> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nyumbazetu.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Activity log and audit trail

> Who changed what, when, and why — and how to use the trail when something looks wrong.

**Admin → Activities → `/activities`**

Every meaningful change on the platform is recorded in an append-only audit trail. Records are
never edited or deleted from it — which is what makes it usable as evidence rather than as a
convenience.

## What is recorded

| Element                | Meaning                                       |
| ---------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| **Actor**              | Who made the change — a named user, or a job. |
| **Entity type and ID** | What was changed.                             |
| **Action**             | What was done.                                |
| **When**               | Timestamp.                                    |
| **Before / after**     | The values that changed.                      |
| **Reason**             | Where the action requires one.                |

<Note>
  System-made changes are recorded with the **job** as the actor, not as an anonymous change. A
  change made by the collections sweep is distinguishable from one made by a person, which matters
  enormously when reconstructing what happened.
</Note>

## Reasons are mandatory where it counts

Actions that materially change a position or override a computed result require a reason before
they will save. On a collections case, for example, that includes putting a case on hold, skipping
a staged action, and overriding a score. The reason is stored with the event, not in a note
somebody may or may not write.

## Where audit shows up

The central activity list is the cross-cutting view. Individual records also carry their own
history:

| Record           | Where its history appears                                       |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Invoice          | Invoice detail — lifecycle audit columns and timeline.          |
| Payment          | Payment detail — allocations, refunds and audit.                |
| Collection case  | Case timeline — events, interactions, communications, promises. |
| Owner statement  | Statement timeline — generation and delivery.                   |
| Legal matter     | Matter record — hearings, costs, parties.                       |
| Approval request | Decision, decider and reason.                                   |
| Schedule         | Execution history with results and errors.                      |

## Using the trail

<Steps>
  <Step title="Start from the record, not the log">
    A record's own timeline is narrower and usually answers the question immediately.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use the central log for cross-record questions">
    "What did this user do yesterday?" or "what changed across the branch on the 14th?".
  </Step>

  <Step title="Compare before and after">
    The values, not just the fact of a change.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the actor type">
    A job-made change points at configuration; a user-made change points at process.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Typical investigations

| Question                                               | Where to look                                                        |
| ------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Why did this invoice's amount change?                  | Invoice timeline, then the credit or debit note behind it.           |
| Who wrote off this debt?                               | Activity log filtered to the entity, plus the approval record.       |
| Why did this case close?                               | Case timeline — close reason and actor.                              |
| Why is this tenant's balance different from yesterday? | Payment and allocation history on the lease, including any reversal. |
| Did anyone change this setting?                        | Activity log filtered to the settings entity.                        |
| Did this run actually happen?                          | [Scheduled tasks](/guides/scheduled-tasks) execution history.        |

## What the audit trail is not

* **Not a backup.** It records changes; it does not restore prior states.
* **Not a substitute for reconciliation.** It tells you what happened, not whether the result is
  right.
* **Not editable.** If an entry is wrong, the correction is a new event, not an amendment.

## Retention and access

The trail contains personal data and financial detail. Access is permission-controlled through the
Activity Logs permission set, and retention follows your organisation's policy. See
[Roles and permissions](/getting-started/roles-and-permissions).

## Related

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Approvals" icon="circle-check" href="/guides/approvals">
    Decisions, deciders and reasons.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Platform health" icon="heart-pulse" href="/guides/platform-health">
    Automated detection of data problems.
  </Card>
</Columns>