Who Broke Your WordPress Site? Stop Guessing and Start Tracking with WP Activity Log
Security and accountability are essential for any WordPress website, whether you are running a single WooCommerce store or managing a vast multisite network. While most site owners install firewalls and malware scanners, they often overlook what happens inside the dashboard. Enter WP Activity Log by Melapress—the most comprehensive, purpose-built user activity and change-tracking plugin available for WordPress.
If multiple users, editors, developers, or clients have access to your site dashboard, you cannot afford to guess who changed a plugin setting, deleted a post, or created a new user role. WP Activity Log removes the guesswork, keeping a forensic, real-time record of absolutely everything that happens on your site.
| Test Metric | Result | Score | Benchmark | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Free / $139 Premium / $189 Ent. | Excellent | Industry average pricing | Highly scalable pricing |
| Logging Depth | Core, Plugins, Themes, Users | Basic post logging | Most detailed on market | |
| Database Impact | Configurable pruning & external DB | Low | High for raw loggers | Excellent data management |
| Third-Party Integrations | WooCommerce, Rank Math, PMPro | High | Rare in basic plugins | Tracks complex plugin data |
| Alerting System (Premium) | Email, SMS, Slack integrations | Instant | Email only | Perfect for active security |
| Multisite Support | Native Network-wide logging | Often unsupported | Super Admin essential | |
| Session Management | Real-time user termination | Premium Only | Rare feature | Great for shared accounts |
| External Storage (Enterprise) | AWS, Splunk, Loggly, Syslog | Excellent | Local DB only | Enterprise compliance ready |
| Ease of Use | Advanced Search & Exclusions | Easy | Clunky raw logs | Finds specific data instantly |
Why Single-Focus Activity Monitoring Works
Unlike all-in-one security suites that throw in basic logging as an afterthought, WP Activity Log specializes exclusively in tracking actions. This singular focus results in a massively deeper feature set. It tracks content changes, user logins and sessions, plugin activations, theme modifications, and even granular WordPress core setting adjustments.
If an author changes a blog post’s URL, the log does not just tell you a post was updated—it shows you the exact old URL and the new URL. Furthermore, it integrates seamlessly with major third-party plugins. For instance, you can track changes in WooCommerce product data, Rank Math SEO settings, and even membership level tweaks in Paid Memberships Pro.
WP Activity Log Knowledge Quiz
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You fully understand how WP Activity Log secures a website.
The Freemium Model: From Basic to Enterprise
Melapress offers a highly generous freemium model. The Free version available on the repository includes comprehensive logging, configurable log retention, and free-text search—which is usually enough for single-admin sites just wanting a safety net.
However, agencies and enterprise businesses will find immense value in the Premium ($139/year) and Enterprise ($189/year) plans. Upgrading to Premium unlocks advanced search filters, automated email reports, real-time active user session management, and instant Slack/SMS notifications for critical events. The Enterprise tier steps it up by allowing you to store your logs in an external database and mirror them to third-party SIEM solutions like AWS Cloudwatch, Splunk, or Papertrail to ensure maximum security compliance.
- ✓Unmatched Logging Detail — Records forensic details (like exact before/after URL changes) rather than just stating a post was updated.
- ✓Excellent Integrations — Directly logs changes inside complex plugins like WooCommerce, Paid Memberships Pro, and Rank Math.
- ✓Performance Optimized — Allows you to exclude specific IPs, users, or event IDs from the log to prevent database bloat.
- ✓Enterprise Compliance — The Enterprise plan can mirror logs directly to external tools like AWS Cloudwatch and Splunk.
- ✓Multisite Mastery — Super Admins can monitor all network activity from one centralized, filterable log.
- ✓Real-Time Session Control — Premium users can see exactly who is logged in and forcefully terminate active sessions.
- ✗Notifications Paywalled — Instant email, SMS, and Slack notifications require the Premium license ($139/year).
- ✗No All-in-One Tools — It doesn’t include firewalls or malware scanning, meaning you must pair it with another security plugin.
- ✗Data Management Required — Since it logs everything by default, admins must remember to set up retention limits to avoid large log databases over time.
Performance and Multisite Reliability
A common fear with logging plugins is database bloat and site slowdowns. WP Activity Log is aggressively performance-optimized. You have full control to exclude specific event IDs, IPs, or objects from the log so you only track what matters. Additionally, it is arguably the best logging tool for Multisite networks. Super Admins can view activity across all subsites in a single centralized log, or filter it down to individual installations effortlessly.
👉 Get WP Activity Log: https://melapress.com/wordpress-activity-log/
▶️ Watch the Full Video Tutorial: https://youtu.be/t03xyfrjBos
What does the WP Activity Log plugin do?
WP Activity Log is a comprehensive tracking plugin that records every user action and system change on your WordPress site. It logs content edits, setting changes, user logins, plugin installations, and file modifications in a centralized dashboard.
Is WP Activity Log free to use?
Yes, Melapress offers a highly functional free version that tracks unlimited activity and includes text-based search. Advanced features like instant notifications, external databases, and scheduled reports require Premium ($139/yr) or Enterprise ($189/yr) plans.
Will WP Activity Log slow down my WordPress database?
No, the plugin is performance-optimized. You can configure data retention settings, exclude specific IP addresses or event IDs, and with the Enterprise plan, even write logs to external databases like AWS Cloudwatch or Splunk to keep your local database completely clear.
Does WP Activity Log work with WooCommerce?
Yes. The plugin integrates perfectly with WooCommerce, logging granular details like price changes, stock level updates, new order statuses, and coupon creations.
Can I get alerted via Slack or SMS if my site is breached?
Yes, but this requires the Premium plan. You can configure custom triggers (e.g., when an Administrator account is created) to send instant, real-time alerts via Email, SMS, or Slack integrations.
Is this a replacement for a firewall or malware scanner?
No. WP Activity Log focuses exclusively on activity and user monitoring. It acts as an auditing tool and should be paired with a dedicated firewall and malware scanner for complete WordPress security.
Does WP Activity Log support WordPress Multisite?
Yes. It is heavily optimized for Multisite networks. Super Admins can view activity for the entire network in one master log, or filter logs to see events from individual sub-sites.
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