diff --git a/internal/telemetry/telemetry.go b/internal/telemetry/telemetry.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c7b7d1ede1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/telemetry/telemetry.go
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+// Package telemetry records src-cli usage events to the Sourcegraph instance
+// the CLI is authenticated to, using the Telemetry V2 `recordEvents` GraphQL
+// mutation.
+//
+// Recording is strictly best-effort: a failure to record — whether a network
+// error, a GraphQL error, a timeout, or an instance too old to support the
+// mutation — must never affect the command the user actually ran. See
+// .context/TELEMETRY.md for the design and event schema.
+package telemetry
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"net/http"
+	"sort"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/sourcegraph/src-cli/internal/api"
+
+	"github.com/sourcegraph/log"
+	"github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph/lib/errors"
+)
+
+const (
+	// clientName identifies src-cli as the source of telemetry events.
+	clientName = "src.cli"
+
+	// eventParametersVersion is the schema version of the metadata we attach to
+	// each event. Bump it when the shape of the metadata changes.
+	eventParametersVersion = 1
+
+	// defaultTimeout bounds how long a single Record call may spend recording.
+	// It is deliberately short: telemetry is sent synchronously right before the
+	// process exits, so it must not add meaningful latency.
+	defaultTimeout = 2 * time.Second
+)
+
+// recordEventsMutation mirrors the mutation used by Sourcegraph's own clients.
+// The `telemetry` mutation only exists on Sourcegraph 5.2+, so on older
+// instances this returns GraphQL errors, which Record silently drops.
+const recordEventsMutation = `mutation RecordTelemetryEvents($events: [TelemetryEventInput!]!) {
+    telemetry {
+        recordEvents(events: $events) {
+            alwaysNil
+        }
+    }
+}`
+
+// Recorder records events through an api.Client.
+type recorder struct {
+	client        api.Client
+	clientVersion string
+	timeout       time.Duration
+	logger        log.Logger
+}
+
+// NewRecorder returns a Recorder for the given src-cli version.
+func NewRecorder(client api.Client, logger log.Logger, clientVersion string) *recorder {
+	return &recorder{
+		client:        client,
+		clientVersion: clientVersion,
+		timeout:       defaultTimeout,
+		logger:        logger,
+	}
+}
+
+// Record sends an event on a best-effort basis. Feature and action identify the
+// event (for example, "srcCli.search" and "succeeded"). Metadata must contain
+// only numeric, PII-free facts. Private metadata may contain arbitrary JSON and
+// is not exported from Sourcegraph instances by default. Network, GraphQL,
+// timeout, and old-instance failures are logged at debug level. Record applies
+// its own timeout, so the caller's context need not carry a deadline.
+func (r *recorder) Record(ctx context.Context, feature, action string, metadata map[string]float64, privateMetadata map[string]any) {
+	if err := r.record(ctx, feature, action, metadata, privateMetadata); err != nil {
+		r.logger.Debug("recording telemetry event", log.String("feature", feature), log.String("action", action), log.Error(err))
+	}
+}
+
+// record does the work behind Record and returns any error, so it can be tested
+// directly. Callers outside tests should use Record.
+func (r *recorder) record(ctx context.Context, feature, action string, metadata map[string]float64, privateMetadata map[string]any) error {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, r.timeout)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	vars := map[string]any{
+		"events": []any{buildEventInput(r.clientVersion, feature, action, metadata, privateMetadata)},
+	}
+
+	payload, err := json.Marshal(map[string]any{
+		"query":     recordEventsMutation,
+		"variables": vars,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// Use the HTTP-level client because GraphQL Request.Do may print interactive
+	// authentication guidance; telemetry must never affect command output.
+	req, err := r.client.NewHTTPRequest(ctx, http.MethodPost, ".api/graphql", bytes.NewReader(payload))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	resp, err := r.client.Do(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+
+	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
+		return errors.Newf("telemetry request failed: %s", resp.Status)
+	}
+	var result struct {
+		Errors []json.RawMessage `json:"errors"`
+	}
+	if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&result); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if len(result.Errors) > 0 {
+		return api.NewGraphQlErrors(result.Errors)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// buildEventInput builds a single TelemetryEventInput as a JSON-serializable map.
+func buildEventInput(clientVersion, feature, action string, metadata map[string]float64, privateMetadata map[string]any) map[string]any {
+	parameters := map[string]any{
+		"version":  eventParametersVersion,
+		"metadata": buildMetadata(metadata),
+	}
+	if privateMetadata != nil {
+		parameters["privateMetadata"] = privateMetadata
+	}
+	return map[string]any{
+		"feature": feature,
+		"action":  action,
+		"source": map[string]string{
+			"client":        clientName,
+			"clientVersion": clientVersion,
+		},
+		"parameters": parameters,
+	}
+}
+
+// buildMetadata converts numeric metadata into the list of {key, value} inputs
+// the API expects, sorted by key for deterministic output.
+func buildMetadata(metadata map[string]float64) []any {
+	out := make([]any, 0, len(metadata))
+	keys := make([]string, 0, len(metadata))
+	for key := range metadata {
+		keys = append(keys, key)
+	}
+	sort.Strings(keys)
+	for _, key := range keys {
+		out = append(out, map[string]any{"key": key, "value": metadata[key]})
+	}
+	return out
+}
diff --git a/internal/telemetry/telemetry_test.go b/internal/telemetry/telemetry_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0303fd4ccf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/telemetry/telemetry_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,282 @@
+package telemetry
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"io"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"net/url"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/sourcegraph/src-cli/internal/api"
+	apimock "github.com/sourcegraph/src-cli/internal/api/mock"
+	"github.com/sourcegraph/src-cli/internal/oauth"
+
+	"github.com/sourcegraph/log"
+	"github.com/sourcegraph/log/logtest"
+	"github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph/lib/errors"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/mock"
+)
+
+const testClientVersion = "6.1.0"
+
+func response(statusCode int, body string) *http.Response {
+	return &http.Response{
+		StatusCode: statusCode,
+		Status:     http.StatusText(statusCode),
+		Body:       io.NopCloser(strings.NewReader(body)),
+	}
+}
+
+type cancellationClient struct {
+	api.Client
+	canceled chan struct{}
+	release  chan struct{}
+}
+
+func (c *cancellationClient) NewHTTPRequest(ctx context.Context, method, _ string, body io.Reader) (*http.Request, error) {
+	return http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, method, "http://example.com/.api/graphql", body)
+}
+
+func (c *cancellationClient) Do(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+	select {
+	case <-req.Context().Done():
+		close(c.canceled)
+		return nil, req.Context().Err()
+	case <-c.release:
+		return nil, errors.New("test client released")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRecord_SendsWellFormedMutation(t *testing.T) {
+	client := &apimock.Client{}
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "/.api/graphql", nil)
+
+	var gotPayload struct {
+		Query     string         `json:"query"`
+		Variables map[string]any `json:"variables"`
+	}
+	client.On("NewHTTPRequest", mock.Anything, http.MethodPost, ".api/graphql", mock.Anything).
+		Run(func(args mock.Arguments) {
+			if err := json.NewDecoder(args.Get(3).(io.Reader)).Decode(&gotPayload); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+		}).
+		Return(req, nil)
+	client.On("Do", req).Return(response(http.StatusOK, "{}"), nil)
+
+	logger := log.NoOp()
+	rec := NewRecorder(client, logger, testClientVersion)
+	rec.Record(context.Background(), "srcCli.search", "succeeded", map[string]float64{
+		"durationMs": 12,
+		"exitCode":   0,
+	}, map[string]any{
+		"queryType": "literal",
+		"streamed":  true,
+	})
+
+	assert.Equal(t, recordEventsMutation, gotPayload.Query)
+
+	events, ok := gotPayload.Variables["events"].([]any)
+	if !ok || len(events) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 event, got %#v", gotPayload.Variables["events"])
+	}
+	event := events[0].(map[string]any)
+	assert.Equal(t, "srcCli.search", event["feature"])
+	assert.Equal(t, "succeeded", event["action"])
+
+	source := event["source"].(map[string]any)
+	assert.Equal(t, clientName, source["client"])
+	assert.Equal(t, testClientVersion, source["clientVersion"])
+
+	parameters := event["parameters"].(map[string]any)
+	assert.Equal(t, float64(eventParametersVersion), parameters["version"])
+	assert.Equal(t, []any{
+		map[string]any{"key": "durationMs", "value": float64(12)},
+		map[string]any{"key": "exitCode", "value": float64(0)},
+	}, parameters["metadata"])
+	assert.Equal(t, map[string]any{
+		"queryType": "literal",
+		"streamed":  true,
+	}, parameters["privateMetadata"])
+
+	client.AssertExpectations(t)
+}
+
+func TestRecord_NilMetadataSendsEmptyList(t *testing.T) {
+	client := &apimock.Client{}
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "/.api/graphql", nil)
+
+	var gotPayload struct {
+		Variables map[string]any `json:"variables"`
+	}
+	client.On("NewHTTPRequest", mock.Anything, http.MethodPost, ".api/graphql", mock.Anything).
+		Run(func(args mock.Arguments) {
+			if err := json.NewDecoder(args.Get(3).(io.Reader)).Decode(&gotPayload); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+		}).
+		Return(req, nil)
+	client.On("Do", req).Return(response(http.StatusOK, "{}"), nil)
+
+	logger := log.NoOp()
+	rec := NewRecorder(client, logger, testClientVersion)
+	rec.Record(context.Background(), "srcCli.version", "succeeded", nil, nil)
+
+	event := gotPayload.Variables["events"].([]any)[0].(map[string]any)
+	parameters := event["parameters"].(map[string]any)
+	assert.Equal(t, float64(eventParametersVersion), parameters["version"])
+	assert.Equal(t, []any{}, parameters["metadata"])
+	assert.NotContains(t, parameters, "privateMetadata")
+}
+
+func TestRecord_NetworkErrorSwallowed(t *testing.T) {
+	client := &apimock.Client{}
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "/.api/graphql", nil)
+	client.On("NewHTTPRequest", mock.Anything, http.MethodPost, ".api/graphql", mock.Anything).Return(req, nil)
+	client.On("Do", req).Return(nil, errors.New("connection refused"))
+
+	logger, exportLogs := logtest.CapturedWith(t, logtest.LoggerOptions{Level: log.LevelNone})
+	rec := NewRecorder(client, logger, testClientVersion)
+
+	// Must not panic and must not surface the error.
+	assert.NotPanics(t, func() {
+		rec.Record(context.Background(), "srcCli.search", "failed", nil, nil)
+	})
+	logs := exportLogs()
+	if assert.Len(t, logs, 1) {
+		assert.Equal(t, log.LevelDebug, logs[0].Level)
+		assert.Equal(t, "recording telemetry event", logs[0].Message)
+		assert.Equal(t, "connection refused", logs[0].Fields["error"])
+	}
+
+	// record itself reports the error for callers that want it.
+	err := rec.record(context.Background(), "srcCli.search", "failed", nil, nil)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestRecord_GraphQLErrorSwallowed(t *testing.T) {
+	// Simulates an instance too old to have the telemetry mutation: the server
+	// returns GraphQL errors, which must be dropped silently.
+	client := &apimock.Client{}
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "/.api/graphql", nil)
+	client.On("NewHTTPRequest", mock.Anything, http.MethodPost, ".api/graphql", mock.Anything).Return(req, nil)
+	client.On("Do", req).Return(response(http.StatusOK, "{\"errors\":[{\"message\":\"unknown field telemetry\"}]}"), nil)
+
+	logger := log.NoOp()
+	rec := NewRecorder(client, logger, testClientVersion)
+	assert.NotPanics(t, func() {
+		rec.Record(context.Background(), "srcCli.search", "succeeded", nil, nil)
+	})
+}
+
+func TestRecord_OAuthUnauthorizedDoesNotWriteToStdout(t *testing.T) {
+	var requests atomic.Int32
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		requests.Add(1)
+		assert.Equal(t, "Bearer oauth-token", r.Header.Get("Authorization"))
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusUnauthorized)
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	endpointURL, err := url.Parse(server.URL)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	var clientOutput bytes.Buffer
+	client := api.NewClient(api.ClientOpts{
+		EndpointURL: endpointURL,
+		Out:         &clientOutput,
+		OAuthToken: &oauth.Token{
+			Endpoint:    server.URL,
+			AccessToken: "oauth-token",
+			ExpiresAt:   time.Now().Add(time.Hour),
+		},
+	})
+
+	oldStdout := os.Stdout
+	stdoutReader, stdoutWriter, err := os.Pipe()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	os.Stdout = stdoutWriter
+	t.Cleanup(func() { os.Stdout = oldStdout })
+
+	logger := log.NoOp()
+	rec := NewRecorder(client, logger, testClientVersion)
+	rec.Record(context.Background(), "srcCli.search", "succeeded", nil, nil)
+
+	if err := stdoutWriter.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	os.Stdout = oldStdout
+	stdout, err := io.ReadAll(stdoutReader)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := stdoutReader.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	assert.Empty(t, stdout)
+	assert.Empty(t, clientOutput.String())
+	assert.Equal(t, int32(1), requests.Load())
+}
+
+func TestRecord_AppliesTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	client := &apimock.Client{}
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "/.api/graphql", nil)
+
+	var hadDeadline bool
+	client.On("NewHTTPRequest", mock.Anything, http.MethodPost, ".api/graphql", mock.Anything).
+		Run(func(args mock.Arguments) {
+			ctx := args.Get(0).(context.Context)
+			_, hadDeadline = ctx.Deadline()
+		}).
+		Return(req, nil)
+	client.On("Do", req).Return(response(http.StatusOK, "{}"), nil)
+
+	logger := log.NoOp()
+	rec := NewRecorder(client, logger, testClientVersion)
+	rec.timeout = 50 * time.Millisecond
+	rec.Record(context.Background(), "srcCli.search", "succeeded", nil, nil)
+
+	assert.True(t, hadDeadline, "expected Record to apply a context deadline")
+}
+
+func TestRecord_TimeoutCancelsHTTPRequest(t *testing.T) {
+	requestCanceled := make(chan struct{})
+	client := &cancellationClient{canceled: requestCanceled, release: make(chan struct{})}
+	logger := log.NoOp()
+	rec := NewRecorder(client, logger, testClientVersion)
+	rec.timeout = 20 * time.Millisecond
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		rec.Record(ctx, "srcCli.search", "succeeded", nil, nil)
+		close(done)
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case <-done:
+	case <-time.After(time.Second):
+		cancel()
+		close(client.release)
+		<-done
+		t.Fatal("Record did not return after telemetry timeout")
+	}
+
+	select {
+	case <-requestCanceled:
+	default:
+		t.Fatal("HTTP request was not canceled after telemetry timeout")
+	}
+}