> ## 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](/5.12/developer-support/release-notes/portal#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](/5.12/getting-started/quick-start).
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.
</Note>

## Instructions

### 1. Configure Audit Logging

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

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Environment Variables">
    Set the following environment variables:

    ```bash theme={null}
    PORTAL_AUDIT_LOG_ENABLE=true
    PORTAL_AUDIT_LOG_PATH=/var/log/portal
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Configuration File">
    Add the following to your Portal configuration file:

    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "AuditLog": {
        "Enable": true,
        "Path": "/var/log/portal"
      }
    }
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<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.
</Warning>

For more information on configuration options, refer to the [Portal Configuration Reference](/5.12/product-stack/tyk-enterprise-developer-portal/deploy/configuration#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
```

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/tyk/nBAhWH9L046PbGd6/img/developer-portal/portal-audit-logs.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=nBAhWH9L046PbGd6&q=85&s=5768fbb556a8ecd2e3b40a926c603218" alt="Portal Audit Logs" width="3023" height="1844" data-path="img/developer-portal/portal-audit-logs.png" />

#### 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

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="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
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>