> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.uselotus.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Ingesting Usage

> Much like many product analytics software, Lotus integrates into your backend and tracks usage events when you recognize them.

Using our SDKs or native API calls, Lotus ingests events that then can be
matched to billable metrics and associated with pricing plans. After sending a
usage event to Lotus, you no longer have to worry about that event being tracked
or computed for billing later down the line.

## Setup

For every billable metric you define, you need to put a track event API or SDK
call in your backend with the associated.

Events are defined as the following:

```json theme={null}
{
    "event_name": string, // [required], name of the type of event, defined in your billable metrics
    "idempotency_id": string,//[required], unique id of the specific event instance
    "properties": object, //[optional] dictionary of extra information
    "customer_id": string, //[required] customer associated with the event
    "time_created": string, //[required] timestamp when the event occured
}
```

The `event_name` should correspond to what the event is and match what you
define in your metrics.

The `time_created` is an RFC3339 format date in UTC.

The `idempotency_id` is a unique identifier for the specific event being passed
in. Passing in a unique id allows Lotus to make sure no double counting occurs.

The `properties` object is how you can extend your event information. In your
metrics, you can define properties to filter or aggregate over.

*Therefore, you should include as many important characteristics in your
properties as possible.*

The `customer_id` is the id you defined in your backend for the corresponding
customer and the same id that you passed into Lotus when creating the customer.

## Segment Integration (Contact Us)

The segment integration allows companies who are already metering and tracking
customer usage through Segment to route and transform their data into Lotus
without bothering to add our sdk calls in addition to the current analytics.js
you have.

Our Segment integration is not public yet. However, if you are using Lotus
Cloud, reach out to our team if you are interested.

## Events Debugger

In order to be sure Lotus is collecting your events correctly, you can use the
debugger in the Metrics Tab.