Set up JavaScript SDK

Install and initialize the LaunchDarkly JavaScript SDK to start evaluating feature flags in your application.

Install the package

yarn add @launchdarkly/js-client-sdk

Initialize the SDK for feature management

JavaScript SDK initialization
// A "context" is a data object representing users, devices, organizations, and
// other entities. You'll need this later, but you can ignore it for now.
const context = {
kind: 'user',
key: 'EXAMPLE_CONTEXT_KEY'
};
// This is your client-side ID.
const client = createClient('YOUR_CLIENT_SIDE_ID', context);
client.start();
const { status } = await client.waitForInitialization();
if (status === 'complete') {
console.log('SDK successfully initialized!');
} else {
console.error('Initialization failed');
}

Initialize the SDK for feature management and Experimentation

If you want to use the LaunchDarkly Experimentation feature, include a track call in your initialization code:

JavaScript SDK initialization for Experimentation
import { createClient } from '@launchdarkly/js-client-sdk';
// A "context" is a data object representing users, devices, organizations, and
// other entities. You'll need this later, but you can ignore it for now.
const context = {
kind: 'user',
key: 'EXAMPLE_CONTEXT_KEY',
email: 'EXAMPLE_EMAIL',
};
// This is your client-side ID.
const ldClient = createClient('YOUR_CLIENT_SIDE_ID', context);
// await start — you only need waitForInitialization() if you wait somewhere
// other than where you start the client.
await ldClient.start();
console.log('SDK successfully initialized!');
// Call trackMetric when a metric action occurs in your app —
// a click, a form submit, a page view, a custom event, whatever your metric measures.
function trackMetric(metricKey, data) {
ldClient.track(metricKey, data);
}

You can find your server-side SDK keys, mobile keys, and client-side ID on the SDK keys page under Settings.

To learn more, read Initialize the client in the JavaScript SDK reference guide.