Logs are a fundamental feature of many technology systems. From smartphones and routers to web servers and everything in between, logs have been a mainstay component ever since the early days of computers.
In essence, logs keep a chronological record of system activities and play a critical role in security, compliance, user management, and accountability.
WordPress does not keep an activity log by default, which is why WP Activity Log is an essential plugin when it comes to proper WordPress management and security.
In this WordPress plugin review, we will examine WP Activity Log’s offerings, providing you with the information you need to make the right decision for your website.
What Is WP Activity Log Plugin?
WP Activity Log is a WordPress activity logging plugin developed by Melapress (formerly WP White Security). It enables administrators to keep a record of both user and system activities that take place on their website. In turn, this enables better security, user management and accountability, easier troubleshooting, and compliance.
WP Activity Log is a feature-rich plugin that accommodates different setups and use cases straight out of the box. It can log a very comprehensive list of different activities, including additional information such as the username, IP address, and other important information.
It also offers additional features, such as third-party plugin integration, external database connectivity (including log management systems), user session management capabilities, and much more.
WP Activity Log Plugin Plans and Pricing
WP Activity Log comes in both free and premium editions, with multiple premium plans available depending on the functionality you need. This allows you to choose the edition/plan that works best for you.
- Enterprise Plan: Price: $189 per year
- Premium Plan: Price: $139 per year
- Free Plan
It is worth noting that even in the free edition, there are no restrictions on which activities the plugin logs. Whether you get the free or a premium plan, you’ll be able to keep a record of all activities.
The premium editions add some great features not available in the free version. These include notifications, reports, user session management, external database capabilities, and more.
If you’re unsure which features you need, refer to the WP Activity Log pricing page to see what’s included and what isn’t with each plan. You’re always covered by the 30-day money-back guarantee anyway.
Comparison of WP Activity Logith Other Logging Plugins
WP Activity Log performs very well compared to the competition. While it is the only one with a premium edition, its list of features far outweighs the competition’s.
| Comparison Factors | WP Activity Log | Simple History | Activity Log |
| User rating | 4.6/5 | 4.9/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Active installations | 200,000+ | 200,000+ | 200,000+ |
| External database support | Yes | No | No |
| User session management | Yes | No | No |
| 3rd party plugin support | Out-of-the-box and hooks documentation | Limited | Limited |
| Notifications | Email and SMS | No | No |
| Premium starting price | $99 p/year | NA | NA |
Installing WP Activity Log
Installing WP Activity Log is straightforward and follows the standard plugin installation process. If you’ve purchased a premium plan or are using the free trial, you’ll receive a subscription email with a link to download the plugin ZIP file. Simply upload this ZIP file in your WordPress dashboard to install the plugin.
- For the free version navigate to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
Search for the WP Activity Log and then click on Install Now.
For the premium plan or a free trial, you must enter your license key before the plugin can be activated. You’ll also find this in the email you receive when purchasing a subscription.
Configuring WP Activity Log
Configuring WP Activity Log is easy, thanks to the built-in setup wizard, which appears immediately after activating the plugin.
While the wizard does not go through each setting, it allows you to quickly and easily set up all the basics. Of course, you can also choose to dismiss the wizard and go through each setting yourself. Fair warning: This plugin can be customized quite heavily, so there are quite a few settings available. Do make sure you refer to the WP Activity Log plugin’s documentation to ensure you don’t miss out on anything.
Once you click Yes, the wizard will start with a welcome screen. Click the Start Configuring the Plugin button to start the configuration process.
Step 1: Choose the Level of Detail
Next, choose the log’s level of detail. The Geek level will log all activities, while Basic will only keep a high-level overview.
Keep in mind that whatever you set here can be changed at any point in time from the plugin’s settings. So, if you’re unsure or have commitment issues – don’t worry.
Step 2: Specify Login Pages
In the next step, specify whether you only use the default login page or have other pages (such may be true if you’re using WooCommerce, MemberPress, or another plugin or page that allows users to sign in). By enabling this option, the WP Activity Log monitors the entire front end for sign-ins, ensuring nothing is missed.
Step 3: Specify Whether You Allow User Signups
In the next step, we must specify whether our WordPress website allows user sign-ups. Enabling this setting tells WP Activity Log to listen for sign-ups and ensure they are appropriately recorded in the activity log.
Step 4: Specify Log Retention Duration
In the second-to-last step, we can specify how long we want to retain logs. Of course, you can keep them forever, however, if you have space constraints, you can choose between six months and one year.
Do remember that you can also choose to save the logs outside of your WordPress database.
Step 5: Finish the initial setup
Congratulations! The initial setup is done. All you need to do is click Finish.
Noteworthy Features of the WP Activity Log Plugin
WP Activity Log stands out thanks to its plethora of features, with some gems that can truly make a difference to how you manage and administer your WordPress website. Here are some of our favorites:
Log Viewer
The Log Viewer is the meat and potatoes of the WP Activity Log. Here, you can view all of the activities that have taken place on your WordPress since the plugin was activated (for obvious reasons, the plugin cannot log data if it’s not installed and activated).
By default, the logs are organized in chronological order. However, by clicking the header titles, you can sort the log using that header. For example, clicking on User will sort the log by username.
You can also click the Filter View button to bring up the extensive filter options for quicker drill-downs when looking for specific events.
User Session Management
Through the User Session Management module, you can view user activity in real time and set up policies to disallow multiple sessions from the same user account and terminate idle sessions automatically.
Integrations
Through integrations, you can choose to have the WP Activity Log save or mirror the activities to an external source – with plenty of options to choose from.
By default, all activities are saved in the local WordPress database, however, with this feature, you can choose to save them or mirror them to any of the available connections.
The wizard makes the entire process a breeze – you don’t need to write any code or do complex technical procedures.
3rd party plugin support
WP Activity Log offers extensive third- party plugin support, including WooCommerce, Yoast, MemberPress, and many others. All you need to do is enable the extension for the plugin you want to track activities for, and the WP Activity Log will start tracking those activities.
Notifications
Through notifications, you can receive email or SMS notifications for pretty much anything that happens on your website. There are several built-in notifications that have been pre-configured – all you need to do is enable them.
You can also set up custom notifications through a rules-based system that allows you to narrow things down as much as you want to. The notifications themselves can also be customized to ensure you get the information you need wherever you are without any fluff.
Conclusion: Does the WP Activity Log Live up to the Hype?
WP Activity Log is a very strong WordPress Activity Log plugin that goes above and beyond simple activity logging. Not only does it keep a comprehensive and extensive log, it comes with many supporting features that enable you to make the most out of your logs.
Do you keep a log of what is happening on your WordPress website, and do you know who is logged in right now? Start keeping track of everything that happens on your website today with WP Activity Log.
Inshal Ali
Inshal is a Content Marketer at Cloudways. With background in computer science, skill of content and a whole lot of creativity, he helps business reach the sky and go beyond through content that speaks the language of their customers. Apart from work, you will see him mostly in some online games or on a football field.
