# Read and export the change log

The change log records who changed what and when. Filter it by event, person, period, or severity to find what you’re looking for, and download it as a file if you need to.

> **Type:** guide
> **For:** Owners and Managers who want to trace a change
> **Prerequisite:** the Owner or Manager role
> **Where in the portal:** **Settings › Organization › Change log** (“Who changed what and when — traceable, filterable and exportable.”)

## Steps

### Find an event

![The change log list with the filters Event type (1), Person (2), Period (3), and Severity (4) and the columns Time, Event, Triggered by, and Resource (5)](/organization/bilder/efd76dee-change-log-list.png)

1. Open **Settings › Organization › Change log**. The list shows **Time**, **Event**, **Triggered by**, and **Resource**, with the newest entries first.
2. Narrow down via **Event type**. Without a choice, it says **All event types**, and an area can be chosen as a whole.
3. Narrow down to one account via **Person** (otherwise **All people**).
4. Choose the **Period**: **All time**, **Last 24 hours**, **Last 7 days**, **Last 30 days**, **Last 90 days**, or **Custom** with the fields **From** and **To**.
5. If needed, choose the **Severity**: **Debug**, **Info**, **Warning**, or **Error**.
6. Click **Load more** for further entries. **Reset** clears all filters.

Even silent events appear in the log, such as the deletion of a role and every use of an emergency account.

### Open an entry

1. Click a row. The page **Change log entry** shows **Event type**, **Timestamp**, **Triggered by**, **Kind**, **Resource**, and, if stored, the **Reason**, which is the sentence someone enters when changing a role.
2. Under **Technical details** are **Trace id**, **Correlation id**, and **Source domain**. With them, you assign an event to a process.
3. **Payload** shows the changed fields with old and new values. If you lack the permission, it says: “The payload of this entry is reserved for owners. It contains changed values and may carry personal data.”

### Request an export

1. Open the **Exports** section and click **Request export**.
2. In the dialog, choose the **Format**: **CSV**, **JSON**, or **PDF**.
3. Turn on **Apply current filter** if only your selection should go into the file. Without a filter, the dialog warns: “No filter is set — the export covers the entire visible period.”
4. Confirm with **Start export**. The export runs in the background. The status goes from **Pending** through **Processing** to **Completed**.
5. Then click **Download**. **Delete** removes a file before it expires.

## Options

### Who triggered the event

Not every entry comes from a person. The **Kind** names the trigger: **User**, **Operator**, **API key**, **Device**, **Display**, **Impersonation**, **Anonymous**, or **System**. For an impersonation, it also says by whom. If the account is deleted, it says **Pseudonymized**, and the entry is kept. In some entries you may see `OWNER`, `MANAGER`, and `MEMBER`, which is what the built-in roles are called in the log.

### Retention periods

Below the list is the rule: “Entries stay visible for 2 years and are deleted permanently after 7. Exports remain available for 7 days.” Each export names its own end with **Available until**.

## Check the result

- The list shows exactly the events your filters describe.
- The opened entry names time, person, and resource, and with the permission also the changed values.
- The export is **Completed**, names its row count, and can be downloaded.

## If something goes wrong

| Symptom | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| You see only your own events | Your account has **View own activity**, not **View audit log**. | Ask an Owner for the broader permission, see [Roles and permissions](/organization/permissions-by-role). |
| **The payload of this entry is reserved for owners.** | The changed values may carry personal data. | Ask an Owner to open the entry. |
| **No entries for this filter.** | The combination of period and event type matches nothing. | Widen the period or click **Reset**. |
| **Row limit of … reached** | “The run hit the upper limit — there are further matches that are not in the file.” | Narrow the period and request again. |
| The export is **Failed** | The run did not get through. | Request again, if necessary with a narrower period. |
| **The download could not be started.** | The file has expired or cannot be reached. | Check whether **Available until** has passed, and request the export again. |

## Related

- [Manage members: change role, block, remove](/organization/manage-members)
- [Roles and permissions](/organization/permissions-by-role)
- [Set up webhooks and check deliveries](/developers/set-up-webhooks)