Problem

You want to monitor the activity of a Movable Type system or weblog.

Solution

Use the Activity Log to view and filter all common actions that have taken place on the system.

Discussion

The Activity Log records all common actions that take place in a Movable Type installation. This log provides administrators and weblog publishers with important information to how the system is running. This information includes:

• Successful logins and incorrect login attempts
• Creates, updates, and deletes of weblogs and entries
• Deletes of comments and TrackBack pings
• Detailed errors generated by plugins
• MT search engine queries

Click the Activity Log button on the System Toolbar or the Weblog Toolbar. Entering the log from the Weblog Toolbar will automatically filter the activity for a specific weblog.

In addition to the Activity Log interface, this data can also be searched using the built-in search and replace tool. (See "Using Advanced Search and Replace Functions".) Two of the many ways that you can filter using the search tool include specific string or date range.

Exporting the Activity Log in Comma-Separated Value (CSV) Format

Movable Type now makes it easy to get your Activity Log data out of the system using the universally supported CSV export format. Using this feature, log data can be backed up or further analyzed and graphed in a spreadsheet application. The potential uses are many.

To get a CSV export of the data, go into the Activity Log and click the "Export in CSV" link at the top of the screen. The file will begin downloading in your browser. If you are viewing activity for a specific weblog, the exported file will also be limited to that specific weblog.