Last updated: October 22, 2026 · Category: Guide · Editorial review · About the authors
Key Takeaways
- The audit log records administrative actions: bans, kicks, role changes, channel edits, invite changes, bot additions, and more. Open it from Server Settings > Audit Log.
- Entries are kept for 45 days, and you need the View Audit Log permission to see them.
- It records that something happened and who did it. It does not show deleted message text, and it has no entry for a member simply joining or leaving.
The Discord audit log is a record of administrative actions in your server. According to Discord's Audit Logs documentation (retrieved 2026-09-28), "when an administrative action is performed in a guild, an entry is added to its audit log." You can view it in Server Settings with the View Audit Log permission. The same documentation says "all audit log entries are stored for 45 days," and Discord's server caps article (retrieved 2026-09-28) lists the same limit.
This article explains Discord's audit log feature. If you want to check your invite leaderboard for farmed joins instead, see how to audit your Discord server for fake invites.
How to Open the Audit Log
Open Server Settings and select Audit Log.
If you do not see it, your role lacks View Audit Log. A server admin can enable it under Server Settings > Roles. Give it to moderators who investigate incidents, not to every member.
Each entry shows who performed the action, what changed, and when. Some actions also carry a reason. Discord's Time Out FAQ (retrieved 2026-09-28) notes that the reason a moderator enters for a timeout "is recorded in the audit log."
What the Audit Log Records
Discord's developer documentation lists every event type. Grouped by area, the main ones are:
| Area | Examples of recorded events |
|---|---|
| Members | Member removed (kick), members pruned, member banned, ban lifted, member updated, roles added or removed |
| Voice | Member moved to another voice channel, member disconnected |
| Roles | Role created, edited, deleted |
| Channels and threads | Created, updated, deleted, permission overwrites changed |
| Invites | Invite created, updated, deleted |
| Apps and webhooks | Bot added, app added or removed, webhook created or deleted |
| Messages | Single message deleted, multiple messages deleted, message pinned or unpinned |
| AutoMod | Rule created or changed, message blocked, message flagged, member timed out by AutoMod |
| Server | Server settings updated, onboarding questions created or changed |
What the Audit Log Does Not Show
Knowing the gaps saves time during an investigation:
- Message content. Deletions can appear as "Single message was deleted" or "Multiple messages were deleted," with details such as the channel. The documented entry fields do not include the text of the message.
- Ordinary joins and leaves. The event list has entries for kicks, prunes, and bans, but none for a member joining or leaving on their own.
- Anything older than 45 days. Entries expire after that.
- Regular chat activity. It is a log of administrative actions, not a chat history.
For joins, Discord's Members Page article (retrieved 2026-09-28) says the Members page shows "when they joined the server" and "how they joined the server." Discord adds that "specific information like invite codes will require Manage Server permission," and that the Members page is only available on browser and desktop.
Common Investigations
Who banned or kicked someone
Look for the ban or kick entry for that member. It names the moderator and, if one was given, the reason. Kick vs. ban vs. timeout covers what each action does.
Who changed a role or permission
Role edits and role assignments each have their own entries. Channel permission overwrites have separate entries too, and they are the other place to check when a channel suddenly becomes visible to the wrong people.
Who created or deleted an invite
Invite creation, updates, and deletion are all recorded. That helps when a shared link stops working and you need to know whether someone deleted it. Discord invite link not working covers the other causes.
The audit log shows who created an invite, not who joined through it. With Manage Server, the Members page shows the invite code each member used, when Discord has it. An invite tracker adds running counts per inviter and a history over time by comparing invite use counts at each join, as explained in how to see who invited who on Discord.
Which bot was added, and by whom
"Bot user was added to server" and app entries show when a bot arrived and who added it. After a raid or a destructive incident, check these first, and review what permissions each recently added bot holds. Discord raid protection covers the response steps.
For Bot Developers: Audit Log Reasons
Apps that take moderation actions through the API can attach a reason. The documentation says apps pass an X-Audit-Log-Reason header, which "supports 1-512 URL-encoded UTF-8 characters" and is "visible to users in the client." Apps read the log through the GET /guilds/{guild.id}/audit-logs endpoint, which also requires View Audit Log.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I see the audit log on Discord?
Open Server Settings and select Audit Log. You need a role with the View Audit Log permission. Discord's developer documentation says audit logs can be seen by users in the server's Server Settings or fetched by apps through the API.
How long does Discord keep audit log entries?
Discord's developer documentation says all audit log entries are stored for 45 days.
Does the Discord audit log show deleted messages?
It can record message deletions, as a single deletion or a bulk deletion, along with details such as the channel. The documented entry fields do not include the message text, so it cannot tell you what the message said.
Does the audit log show people joining or leaving?
Not as audit log events. Discord's list of audit log events covers kicks, prunes, bans, and member updates, but no event for a member joining or leaving on their own. The server's Members page shows when and how each member joined; the invite code itself requires Manage Server.
Can I clear the Discord audit log?
Discord's documentation describes no way to delete entries. They are stored for 45 days.