In Dropbox, you can find Logs, kinds of log files related to different events and activities. This may include, for example, log files relating to events, activities, connected devices, types of browsers used and team activities. Dropbox Logs list all relevant data on times and types of access, as well as changes and user data, and can be particularly handy for organizational and security issues.
Dropbox Logs: what is it?
Dropbox and its alternatives, like Google Drive and iCloud, are some of the most popular cloud storage and file hosting providers around the world. This service offers its users a 2 GB cloud storage space, and free of charge. It’s also a handy alternative to FTP, as it lets you send up to 100MB through Dropbox Transfer. As part of its paid plans, Dropbox offers more memory and more features.
Since cloud services are always related to data protection, cloud security and access control, Dropbox provides you with automatic reports in the form of Dropbox log files. These make it possible to document file changes, security events, new files uploaded, connected devices, etc. For individual users using Dropbox as a backup method for their files, Logs are used to identify suspicious access. For people who have chosen Dropbox for teamwork or other professional purposes, Logs can be useful for organizing, monitoring, delegating and analyzing team activities.
Dropbox Logs: how to find them?
Different log files are generated for your Dropbox activities. Find out with us how to find and open these log files. Whether you use your desktop computer or your mobile application, the procedure remains the same.
Logs for events (“events”)
Event log files list all activity related to the particular Dropbox account. Below are the steps to find your event log files:
Step 1: open the link dropbox.com/events and log in.
2nd step: in the « Events » menu, you can now consult the list of all your activities. On the right side of the screen, look for the menu field » All events » ; just below, a « Calendar » menu allows you to perform a targeted search for events for a given period.
Logs for activities
There « Activity » log function shows a list of all activity related to files, folders, or projects saved to your Dropbox account, including information and options for the following activities:
- Add
- To modify
- Move
- Rename
- Restore (the previous version) To access these activities, you just need to do the following:
Step 1 : Sign in to your Dropbox account.
2nd step : in the boot menu, the option » Activity is at the bottom right. Click on this one.
Step 3 : in the information pane of the “Activity” option, click on “Filter”. This will give you information about the recorded activities. You can use this function for folders, but also for files and projects that you select.
Step 4 If you have enabled the option to display viewer information for the file in question, the file preview lets you know in real time which users with read or edit access are viewing or opening a file. shared file.
The information displayed on these activities is not applicable to files downloaded from Dropbox and modified externally.
Logs for connected devices
The Logs of connected or registered devices and browsers are particularly useful for the security of your Dropbox account. You can check whether only recognized devices with the necessary access permissions are displayed. These Logs can be found in your profile settings, under the “Security” section. They are divided into different categories:
- Web browsers : information on the type of browser, the place and time of connection, as well as the IP address
- Devices/mobile devices associated with Paper : information about the device name, location and time of connection
- Mobile device contacts : contact information imported from paired mobile devices To access this information, simply do the following:
Step 1 : start by logging in to your account, and click on your profile picture (top right), then access the « Settings » option.
2nd step : in the “Settings” menu, click on the “Security” tab.
Step 3 : The « Security » menu contains information about registered web browsers and devices connected to your Dropbox account, devices associated with Paper and contacts imported from the relevant mobile devices.
Step 4 : If unknown devices, browsers or contacts appear, check if changes have already been made to the files in question.
Dropbox Logs with a Business account (in the analytics dashboard)
With an account Dropbox Businessyou can enjoy a dedicated analytics dashboard. This gives you access to useful and clear information on the activities (past and present) of your team, but also to shortcuts to the main administration functions. You can also search for specific members, using their name and email address, and view current member counts, invites, licenses, and newly added members. You also have an overview of the scope of your team’s activities. This includes details on:
- Shared files and folders of pending members and added members
- Deleted member shared files and folders
- The active and archived folders of the different team members To access this analytics dashboard, simply follow the steps below:
Step 1 : Log in to your Dropbox account as an administrator.
2nd step : in the menu on the left, go to the » Admin Console « .
Step 3 : under “Activity”, you now have access to the following information:
- Active members
- Storage space
- Links created
- Active shared folders
- Active devices
- Relevant figures You can also take advantage of the functions below from the administration console:
- Search for team members
- Access your team’s statistics
- Invite new users
- Send a reminder for invitations
- Add licenses
- View usage data for a specific person
- Know the intensity of team activities
- Show security warning message
- View External Pages Information available to you through the Admin Console includes your team’s activities over the past 28 days. Adding, editing, viewing, and sharing files are documented activities. You can also enjoy information about storage space used and about links and folders shared with at least two members. To perform a targeted search, do not hesitate to filter this information using criteria such as periods, members, files or activities. To do this, go to “Activity”, then click on “ Add an activity « .
Dropbox activity reports for admins
Dropbox gives admins the ability to create activity reports and export them. To achieve this, you just need to follow the steps below:
Step 1 : Log in to your Dropbox account as an administrator.
2nd step : Go to the « Admin console » section and select « Activity ».
Step 3 : Use the corresponding criteria to filter the data you want to obtain.
Step 4 : Export the log file report by clicking » Create a report « .
Log reports are saved locally as CSV files. To find them, navigate to the folder “ Reports for Dropbox Business « . A confirmation is sent to you by email as soon as the report is available. Depending on the criteria used to filter, the report may contain information about the following:
- The date and time of the activities
- The name of the users who performed an action
- Details of the documented activity
- The location associated with an access and an IP address
- Apps used and reviews
- Usernames and passwords used
- File requests
- Your team’s groups, members and folders, rules and profiles
Dropbox Business: activities related to shared files
Administrators can also take advantage of a function linked to Logs of shared files. You can therefore access information on sharing activities and the files that members exchange within the company, or even outside it. You can follow the steps below to access these logs:
Step 1 : Log in to your Dropbox account as an administrator.
2nd step : go to « Admin console », then to « Activity », and select the filter » Sharing « .
Step 3 : to consult the latest member sharing activitiesclick on « Users » in the left menu, then on the name of the member you are interested in in the list.
Step 4 : to display all actions related to a specific team, choose the option » Create a full report « . This will inform you about all the actions related to the sharing activities of the members concerned.
Sharing activity documented by Dropbox may include the following:
- Creating a shared folder
- Invitations to access certain folders
- Access to a file
- Removing a member from a folder
- Changing member roles
- Transferring ownership of a file
- Suspending folder sharing
- Changing a folder’s sharing permissions
- Changing general sharing permissions for a folder
- Transferring a shared folder from a professional Dropbox account to another private account
The “Activity” section also gives you detailed information about actions related to shared data and links, file requests and shares associated with Paper.
