[RUM-14998] IPC Renderer process support by cdn34dd · Pull Request #38 · DataDog/electron-sdk

cdn34dd · 2026-03-11T16:29:21Z

Motivation

Adds support for capturing RUM events from renderer processes by bridging the browser SDK to the main process event pipeline.

Changes

Added a preload script (src/preload/bridge.ts) that exposes a DatadogEventBridge to renderer processes, allowing the browser RUM SDK (@datadog/browser-rum) to send events through IPC instead of posting directly to the intake
Added BridgeHandler in the main process to receive renderer events via IPC and route them through the existing EventManager pipeline
The preload script is bundled as dist/preload-auto.cjs and automatically registered via session.registerPreloadScript() during init()
Updated the playground app to integrate @datadog/browser-rum in the renderer, with UI controls for fetch demos and error generation

Checklist

Tested locally (playground)
Added unit tests for this change.
Added e2e/integration tests for this change.
Updated related documentation.

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bcaudan · 2026-03-25T14:11:28Z

+
+### Renderer Process Support
+
+The SDK automatically registers a preload script that exposes a `DatadogEventBridge` to every renderer process. When `@datadog/browser-rum` is initialized in a renderer, it detects the bridge and routes events through IPC to the main process instead of posting directly to the intake.


💬 suggestion: adding a note on the need to have browser SDK‏

Suggested change

The SDK automatically registers a preload script that exposes a `DatadogEventBridge` to every renderer process. When `@datadog/browser-rum` is initialized in a renderer, it detects the bridge and routes events through IPC to the main process instead of posting directly to the intake.

In order to monitor the renderer process, the [Browser SDK](https://docs.datadoghq.com/real_user_monitoring/application_monitoring/browser/setup/) must be setup in pages loaded by the renderer.

The Electron SDK automatically registers a preload script that exposes a `DatadogEventBridge` to every renderer process. When present, the Browser SDK detects the bridge and routes events through IPC to the Electron SDK instead of sending them directly to Datadog servers.

bcaudan · 2026-03-25T14:14:48Z

+
+Both `contextIsolation: true` (default) and `contextIsolation: false` are supported.
+
+> **Note:** Only the automatic preload mode is currently supported. Manual bridge setup is not yet available.


🥜 nitpick: ‏Unless there is a specific reason to mention it, let's not mention manual bridge setup

bcaudan · 2026-03-25T14:17:17Z

+
+The SDK automatically registers a preload script that exposes a `DatadogEventBridge` to every renderer process. When `@datadog/browser-rum` is initialized in a renderer, it detects the bridge and routes events through IPC to the main process instead of posting directly to the intake.
+
+Both `contextIsolation: true` (default) and `contextIsolation: false` are supported.


❓ question: Does it really works with contextIsolation: false?

Yes it does, I tested on the playground app to make sure.

ok, let's add a test for it then and maybe remove this mention.

bcaudan · 2026-03-25T14:22:56Z

+  new BridgeHandler(eventManager, {
+    defaultPrivacyLevel: config.defaultPrivacyLevel,
+    allowedWebViewHosts: config.allowedWebViewHosts,
+  });


🥜 nitpick: ‏we could use config directly as a dependency, it would avoid the noise here and the need to update this file if BridgeHandler need an extra config parameter

bcaudan · 2026-03-25T14:26:25Z

+  const currentDir = typeof __dirname !== 'undefined' ? __dirname : path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
+  const preloadPath = path.join(currentDir, 'preload-auto.cjs');
+  session.defaultSession.registerPreloadScript({
+    type: 'frame',
+    filePath: preloadPath,
+  });


💬 suggestion: ‏what about extracting that to a different file?
It would keep the init function at a higher level of abstraction.

bcaudan · 2026-03-25T15:08:15Z

+    if (startTime !== undefined) {
+      await this.page.evaluate(
+        (ts) => (globalThis as unknown as ElectronAppWindow).electronAPI.generateManualError(ts),
+        startTime
+      );
+    } else {
+      await this.page.locator('#generate-manual-error').click();
+    }


❓ question: ‏What is the need there?

The main reason is test, the 'click' option is what most e2e test use, the startTime override is required for test that assert timing.

Is it related to this PR though?
FMU, it was working by calling directly the electronAPI all the time and the button was not really needed, so not sure why introducing the button.

bcaudan · 2026-03-25T15:11:54Z

+  async openFileWindow() {
+    await this.page.evaluate(() => (globalThis as unknown as ElectronAppWindow).electronAPI.openFileWindow());
+  }
+
+  async openHttpWindow() {
+    await this.page.evaluate(() => (globalThis as unknown as ElectronAppWindow).electronAPI.openHttpWindow());
+  }


💬 suggestion: ‏It could be less confusing to have all this setup mentioning renderer test, something like:

Suggested change

async openFileWindow() {

await this.page.evaluate(() => (globalThis as unknown as ElectronAppWindow).electronAPI.openFileWindow());

}

async openHttpWindow() {

await this.page.evaluate(() => (globalThis as unknown as ElectronAppWindow).electronAPI.openHttpWindow());

}

async openRendererTestWindowOverFile() {

await this.page.evaluate(() => (globalThis as unknown as ElectronAppWindow).electronAPI.openRendererTestWindowOverFile());

}

async openRendererTestWindowOverHttp() {

await this.page.evaluate(() => (globalThis as unknown as ElectronAppWindow).electronAPI.openRendererTestWindowOverHttp());

}

What exactly is confusing about them, I think the suggested names aren't any better.

When discovering how things are working for the e2e tests, it is not obvious why we have different browser windows and which files / APIs are related to those.
Having something in the name that mention renderer would make that clearer IMO.

Ok, I'll change to have renderer in the name, but to something a little less verbose.

bcaudan · 2026-03-25T15:22:04Z

+        this.eventManager.notify({
+          kind: EventKind.RAW,
+          source: EventSource.RENDERER,
+          format: EventFormat.RUM,
+          data: bridgeEvent.event,
+        } as RawRumEvent);


❗ warning: we should exclude those events from the main view counters

‏

bcaudan · 2026-03-25T15:34:01Z

+    const { session, application } = (hookResult ?? {}) as MainProcessAttributes;
+
+    return {
+      kind: EventKind.SERVER,
+      track: EventTrack.RUM,
+      data: combine(event.data, {
+        session: { id: session?.id },
+        application: { id: application?.id },
+      }) as RumEvent,
+    };


💬 suggestion: ‏I was a bit confused by the MainProcessAttributes type with the optional properties.
What about removing the type and make things clearer in the implementation:

Suggested change

const { session, application } = (hookResult ?? {}) as MainProcessAttributes;

return {

kind: EventKind.SERVER,

track: EventTrack.RUM,

data: combine(event.data, {

session: { id: session?.id },

application: { id: application?.id },

}) as RumEvent,

};

const { session, application } = hookResult ?? {};

const mainProcessAttributes = {

session: { id: session?.id },

application: { id: application?.id },

};

return {

kind: EventKind.SERVER,

track: EventTrack.RUM,

// override some renderer event attributes by main process attributes

data: combine(event.data, mainProcessAttributes) as RumEvent,

};

- Integrate browser SDK - Track requests and user actions

bcaudan

Nice!

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cdn34dd force-pushed the carlosnogueira/RUM-14998/ipc-renderer-support branch 2 times, most recently from ad16b19 to b0594e7 Compare March 16, 2026 11:07

cdn34dd marked this pull request as ready for review March 16, 2026 11:11

cdn34dd requested a review from a team as a code owner March 16, 2026 11:11

chatgpt-codex-connector Bot reviewed Mar 16, 2026

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Comment thread src/index.ts Outdated

bcaudan reviewed Mar 20, 2026

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cdn34dd force-pushed the carlosnogueira/RUM-14998/ipc-renderer-support branch 3 times, most recently from 059773f to 267768a Compare March 25, 2026 13:07

cdn34dd requested a review from bcaudan March 25, 2026 13:11

bcaudan reviewed Mar 25, 2026

View reviewed changes

cdn34dd added 3 commits March 26, 2026 09:33

Set up renderer bridge & brigde handler for renderer process events

735d441

Update playground app

c509e3a

- Integrate browser SDK - Track requests and user actions

Add e2e tests for renderer bridge

e0b33fe

cdn34dd force-pushed the carlosnogueira/RUM-14998/ipc-renderer-support branch from 267768a to 8dccb25 Compare March 26, 2026 09:33

Review fixes

ae817d6

cdn34dd force-pushed the carlosnogueira/RUM-14998/ipc-renderer-support branch from 8dccb25 to ae817d6 Compare March 26, 2026 09:39

Review fixes

218e4d6

cdn34dd requested a review from bcaudan March 26, 2026 12:39

bcaudan approved these changes Mar 26, 2026

View reviewed changes

cdn34dd merged commit 653ba08 into main Mar 26, 2026
12 checks passed

cdn34dd deleted the carlosnogueira/RUM-14998/ipc-renderer-support branch March 26, 2026 13:02

bcaudan mentioned this pull request Mar 26, 2026

v0.1.0 #63

Merged


		### Renderer Process Support

		The SDK automatically registers a preload script that exposes a `DatadogEventBridge` to every renderer process. When `@datadog/browser-rum` is initialized in a renderer, it detects the bridge and routes events through IPC to the main process instead of posting directly to the intake.

	The SDK automatically registers a preload script that exposes a `DatadogEventBridge` to every renderer process. When `@datadog/browser-rum` is initialized in a renderer, it detects the bridge and routes events through IPC to the main process instead of posting directly to the intake.
	In order to monitor the renderer process, the [Browser SDK](https://docs.datadoghq.com/real_user_monitoring/application_monitoring/browser/setup/) must be setup in pages loaded by the renderer.
	The Electron SDK automatically registers a preload script that exposes a `DatadogEventBridge` to every renderer process. When present, the Browser SDK detects the bridge and routes events through IPC to the Electron SDK instead of sending them directly to Datadog servers.


		Both `contextIsolation: true` (default) and `contextIsolation: false` are supported.

		> Note: Only the automatic preload mode is currently supported. Manual bridge setup is not yet available.

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cdn34dd commented Mar 11, 2026 •

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bcaudan Mar 25, 2026 •

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