User Action Log

Note: This content is no longer updated. For the latest content, please go to the user guide for M-Files Online. For information on the supported product versions, refer to our lifecycle policy.

You can enable the User Action Log feature to have more visibility into the actions performed by individual M-Files Desktop users in a given vault. The feature allows the additional events described in the table below to be included in the vault event log. To enable the feature, see Enabling User Action Log.

Important remarks

Please take the following information into consideration when using the feature:

  • Actions performed via M-Files Web, M-Files Mobile or any M-Files API based custom clients are not logged.
  • Actions performed in offline mode are not logged.
  • Using this feature considerably increases the size of the vault log.

Logged events

When the feature is in use, the following additional events are recorded to the vault event log:

Event Description
Collection Members dialog opened An event of this type is recorded when the Collection Members dialog is opened in M-Files Desktop.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who opened the dialog
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The name and ID of the object
Column inserted An event of this type is recorded when a column is added to a listing in M-Files Desktop.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who performed the modification
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The column that was added
Column removed An event of this type is recorded when a column is removed from a listing in M-Files Desktop.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who performed the modification
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The column that was removed
Column settings modified An event of this type is recorded when columns are added or removed via the Choose Columns dialog in the M-Files Desktop.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who performed the modification
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The columns that are visible to the user after the modification
Data exported An event of this type is recorded when data is exported from the vault.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who did the export operation
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The export settings and the number of exported objects
  • The name and ID of the exported objects
File opened An event of this type is recorded when a file is opened via M-Files Desktop.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who opened the file
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The name and ID of the object
File opened for document comparison An event of this type is recorded when a user compares document content in M-Files Desktop.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who compared document content
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The name and ID of the compared document
Metadata card opened An event of this type is recorded when the metadata card is displayed in the right pane, bottom pane, or popped out for any object.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who opened the metadata card
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The property IDs, name, and ID of the object

The property IDs are shown only if you have enabled this behavior via settings of the feature.
Object copied to clipboard An event of this type is recorded when an object is copied to the Windows clipboard in M-Files Desktop.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who copied the object
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The name and ID of the object

If multiple objects are copied, all items are separately logged.
Object dragged from M-Files An event of this type is recorded when an object is dragged and dropped from M-Files Desktop.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who exported the object
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The name and ID of the object

If multiple objects are exported, all items are logged.
Object history opened An event of this type is recorded when the History dialog is opened via M-Files Desktop.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who opened the dialog
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The name and ID of the object
Object listing invoked An event of this type is recorded when a search is performed in M-Files Desktop.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who invoked the listing
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The search terms and search criteria
Object listing requested from server An event of this type is recorded when a search is performed in M-Files Desktop.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who requested the listing
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The search terms and search criteria

For M-Files to start recording events of this type, you must restart the vault after enabling the feature.
Object relationships opened An event of this type is recorded when the relationships of an object are browsed in the M-Files Desktop listing area.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who browsed the relationships
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The name and ID of the object
Object or objects marked to be available offline An event of this type is recorded when M-Files Desktop is used to mark an object to be available in the offline mode.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who marked the object to be available offline
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The name and ID of the object
Preview tab opened An event of this type is recorded when the preview tab is displayed for a document or a non-document object containing one or more files.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who opened the preview pane
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The name and ID of the document (or, alternatively, the name of the file and the name and ID of the object containing the file)
Relationships dialog opened An event of this type is recorded when the Relationship dialog is opened in M-Files Desktop.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who opened the dialog
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The name and ID of the object
Search initiated An event of this type is recorded when a search is performed in M-Files Desktop.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who performed the search
  • The search terms
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The columns shown in the listing area
View or folder marked to be available offline An event of this type is recorded when M-Files Desktop is used to mark a view or folder to be available in the offline mode.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who marked the view or grouping level to be available offline
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The name and ID of the object
View or folder opened An event of this type is recorded when a view or grouping level is opened in M-Files Desktop.
The entry contains the following details:
  • The user who opened the view or grouping level
  • The timestamp of the event
  • The name and ID of the object
  • The columns shown in the listing area