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P4 CLI Documentation | 2025.2

# P4AUDIT

Location of the audit log P4 Server supports the standard log, which is human-readable, as well as structured logs in a comma-separated value (CSV) format. The P4LOG environment variable specifies the log file for events, including errors. The human-readable P4AUDIT environment variable specifies the log file that records file transfers to users. Structured log files are typically processed by external tools. To learn more, see 'Logging" in P4 Server Administration Documentation. file.

## Usage notes

Used by Client? | Used by Server? | Command-Line Alternative | Can be set in P4CONFIG file?
--- | --- | --- | ---
No | Yes | `p4d -A auditlog` | N/A

## Value if not explicitly set

Operating System | Value
--- | ---
All | None. If no log file is specified, auditing is disabled.

## Notes

P4AUDIT specifies the location of the audit log file.

When auditing is enabled, P4 Server adds a line to the audit log file every time file content is transferred to any user. To ensure that user activity on forwarding replicas, edge servers, and build farm replicas is tracked, each replica or edge server must have `P4AUDIT` configured.

### Manage log file growth

On any active server, the audit log file might grow quickly. See Manage log file growth in the P4 Server Administration Documentation.

### Format of audit log

Lines in the audit log appear in this format:

    date time user@client clientIP command file#rev

For example:

    2025/06/09 09:52:45 maria@mgonzales-ws1 192.168.0.12 diff //depot/src/x.c#1
    2025/06/09 09:54:13 emily@emonti-ws2 127.0.0.1 sync //depot/inc/file.h#1

If a command is run on the same physical machine that hosts the Perforce service, the `clientIP` is shown as `127.0.0.1`.

For commands that arrive through a P4 Proxy, the IP address is reported in the form ``proxyIP`/`clientIP``, and the command is reported as `command-proxy`.

To learn more, see Auditing user file access in the P4 Server Administration Documentation.

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