Field notes
Properties worth requiring on every event
Teams often debate whether to attach user segment, experiment id, and screen name to every event. The honest answer depends on how you analyse behaviour, but a lean required set helps.
We usually recommend four required properties for product analytics events: a stable user or anonymous id already handled by your SDK, app version, surface or screen key, and a timestamp you control. Optional properties then carry journey-specific detail.
Surface keys matter more than people expect. When the same action can fire from a banner, a settings page, and an email deep link, a surface property tells you where the click originated without inventing three event names.
Avoid stuffing marketing campaign parameters into every product event. Keep acquisition context on session or user traits unless the event itself is acquisition-related.
Write the required set into your taxonomy pack and treat exceptions as documented deviations, not silent engineering shortcuts.