Website Notifications / Activity Tracker

Link: https://support.brilliantdirectories.com/support/solutions/articles/12000005145

Overview

The Admin Activity Tracking add-on is an upgrade to the current Admin Activity feature included with all Brilliant Directories websites.

The default Admin Activity feature tracks and logs activity on any website for the past 30 days. This upgrade extends the activity tracking history to store unlimited log records.


How To Get This Add-On

  1. Websites with the VIP Add-Ons Club automatically have this add-on available: 
Join The VIP Add-Ons Club
  2. Purchase Individually: Admin Activity Tracking Add-On


About this Add-On


All actions performed through the admin backend or the front-end of the site are logged and tracked to ensure visibility into system usage and user activity. These logs support auditing, troubleshooting, performance monitoring, and help maintain accountability by providing a record of who performed specific actions and when they occurred.


However, any changes made directly at the database level are not tracked by these logging mechanisms.


Is this free?

Yes. This feature is included with all websites and is available for free to any existing Bootstrap theme website. This will track up to 30 days at no cost. However, to have unlimited tracking, acquire this add-on HERE.


How long does Brilliant Directories track website notifications?

By default, the website can track notifications for up to 30 days. Notifications older than 30 days will be removed from the notification center unless the add-on is active on the site.


Will website notifications also act as a change log?

Yes. One of the most requested features has been the ability to easily track who edits widgets or makes changes to the system, helping identify the root cause of an error (system or user).


Activity Tracker

Go to Dashboard » Activity Tracker. The page lists the activity on the website, newest first, 50 entries per page by default (25, 50 or 100 can be chosen under the list). When the Admin Activity Tracking add-on is not active, a 30 Day History badge shows next to the page title.

Activity Tracker opened with a keyword, with Search, Date range, Type and Category numbered 1 to 4 and the list columns ID to IP Address.

Find specific activity with the search box and filters above the list. They can be combined, EG a keyword with a type and a date range.

  1. Search: searches descriptions, IDs, names, emails, IP addresses, types and categories.
  2. Date range: shows only the activity between two dates.
  3. Type (shows All types until a type is picked): one or more types.
  4. Category (shows All categories until a category is picked): one or more categories.

A link to the Activity Tracker can open it with a search already filled in by adding ?name= and a keyword to the page address, EG /admin/websiteActivity.php?name=Membership Plan, as in the screenshot above.


Filter by Type

Pick one or more of the nine types to narrow the list:

  • Admin Area
  • API
  • Business Data Import
  • Email
  • Finance
  • Form Submission
  • Lead
  • Member
  • Webhook

The Type filter open listing All types and the nine activity types.


Filter by Category

Each type is divided into categories, such as Membership Plan, Widgets or Self Signup. The Category filter lists the categories grouped under their type, and only offers the categories that have activity on the website. Pick one or more to narrow the list.

The Category filter open with categories grouped under their type, starting with Admin Area.


Filter by Date

Click Date range to open a calendar. Pick a start and end date, or a quick range (Today, Yesterday, Last 7 Days, Last 30 Days, This Month, Last Month, Year to Date), and click Apply.

The Date range calendar with quick ranges and Apply.


Website Activity Information

The list shows:

  • ID: the ID assigned to the action.
  • Time: when the action was completed.
  • Type: the section of the website this action belongs to.
  • Category: the specific area or module within that type.
  • Description: the action completed. When the action changed several things, a line such as + 9 more lines shows below it.
  • Performed By: who completed the action, shown as Admin, Member, API, Visitor or System, with the admin's email or the member's ID. Clicking the email or member ID lists every action by that person.
  • IP Address: the IP address at the time of the action, with its country flag. Clicking the address lists every action from it. Actions with no IP address read Not recorded.


Activity Details

Click an entry's description to open its details on the right. The panel shows the time, the IP address (with a Block button that opens the IP Blocker), the type, the category, who performed the action, and the full description. Each changed field shows its name in bold, with Updated From (the old value) and To (the new value) on their own lines below it. When only the new value was recorded, the field shows Updated To instead. For actions by a member, a Member History button opens that member's activity.

Activity details panel with the time, IP address, type, category, Performed by, and a changed field showing Updated From and To on their own lines.