Understanding the Activity Log: Expected Behaviour

The Activity Log serves as the definitive paper trail for your data, capturing every modification with precision. To help you audit changes effectively, the system follows a specific set of rules to ensure logs remain readable, consistent, and meaningful.

Here is what you can expect to see when reviewing your logs:

1. Tracking Field Modifications

The log focuses on two primary data points for every edit:

• Fields Changed: This column lists the specific names of all fields that were modified during a single save event.

• Values: This column provides the context of the change using a standardized format:

  field_name: "old value" → "new value"

2. Handling Different Data Types

Depending on the type of information being edited, the log adapts its display to keep things clear:

• Booleans (Toggles): Switches are logged by their state. You will see either false → true or true → false.

• Empty States: If a text field is cleared entirely, the log will preserve the original data for context, displayed as: previous value → (empty).

• Arrays and Repeaters: To prevent the log from becoming cluttered with massive blocks of data, complex fields (like lists or repeater groups) are summarized. Instead of listing every sub-field, it displays: (array, N items) → (array, N items).

3. Data Optimization & Noise Reduction

To maintain a clean interface and save storage, the system applies the following logic:

• Text Truncation: For long-form text fields, the log focuses on the beginning of the string. Values are truncated at approximately 80 characters, followed by an ellipsis (...).

• No-Change Protection: The system is "change-aware." If a user hits save but has not actually modified any data on the page, no event will be logged. This prevents the audit trail from being filled with "ghost" edits.