Depending on your Google Workspace edition, you might have access to the security investigation tool, which has more advanced features. For example, super admins can identify, triage, and take action on security and privacy issues. Learn more
As your organization's administrator, you can run searches and take action on Drive log events. For example, you can view a record of actions to see your organization's user activity in Drive. Drive log events include content your users create in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and other Google Workspace apps, and content that your users upload to Drive, such as PDFs and Microsoft Word files.You can use the Activity API to programmatically access basic reports data. If your Google Workspace edition supports it, you can use a new Reports API to access advanced Google Workspace reports data.
Important:
- Not all activities in Drive are logged. For a list of what’s included in the log, on this page see Logged and unlogged events.
- For details on when data becomes available and how long it's retained, go to Data retention and lag times.
- Most Drive audit events are logged only for files owned by users with supported editions. The exceptions are URL Accessed events, which are logged when the user who starts an Apps Script script that accesses a URL is in your organization and has a supported edition.
Run a search for log events
Your ability to run a search depends on your Google edition, your administrative privileges, and the data source. You can run a search on all users, regardless of their Google Workspace edition.
To run a search for log events, first choose a data source. Then choose one or more filters for your search.
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Sign in to your Google Admin console.
Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).
-
In the Admin console, go to Menu
Reporting
Audit and investigation
- Click Add a filter, and then select an attribute.
- In the pop-up window, select an operator
- (Optional) To create multiple filters for your search, repeat this step.
- (Optional) To add a search operator, above Add a filter, select AND or OR.
- Click Search.
Note: Using the Filter tab, you can include simple parameter and value pairs to filter the search results. You can also use the Condition builder tab, where the filters are represented as conditions with AND/OR operators.
To run a search in the security investigation tool, first choose a data source. Then, choose one or more conditions for your search. For each condition, choose an attribute, an operator, and a value.
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Sign in to your Google Admin console.
Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).
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In the Admin console, go to Menu
Security
- Click Data source and select Drive log events.
- Click Add Condition.
Tip: You can include one or more conditions in your search or customize your search with nested queries. For details, go to Customize your search with nested queries. - Click Attribute
For a complete list of attributes, go to the Attribute descriptions section (later on this page). - Select an operator.
- Enter a value or select a value from the list.
- (Optional) To add more search conditions, repeat steps 4–7.
- Click Search.
You can review the search results from the investigation tool in a table at the bottom of the page. - (Optional) To save your investigation, click Save
Notes
- In the Condition builder tab, filters are represented as conditions with AND/OR operators. You can also use the Filter tab to include simple parameter and value pairs to filter the search results.
- If you gave a user a new name, you will not see query results with the user's old name. For example, if you rename OldName@example.com to NewName@example.com, you will not see results for events related to OldName@example.com.
Attribute descriptions
For this data source, you can use the following attributes when searching log event data:
Note:
- Not all attributes in the following list are reported for all events.
- The following list is not exhaustive and is subject to change. For more details about Drive log events, go to Drive Audit Activity Events on the Google Workspace Admin SDK website.
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Actor | Email address of the user who performed the action. Users external to the domain are shown as anonymous, except when they view or edit a document explicitly shared with them (as an individual or as part of a specific group) |
| Actor group name |
Group name of the actor. For more information, go to Filtering results by Google Group. To add a group to your filtering groups allowlist:
|
| Actor organizational unit | Organizational unit of the actor |
| API method | For Download and Item content accessed actions that occur through a third-party app, the API method used by the action. For example, drive.files.export. |
| App ID | Oauth client ID of the third-party app that performed the action |
| App name | The app that performed the action |
| Audience | Target domain in case the audit log is for a visibility change |
| Billable | (Essentials edition only) Whether the user action is a chargeable activity |
| Date |
Date and time the event occurred (displayed in your browser's default time zone) Note: Most events are logged when they’re complete. Sometimes large uploads can take a while to log. |
| Document ID |
Unique Drive item identifier associated with the activity, as stored in the URL link for the file. Note: For URL Accessed events, document ID and other file-related fields, such as document type and owner, are reported only for certain actions. For details, on this page see URL accessed. |
| Document type | File format that the activity involves, such as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, JPEG, PDF, PNG, MP4, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, txt, HTML, MPEG audio, QuickTime video, folder, or shared drives |
| Domain* | The domain where the action occurred |
| Encrypted* | Whether the file is client-side encrypted |
| Event name |
Events such as View, Rename, Create, Edit, Print, Delete, Upload, and Download. Most actions are logged immediately. However, Print events in the Drive viewer can be delayed 12 hours or more from the time of the event. Files that are automatically deleted by Google Drive or emptied from Trash are logged. Other events, such as uploading a file, are logged once they’re complete. |
| Impersonation |
Application used domain-wide delegation to make a request on a user's behalf. True indicates that the event was performed on a user's behalf. You can review Actor to find the user’s email and App ID and App name to identify the application. Learn more about domain-wide delegation. |
| IP address* |
Address from where the user performed the activity. This might reflect the user's physical location, but it can be something else like a proxy server or a Virtual Private Network (VPN) address. No IP addresses are logged for events:
|
| New publish visibility value | New visibility of the document |
| New value* | New value of the changed setting |
| New value IDs* | New value of the label field |
| Old publish visibility value | Old visibility of the document if the activity is a visibility change |
| Old value* | Old value of the changed setting |
| Old value IDs* | Old value of the label field |
| Owner |
User who owns the file. |
| Prior visibility | Previous visibility of the document in case visibility is changed |
| Recipients* | Email addresses of the recipients |
| Shared drive ID | The Drive ID of the shared drive containing the file. If the file is not in a shared drive, this field isn't populated. |
| Target | User whose access is changed |
| Title | Title of the document |
| Visibility | Visibility of the Drive item associated with the activity |
| Visibility change | Visibility of the Drive item before the activity |
| Visitor | Yes means that the activity is by a non-Google user. No means that the activity is by a Google user. Learn more about sharing documents with visitors. |
Note: If you gave a user a new name, you will not see query results with the user's old name. For example, if you rename OldName@example.com to NewName@example.com, you will not see results for events related to OldName@example.com.
View files shared outside of a domain
To see files that are shared with users outside of a domain:
Audit and investigation page
- Open the log events as described above in Run a search for log events.
- Click Add a filter
- Click Search.
If you turn off external sharing and a user shares a resource with a group that allows external users, data is marked Shared externally in the log, even if the group doesn’t have any external users. However, external users in the group can’t access the shared resource.
Security investigation tool
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Sign in to your Google Admin console.
Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).
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In the Admin console, go to Menu
- Click Data source
- Click Add Condition.
- Click Attribute
- Click Contains
- Click Visibility
- Click Search.
You can review the search results from the investigation tool in a table at the bottom of the page.
If you turn off external sharing and a user shares a resource with a group that allows external users, data is marked Shared externally in the log. However, external users in the group can’t access the shared resource. And, you’ll see this even if the group doesn’t have any external users.
Logged and unlogged events
Delete
Files that are automatically deleted by Google Drive or emptied from Trash are logged.
Copy
When a file is copied, Create and Copy events are logged for the new file, and a Source Copy event is logged for the original file.
When a user outside of your organization copies a file to an external location, your organization doesn’t log the Create and Copy events because the new file is external. However, your logs have the Source Copy event on the original file with a Copy Type of External. To monitor when data is copied out of your organization, you can review Source Copy events that have an External copy type.
Print events aren't recorded when a user prints a filed opened in a Google file formats (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, and Forms).
When printing files with the Drive app from an Apple iPhone and iPad or Android device, Print events might be logged as Download events.
Download
Most downloads are logged, including when files are copied between Drive and a local device using Google Drive for desktop.
Some View actions are logged as downloads:
- Previewing a file in the Drive app on a mobile device is logged as a Download event.
- Previewing a file, such as a PDF, that can’t be directly opened in Google Docs or other Google app is logged as a Download event.
Downloads from the following sources are not logged:
- Google Takeout downloads (search Takeout log events instead)
- Downloads to offline browser caches
- Photos that are synced to, downloaded from, or viewed through Google Photos
- Drive items that are emailed as attachments and downloaded through the recipient's email client
Item content synced
Item content synced events are logged in the following cases and are available for activity after July 1, 2024:
- A file is synced from Drive to a local device using Google Drive for desktop. These are also logged as Download events.
- A file is synced to a device for offline access, including ongoing syncs with the online version. Item content synced events to the Drive mobile app (Android and iOS) are also logged as Download events .
Item content accessed
Files can be accessed on behalf of users through an app that uses a Google Workspace API such as the Google Drive API or Google Sheets API. These actions aren’t logged as Download or View events, only as Item content accessed. Gemini’s Item content accessed events are logged only when file content is accessed outside of a user’s open file in Drive for web.
Item content access events aren’t logged when a file is viewed or opened by a user in Drive for web, Drive on mobile, or the Drive for desktop app.
View
- Viewing files using the /htmlview, /embed, /revisions, and other special URLs are logged as View events.
URL accessed
URL Accessed events are logged when an Apps Script script accesses a URL, including when the script is run from the Apps Script Dashboard, run as an Add-On, or run as a custom function in Sheets. URL Accessed events aren’t logged when a user clicks a link in a file.
The attributes reported depend on how the script was run and who owns it:
- When a script is run as a custom function, the document ID and other document-related attributes reflect the sheet that the function was called in.
- When a script isn’t run as a custom function, document-related attributes aren’t reported.
- Script ID is reported if the Apps Script script is owned by your organization.
Sheets Import URL
Calling a Sheets Import function, which accesses a URL, is logged as a Sheets Import URL event. An event is logged when the content of the sheet is changed by an automatic refresh or when a user opens the sheet.
Events that involve external domains
Some events involve users, shared folders, or shared drives outside your organization, such as when a user in your organization shares a file with an external user. Both organizations log an event when it changes the ownership of the item from one organization to another.
Examples of events logged by both:
- A Drive item owned by a user in your organization is moved to an external shared drive.
- A Drive item owned by a user outside of your organization is moved to a shared drive owned by your organization.
- A user copies a file into or out of your organization. The receiving organization logs the copied file’s name, not the original file name.
Examples of events logged by your organization but not logged by the external domain:
- A Drive item owned by a user in your organization is shared with an external user.
- A Drive item owned by a user in your organization is shared with a group that allows external users, even if no external users are part of the group.
- An external user views, edits, downloads, prints, or deletes a Drive item owned by your organization.
- An external user uploads a file to a shared drive owned by your organization.
Events logged by the external domain but not by your organization are the reverse of the previous section.
Anonymous and external users
For anonymous users (users who are not signed in to a Google Account), edits are logged but views and downloads are not.
Actions performed by users external to the domain are shown as anonymous except when the item is explicitly shared with them (as an individual or as part of a specific group).
Anonymous and external access can be restricted by Admins by setting organization sharing policies or Trust Rule policies.
Drive for desktop
When files are copied between Drive and a local device using Google Drive for desktop, Download and Item content synced events are logged.
Manage log event data
Manage search results column data
You can control which data columns appear in your search results.
- At the top-right of the search results table, click Manage columns
.
- (Optional) To remove current columns, click Remove
.
- (Optional) To add columns, next to Add new column, click the Down arrow
and select the data column.
Repeat as needed. - (Optional) To change the order of the columns, drag the data column names.
- Click Save.
Export search result data
You can export search results to Google Sheets or to a CSV file.
- At the top of the search results table, click Export all.
- Enter a name
The export displays below the search results table under Export action results. - To view the data, click the name of your export.
The export opens in Google Sheets.
Export limits vary:
- The total results of the export are limited to 100,000 rows (except for Gmail message searches, which are limited to 10,000 rows).
- Supported editions for this feature: Frontline Standard; Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus; Education Standard and Education Plus; Enterprise Essentials Plus; Cloud Identity Premium. Compare your edition
If you have the security investigation tool, the total results of the export are limited to 30 million rows (except for Gmail message searches, which are limited to 10,000 rows).
For more information, see Export search results.
When and how long is data available?
Take action based on search results
- You can set up alerts based on log event data using reporting rules. For instructions, see Create and manage reporting rules.
- Supported editions for this feature: Frontline Standard; Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus; Education Standard and Education Plus; Enterprise Essentials Plus; Cloud Identity Premium. Compare your edition
To help prevent, detect, and remediate security issues efficiently, you can automate actions in the security investigation tool and set up alerts by creating activity rules. To set up a rule, set up conditions for the rule, and then specify what actions to perform when the conditions are met. For details and instructions, see Create and manage activity rules.
Supported editions for this feature: Frontline Standard; Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus; Education Standard and Education Plus; Enterprise Essentials Plus; Cloud Identity Premium. Compare your edition
After you run a search in the security investigation tool, you can act on your search results. For example, you can run a search based on Gmail log events and then use the tool to delete specific messages, send messages to quarantine, or send messages to users' inboxes. For more details, go to Take action based on search results.
Manage your investigations
Supported editions for this feature: Frontline Standard; Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus; Education Standard and Education Plus; Enterprise Essentials Plus; Cloud Identity Premium. Compare your edition
View your list of investigationsTo view a list of the investigations that you own and that were shared with you, click View investigations . The investigation list includes the names, descriptions, and owners of the investigations, and the date last modified.
From this list, you can take action on any investigations that you own—for example, to delete an investigation. Check the box for an investigation and then click Actions.
Note: Directly above your list of investigations, under Quick access, you can view recently saved investigations.
As a super administrator, click Settings to:
- Change the time zone for your investigations. The time zone applies to search conditions and results.
- Turn on or off Require reviewer. For more details, go to Require reviewers for bulk actions.
- Turn on or off View content. This setting allows admins with the appropriate privileges to view content.
- Turn on or off Enable action justification.
For instructions and details, go to Configure settings for your investigations.
To save your search criteria or share it with others, you can create and save an investigation, and then share, duplicate, or delete it.
For details, go to Save, share, delete, and duplicate investigations.
