your Meteor app with the settings file:

meteor run --settings settings.json

You should see messages in the console:

[SkySignal] Agent started - host: your-hostname

And in the browser console (if RUM is enabled):

[SkySignal RUM] Initialized successfully

Step 5: Verify Installation

1. Make a few Method calls or navigate around your app
2. Open your SkySignal dashboard
3. You should see data appearing within seconds!

What Gets Tracked?

Server-Side (Automatic)

Feature	Data Collected
Methods	Name, response time, arguments, errors
Publications	Name, response time, document count
Errors	Message, stack trace, context
System	CPU, memory, event loop lag
MongoDB	Query times, connection pool stats
DDP	Active connections, message stats
Live Queries	Observer counts, document updates
Background Jobs	Steve Jobs metrics (if installed)

Client-Side (RUM)

Feature	Data Collected
Page Views	Route, load time, referrer
Core Web Vitals	LCP, FID, CLS, TTFB, FCP
User Actions	Clicks, form submissions
Client Errors	JavaScript errors, stack traces
Session	Duration, pages visited

Configuration Options

Server-Side Configuration

{
  "skysignal": {
    "apiKey": "sk_live_xxx",
    "enabled": true,
    "debug": false,
    "appVersion": "1.0.0",

    "collectSystemMetrics": true,
    "systemMetricsInterval": 60000,

    "collectTraces": true,
    "traceMethodArguments": true,
    "traceSampleRate": 1.0,

    "collectErrors": true,

    "collectMongoPool": true,
    "mongoPoolInterval": 60000,

    "collectDDPConnections": true,
    "ddpConnectionsInterval": 30000,

    "collectHttpRequests": true,

    "collectJobs": true,
    "jobsInterval": 30000
  }
}

Client-Side Configuration (RUM)

{
  "public": {
    "skysignal": {
      "publicKey": "pk_live_xxx",
      "rum": {
        "enabled": true,
        "trackUserActions": true,
        "trackPageViews": true,
        "debug": false
      },
      "errorTracking": {
        "enabled": true,
        "attachScreenshots": false,
        "captureUnhandledRejections": true,
        "captureConsoleErrors": false,
        "debug": false
      }
    }
  }
}

See the Configuration Guide for all available options.

Production Deployment

For production, use a separate settings file with production keys:

{
  "skysignal": {
    "apiKey": "sk_live_xxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "enabled": true,
    "debug": false
  },
  "public": {
    "skysignal": {
      "publicKey": "pk_live_xxxxxxxxxxxx",
      "rum": {
        "enabled": true
      },
      "errorTracking": {
        "enabled": true
      }
    }
  }
}

Galaxy Deployment

For Meteor Galaxy, set your settings in the Galaxy dashboard or deploy with:

meteor deploy myapp.meteorapp.com --settings settings-production.json

Docker Deployment

Pass settings via environment or mount:

docker run -v /path/to/settings.json:/app/settings.json \
  -e METEOR_SETTINGS="$(cat settings.json)" \
  my-meteor-app

Next Steps

Now that you have SkySignal installed, explore these guides:

• Agent Configuration - Fine-tune what gets tracked
• Dashboard Overview - Navigate the dashboard
• Setting Up Alerts - Get notified of issues
• Performance Optimization - Use SkySignal to improve performance

Troubleshooting

No data appearing in dashboard?

1. Check your API key - Make sure it matches the key shown in your Site settings
2. Check the console - Look for [SkySignal] messages in your server logs
3. Enable debug mode - Set "debug": true in your settings to see detailed logs
4. Check network - Ensure your server can reach https://dash.skysignal.app

RUM not working?

1. Check public key - Ensure publicKey is in settings.public.skysignal
2. Check browser console - Look for [SkySignal RUM] messages
3. Verify RUM is enabled - Set rum.enabled: true in settings

Agent not starting?

Make sure your settings.json has the correct structure:

{
  "skysignal": {
    "apiKey": "sk_live_xxx"
  },
  "public": {
    "skysignal": {
      "publicKey": "pk_live_xxx"
    }
  }
}

The skysignal key (lowercase) must be at the root level of your settings.

Need more help? Check our Troubleshooting guide or contact support.