Create a New Destination

Prerequisites

Before starting, read these skills:

• understanding-flow - How destinations fit in architecture
• understanding-destinations - Destination interface
• understanding-transformers - Transformer chaining to destinations
• understanding-mapping - Event transformation
• testing-strategy - How to test with env pattern
• writing-documentation - Documentation standards (for Phase 7)

Choose Your Template

Process Overview

1. Research     → Find SDK, understand vendor API
2. Examples     → Create dev entry with real usage patterns
3. Mapping      → Define walkerOS → vendor transformation
4. Scaffold     → Copy template and configure
5. Implement    → Build using examples as test fixtures
6. Test         → Verify against example variations
7. Document     → Write README

Phase 1: Research

Goal: Understand the vendor API before writing any code.

1.1 Find Official Resources

• Vendor API Documentation - Endpoints, authentication, rate limits
• Official TypeScript SDK - Check npm for @vendor/sdk or vendor-types
• Event Schema - What fields are required/optional for each event type

# Search npm for official packages
npm search [vendor-name]
npm search @[vendor]

# Check for TypeScript types
npm info @types/[vendor]

1.2 Identify Event Types

List the vendor's event types and their required fields:

1.3 Check Existing Patterns

Review similar destinations in the codebase:

# List existing destinations
ls packages/web/destinations/

# Reference implementations
# - plausible: Simple, script-based
# - gtag: Complex, multiple services
# - meta: Pixel with custom events

Gate: Research Complete

• API pattern identified (SDK function / HTTP / pixel)
• Auth method documented (API key, token, none)
• Event types mapped to walkerOS equivalents

Checkpoint: Research Review (Optional)

If working with human oversight, pause here to confirm:

• API pattern and auth method correct?
• Event mapping makes sense for the use case?
• Any vendor quirks or rate limits to handle?

Phase 2: Create Examples (BEFORE Implementation)

Goal: Define expected API calls in dev entry FIRST.

2.1 Scaffold Directory Structure

mkdir -p packages/web/destinations/[name]/src/{examples,schemas,types}

2.2 Create Example Files

Create these files based on the templates in this skill:

2.3 Export via dev.ts

export * as schemas from './schemas';
export * as examples from './examples';

Gate: Examples Valid

• All example files compile (npm run build)
• Can trace: input event → expected output for each example

Phase 3: Define Mapping

Goal: Document transformation from walkerOS events to vendor format.

Use mapping.ts as your template.

Verify Mapping Logic

Create a mental (or actual) trace:

Input: events.pageView
  ↓ Apply mapping
  ↓ page.view rule matches
  ↓ name: 'pageview'
  ↓ data.path → url, data.title → title
Output: Should match outputs.pageViewCall

Gate: Mapping Verified

• Mapping covers: page view + at least one conversion event
• Each mapping rule traces correctly to expected output

Phase 4: Scaffold

Template destination: packages/web/destinations/plausible/

cp -r packages/web/destinations/plausible packages/web/destinations/[name]
cd packages/web/destinations/[name]

# Update package.json: name, description, repository.directory

Directory structure:

packages/web/destinations/[name]/
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts           # Main destination (init + push)
│   ├── index.test.ts      # Tests against examples
│   ├── dev.ts             # Exports schemas and examples
│   ├── examples/
│   ├── schemas/
│   └── types/
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
├── tsup.config.ts
├── jest.config.mjs
└── README.md

Transformer Chain Integration

Destinations can wire to transformer chains via before in the init config:

destinations: {
  myDestination: {
    code: destinationMyDestination,
    config: { settings: { /* ... */ } },
    before: 'redact'  // Events go through redactor before this destination
  }
}

Phase 5: Implement

Now write code to produce the outputs defined in Phase 2.

Template Files

Use these templates as your starting point:

Key Patterns

1. Init receives context: Destructure config, env, logger, id from context
2. Push receives context: Includes data, rule (renamed from mapping), ingest
3. Use getEnv(env): Never access window/document directly
4. Return config from init: Allows updating config during initialization

Gate: Implementation Compiles

• npm run build passes
• npm run lint passes

Phase 6: Test Against Examples

Verify implementation produces expected outputs.

Test Template

Use the test template: index.test.ts

Key Test Patterns

1. Use createPushContext() helper - Standardizes context creation
2. Include id field - Required in context (new requirement)
3. Use rule instead of mapping - Property renamed in PushContext
4. Use examples for test data - Don't hardcode test values

Gate: Tests Pass

• npm run test passes
• Tests verify against example outputs (not hardcoded values)

Phase 7: Document

Follow the writing-documentation skill for:

• README structure and templates
• Example validation against apps/quickstart/
• Quality checklist before publishing

Key requirements for destination documentation:

• Event mapping table (walkerOS → vendor format)
• Configuration options table (use PropertyTable if schema exists)
• Working code example with imports
• Installation instructions

Validation Checklist

Beyond understanding-development requirements (build, test, lint, no any):

• Uses getEnv(env) pattern (never direct window/document access)
• dev.ts exports schemas and examples
• Examples match type signatures
• Tests use examples for assertions (not hardcoded values)

Reference Files

Related Skills

• understanding-destinations - Destination interface and env pattern
• testing-strategy - Testing with env mocking
• writing-documentation - Documentation standards