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

# Enable and View Audit Logs in Tyk Developer Portal

> Learn how to enable audit logging in Tyk Developer Portal and access the audit log file to track admin actions.

## Availability

| Component | Version | Edition |
| :- | :- | :- |
| Tyk Enterprise Developer Portal | Available since [v1.7.0](https://tyk.io/docs/developer-support/release-notes/portal.md#1-7-0-release-notes) | Enterprise |

## Prerequisites

1. **License**: [Contact our team](https://tyk.io/contact/) to obtain a license or get a self-managed trial license by completing the registration on our [website](https://tyk.io/self-managed-trial/).
2. **Working Tyk Environment**: You need access to a running Tyk instance. For quick setup instructions using Docker, please refer to the [Tyk Getting Started Guide](https://tyk.io/docs/getting-started/quick-start.md).
3. **Admin Access**: You need admin permissions to configure audit logging in the Portal.

## What We Will Do

In this guide, we will:

1. Enable audit logs in the Tyk Developer Portal using the file storage option
2. Configure the log file path and format
3. View the audit logs from the log file

> [!NOTE]
>
> The Developer Portal uses file-based audit logging. Unlike the Tyk Dashboard, the Portal does not currently support database storage for audit logs or viewing them through the Portal UI.

## Instructions

### 1. Configure Audit Logging

To enable audit logging in the Developer Portal, you need to configure the audit log settings.

> [tab] Environment Variables
>
> Set the following environment variables:
>
> ```bash theme={null}
> PORTAL_AUDIT_LOG_ENABLE=true
> PORTAL_AUDIT_LOG_PATH=/var/log/portal
> ```

> [tab] Configuration File
>
> Add the following to your Portal configuration file:
>
> ```json theme={null}
> {
>   "AuditLog": {
>     "Enable": true,
>     "Path": "/var/log/portal"
>   }
> }
> ```

> [!WARNING]
>
> Ensure the directory specified in `PORTAL_AUDIT_LOG_PATH` exists and is writable by the Portal process. If using containers, mount a volume to persist logs.

For more information on configuration options, refer to the [Portal Configuration Reference](https://tyk.io/docs/product-stack/tyk-enterprise-developer-portal/deploy/configuration.md#audit-log-settings).

### 2. Restart the Developer Portal

After updating the configuration, restart your Developer Portal for the changes to take effect:

```bash theme={null}
# For Docker
docker restart tyk-portal

# For Docker Compose
docker compose restart tyk-portal

# For Kubernetes
kubectl rollout restart deployment tyk-portal -n tyk
```

### 3. View Audit Logs

Once audit logging is enabled, admin actions are recorded in the `portal.log` file located in the directory specified by `PORTAL_AUDIT_LOG_PATH`.

#### Access the Log File

```bash theme={null}
# View the audit log file
cat /var/log/portal/portal.log

# Follow the log file in real-time
tail -f /var/log/portal/portal.log

# Search for specific actions
grep "admin@example.com" /var/log/portal/portal.log
```

![Portal Audit Logs](https://mintcdn.com/tyk/nBAhWH9L046PbGd6/img/developer-portal/portal-audit-logs.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=nBAhWH9L046PbGd6\&q=85\&s=5768fbb556a8ecd2e3b40a926c603218)

#### For Docker Containers

```bash theme={null}
# Access logs from a running container
docker exec -it tyk-portal cat /var/log/portal/portal.log
```

#### For Kubernetes

```bash theme={null}
# Access logs from a running pod
kubectl exec -it deployment/tyk-portal -n tyk -- cat /var/log/portal/portal.log
```

## Troubleshooting

> [accordion] Permission Denied When Accessing Audit Logs
>
> 1. **Check if audit logging is enabled**: Verify `PORTAL_AUDIT_LOG_ENABLE` is set to `true`
> 2. **Verify directory exists**: Ensure the directory specified in `PORTAL_AUDIT_LOG_PATH` exists
> 3. **Check permissions**: Confirm the Portal process has write permissions to the log directory
> 4. **Check Portal logs**: Review Portal startup logs for any configuration errors
>
> ```bash theme={null}
> # Check if the directory exists
> ls -la /var/log/portal/
>
> # Check Portal container logs
> docker logs tyk-portal 2>&1 | grep -i audit
> ```