You might want to be able to monitor activity on your WordPress website if you have one. You’ll be better able to deal with any issues that may occur if you track every alteration made to your site (along with who makes it).
Fortunately, you can monitor user activity on your website by using a WordPress plugin. There are various tools at your disposal that let you keep track of content modifications.
In this article, we’ll go over the value of monitoring user activity as well as the kinds of actions that should be prioritized. Then, we’ll go over how to utilize WordPress to track and log user behavior before listing six plugins that can do the job.
Why do WordPress track user activity and modifications?
For a website to remain effective and secure, it must be possible to monitor user activities. It facilitates any necessary troubleshooting and increases openness.
You can also keep an eye on unusual activity, such as failed login attempts coming from the same IP address. If someone is attempting to log in from a strange place, the activity log will alert you so you can halt the security breach before it’s too late.
But it might also be helpful for monitoring the activities of your staff. You can quickly determine whether a team member is performing their duties and see any questionable conduct. Let’s imagine that a post on your website vanishes. You can see who removed it and then by going back and review the activity log’s list of changes.
Additionally, you can restore a backup to a precise period using Jetpack Backup by using the Jetpack activity log to pinpoint the moment you wish to do so, such as just before a post was deleted or a plugin update went wrong.
What sort of user activity ought to be monitored?
You can keep tabs on a variety of actions on your WordPress website. You might wish to keep an eye on new and modified plugins for security reasons. Users who add or remove plugins without your permission may endanger your website.
If you have a blog, you may wish to keep tabs on any edits made to your entries. For instance, you can view the creation and publication dates of each contributor’s new articles. Additionally, you will be able to track who modified the status and content of your postings.
You may also want to keep an eye on any settings adjustments made to your website. Your site’s title or permalink structures could be changed by some visitors. They may also bring in new visitors to your website. These changes can be OK or they might indicate possible harmful behavior. Therefore, you’ll want to ensure that only authorized individuals are carrying out these actions.
Finally, you might want to keep an eye on your remarks. Unauthorized editing or deletion of comments can be extremely problematic.
How to configure WordPress to track and log user activities
WordPress doesn’t allow you to track user activities by default. Fortunately, Jetpack makes it simple to do this. The plugin’s Activity Log records every action taken on your website, such as theme and plugin updates, user logins, and setting changes.
To begin tracking your modifications after installing the plugin, simply go to Jetpack Activity Log in your WordPress dashboard.
You may view the most recent site activity right here. You can sort events by date range and activity category if you have a premium Jetpack plan.
The top three WordPress plugins for monitoring user activity.
Now that you are aware of the benefits of monitoring website activity, let’s look at some solutions that can make this task easier for you. You may track changes to your website using the six user tracking plugins for WordPress that we’ve compiled.
1. Jetpack
Jetpack is a versatile plugin that can assist you in running a safer, quicker, and more effective website. A WordPress activity log is one of its functions. Jetpack has a free version as well as commercial plans that improve the activity log’s features while also adding necessary features like real-time backups, one-click restores, malware scanning, and more.
Logging activities recorded by Jetpack include login attempts as well as published or changed posts and pages. Additionally, upgrades and installation of plugins can be tracked.
Pricing
The vast majority of features are free.
Real-time backups, priority support, a 30-day archive of all activity, and filters are all included in the
The backup plan has a monthly starting price of $4.95.
The Security plan includes real-time virus scanning, anti-spam technologies, and other useful services for $10.95 per month.
The $39.95/month Complete plan adds tools including lightning-fast search functionality and a premium Jetpack CRM plan, as well as a one-year record of activities.
There is a 14-day money-back guarantee included with each package.
2. Activity Log
Activity Log is a reliable tool with fundamental capabilities to assist you in keeping track of the most significant alterations to your WordPress website. With the help of this plugin, you may immediately observe any new modifications and take action.
You won’t need to spend a lot of time figuring out how it works because the setup process is straightforward.
Activity Log is available for free download and use.
3. WP Activity Log
WP Activity Log is a feature-rich WordPress plugin that offers a wide range of functions, including support for multisite. It provides granular information about the time, user, and affected component and lets you turn events on and off.
Pricing: WP Activity Log is available in a free version.
Email notifications, text-based search, and search filters are all included in the Starter plan, which costs $99 a year.
The $139 Professional plan includes SMS notifications, WordPress reports, and real-time access to logged-in user sessions.
The Business plan, which starts at $149 per year, offers sophisticated capabilities like the option to save the activity log in other databases.
The Enterprise package has priority assistance and costs $199 per year.
Wrapping up
A safe WordPress website can be difficult to maintain if you have a large staff. One of the best methods for keeping track of changes in WordPress is to use an activity log plugin. You may easily retrieve this information if necessary, and the process is straightforward.
You may monitor user activity on your WordPress website by using a plugin like Jetpack. You may keep track of and save events like login attempts using the Activity Log function. It also enables you to solve any problems that crop up on your website.
