# Logs & Telemetry

Use client logs to diagnose a problem on your computer, or the website's Logs panel to inspect recent activity. Neither a connected status nor a log entry alone proves a model is ready to answer.

## Read client logs

Read recent output once:

```bash
actual logs --tail 100 --once
```

Follow new output:

```bash
actual logs
```

Filter recent errors:

```bash
actual logs --since 5m --level error --once
```

Use `actual logs --help` for available filters, including component selection. Use `actual stats` or `actual stats --format json` to inspect current operating statistics.

## Find the log file

Run `actual status` and read **Log file**. Current installations normally keep rotating logs in the user's local application-data directory:

| Platform | Default location |
| --- | --- |
| macOS | `~/Library/Application Support/actual/logs/actual.log` |
| Linux | `~/.local/share/actual/logs/actual.log` |
| Windows | `%LOCALAPPDATA%\actual\logs\actual.log` |

Settings and environment overrides can change the location. Older builds may not report a destination, and file logging can be disabled. The path reported by your running instance is the one to inspect.

## Collect a diagnostic excerpt

```bash
actual logs --tail 200 --once > actual-diagnostic.log
```

Review the excerpt before sharing it and remove credentials or private content. Include the time and timezone, affected computer or cluster, model, client version, and the action that failed.

If you need a custom log destination, deliberately restart Actual with the setting. Restarting interrupts current work:

```bash
actual restart --log-file /tmp/actual.log
```

Passing a startup log flag while Actual is already running does not change that running instance's log destination. Use a suitable writable path on your platform.

## Inspect website logs

Open [Computers](/console/computers), select the relevant computer or cluster, and open **Logs**. The panel shows up to 50 recent rows and refreshes while open. Updates can be delayed, and offline or unavailable computers may have no recent entries.

The panel has no dedicated export button. Copy a small relevant excerpt, or collect client logs for a longer diagnostic record.

See [Machine Installation](/docs/machine-installation), [Model Discovery](/docs/model-discovery), and [API Quickstart](/docs/api-quickstart) for recovery steps.