Change log

The change log records every modification to pages, files, and directories in Optimizely CMS. Administrators use it to audit content activity, trace who made a change, and reconstruct the history of an item. Access requires CMS administrator permissions.

By default, changes to pages, files, and directories are logged in the Change Log system in Settings > Tools. You can filter the information in the change log, making it easier to find relevant information.

In the change log, view changed items by filtering on one or several of the following options:

• Change date from – Select a date and a time to view only items changed after this time.
• Change date to – Select a date and a time to view only items that were changed before this time.
• Category – From the Category drop-down list, select an activity type:
  • Access Rights – Displays changes to access rights for a user or group. Example:

    ContentGuid: 43fxxxx9-9bxx-4xx3-97b2-61cxxxxxx7c9
    SaveType: 4
    Entries: Everyone|1|1;SearchIndexer|5|1;WebAdmins|63|1;WebEditors|31|1
    Inherited: False
    PreviousEntries: Everyone|1|1;SearchIndexer|5|1;WebAdmins|63|1
    PreviousInherited: False

  • Approval – Displays changes that are associated with a content approval sequence. If you do not select an option, the log shows every activity type. Website developers can configure which categories are available so that you may see other categories than the ones mentioned here.
  • Project – Displays changes that are associated with a project.
  • Message – Displays changed messages. (Messages are a type of activity in the Projects feature.)
  • Content Type – Displays changes to content types. Example:

    ContentTypeId: 54
    ContentTypeGuid: 1179be85-7bf5-42bb-b4f6-ba1ac65a6343
    Name: Copy_of_BlankExperience
    Saved: 02/11/2026 20:37:33

  • Content – Displays changed content items such as pages, blocks, and media. Example:

    ContentLink: 116_125
    Language: en
    ContentGuid: e20xxxx2-aexx-45xx-9xxf-c8xxxxxx3d98
    ContentTypeId: 54
    Name: opticon

• Action – Filter by the following actions to display only changes of a specific type. Website developers can configure which actions are available.
  • Check in – Records that a user has finished editing and released a content item.
  • Publish – Marks a content item as publicly available on the website.
  • Delete – Removes a content item from its current location, often moving it to trash.
  • Save – Stores changes made to a content item without necessarily publishing it.
  • Move – Changes the location of a content item within the site structure.
  • Create – Records the initial creation of a new content item.
  • Delete Language – Removes a specific language version of a content item.
  • Empty Trash – Permanently deletes all content items currently in the trash.
  • Content Deletion – Indicates the permanent removal of a content item from the system.
  • Rejected – Marks a content item as not approved, often in a workflow process.
  • Delayed Publish – Schedules a content item to be published at a future date and time.
  • Request Approval – A workflow step that seeks approval for a content item.
  • Delete Version – Removes a specific historical version of a content item.
• Maximum number of items per page – Limits the displayed number of items on the page. Click the Previous and Next arrows to browse through the list of items.
• Start with sequence number – Enter a specific sequence number to list the items in the change log. For example, if you have performed a previous filtering, you can use the sequence number from that occasion and repeat that filtering.
• Changed by – To filter for a specific user, enter the Optimizely CMS user name.
• Include archived items – Select to also list archived items.

Click Read to run the query. A list of change log items displays.