Site Activity Log
The Activity Log is a running timeline of everything that happens to your site inside InstaWP — plans changes, SSH being enabled, backups, magic logins, and more. Each entry records what happened, who did it, and when, so you always have an audit trail for the site.
In this documentation, we will explore:
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What the Activity Log Shows
The Activity Log answers the question "what changed on this site, and who changed it?" Use it to:
- Audit changes — see exactly when a plan, setting, or feature was changed
- Track your team — every action is attributed to the person who performed it
- Troubleshoot — line up an issue with the change that caused it (e.g. when SSH was toggled)
- Review access — spot when and from where actions were taken
Entries are grouped by date, newest first, as a scrollable timeline.
How to Open the Activity Log
Step 1: Go to your Sites page and open the site you want to review.
Step 2: In the site menu, expand Advanced and click Activity Log.
Step 3: The log opens with the most recent activity at the top.
Reading an Entry
Each entry in the timeline gives you the full context of a single action:
| Field | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Action | What happened — e.g. Site Created, Site Installation Complete, SSH Enabled |
| User | The team member who performed the action |
| Time | The time the action happened |
| Timezone | The timezone the timestamp is shown in |
| IP address | The IP the action was performed from |
Some entries also have a View Details button. Click it to open an Activity Details panel with the extra technical metadata for that action — useful when you need the specifics of what was created or changed.
Tip: Scroll to the bottom of the timeline to see "All activity loaded" — that means you've reached the oldest recorded entry for the site.
What Gets Logged
The Activity Log captures the meaningful lifecycle and management events for a site, including:
- Site lifecycle — site created, installation complete, cloned, restored, deleted
- Access & connectivity — SSH or SFTP enabled or disabled, Web Terminal sessions
- Plans & billing — plan upgrades, downgrades, and expiry changes
- Configuration — PHP version, caching, and other site-level setting changes
Note: The Activity Log records actions taken through the InstaWP dashboard and tools. It is not a replacement for a full WordPress audit-log plugin — for changes made inside WordPress (posts, plugins, user edits), install a dedicated WordPress activity plugin on the site.
FAQs
Can I delete or clear the Activity Log?
No. The log is read-only by design so it stays a trustworthy record of what happened to the site.
Who can see the Activity Log?
Anyone with dashboard access to the site can open it. Every action is attributed to the team member who performed it.
Why does an entry show an IP address?
So you can see where an action originated. This is helpful for security reviews — for example, confirming that a change came from an expected location.
Does the log show changes made inside WordPress?
No. It records actions taken through InstaWP (the dashboard, site tools, and connectivity features). For content and plugin changes made within wp-admin, use a WordPress activity-log plugin on the site itself.
Related Articles
- Site Credentials - View, copy, and update your WordPress admin login
- Change the Default Magic Login User - Choose which admin Magic Login signs you in as
- Web Terminal - Run shell and WP-CLI commands from your browser
- Sites Overview - A tour of your sites and what you can do with them