Keeping Your Server Clean: How to Delete Audit Logs on Discord

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Written by: Alex Popa

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Keeping Your Server Clean: How to Delete Audit Logs on Discord

Did you do or say something wrong on a Discord server, and you’re wondering if you can delete the Audit Logs?

That would erase all evidence of your actions on that server.

Sadly, it’s impossible to delete the Audit Logs on Discord.

No one can delete or modify them, not even a server owner. Even the official Discord wiki says that those logs are sacred.

Not even Discord’s customer support can delete them. They represent the historical story of that server.

This article will discuss the Audit Logs on a Discord server, what they are, how you can see them, and more.

Keep reading to find out more!

How to Delete Audit Logs on Discord?

What Are the Audit Logs on Discord?

In short, Audit Logs record what admins, moderators, and server owners do on a server.

The Audit Logs only record actions taken by those with admin privileges. It doesn’t record regular server members’ activities, chats, or messages.

On a server’s Audit Logs, you’ll find information about:

  1. Channel creation
  2. Channel updates
  3. Channel deletion
  4. Server updates
  5. Channel permission creation/deletion/update
  6. Role creation/deletion/update
  7. Invite creation/deletion/update
  8. Member bans
  9. Member kicks
  10. Member unbans
  11. Webhook creation/deletion/update
  12. Message deletion
  13. Emoji creation/deletion/update
  14. Member role and updates on nicknames

These logs are helpful for the server owner to check on the moderators of a server and what actions they took.

These logs will show the truth if a moderator falls under suspicion of abuse or special treatment.

However, these are only Discord’s default logs. If you download bots, they can create logs of their own.

And unlike the default logs, logs can be altered and deleted at any time. If you’re using bots, I recommend taking care of who has permission to access the bot logs.

Are Audit Logs Essential on Discord?

I wouldn’t call them “essential” because no one uses them that much. They’re great at checking what the moderators are doing.

But you rarely have to use them for something else.

If we’re talking about bot-made logs, those are a bit different. Bots can log many things that Discord doesn’t log by default.

These logs can include the following:

  • Toxicity
  • Profanity
  • NSFW content
  • Chats
  • Images

You can customize many aspects of a logging bot, but those with permission can also delete the logs.

Why Can’t You Delete Audit Logs on Discord?

That’s because the Audit Logs are supposed to record what’s happening on the server.

If an argument starts and no one knows why an admin can check the Audit Logs and see what’s up.

Similarly, the Audit Log makes it easy for the server owner to spot abuse from the moderators.

The existence of a log keeps most servers orderly and bound by rules. Knowing that there’s a way to oversee the behavior of the mods and how they act is a great relief for the users.

Discord has officially stated that the Audit Logs will always be impossible to delete and modify by users.

I agree with this. Modifying or deleting the logs would be counter-intuitive to their existence.

How Can You Check the Audit Logs on Discord?

Do you want to check the Audit Logs and see what’s been happening on your server recently?

Follow the steps below to do this:

1. Click on your server’s name

Click on your server’s name
Click on your server’s name

You’ll need to access the server’s settings to see the Audit Logs on your server.

So, first, click on your server’s name at the top of the Discord window after you select your server from the left-hand side.

2. Select “Server Settings

Select “Server Settings”
Select “Server Settings”

Next, you’ll see a menu open for you. Select “Server Settings”, the third option on the list.

Click on it to open the server’s settings. That’s where you’ll find the Audit Log option.

3. Select “Audit Log” on the left

Select “Audit Log” on the left
Select “Audit Log” on the left

When you open the server’s settings, look for the “Audit Log” option on the left-hand side menu bar.

Click on it, and you’ll see the audit logs to your right.

Click on it and then you’ll see the audit logs to your right.
Click on it, and you’ll see the audit logs to your right.

These logs are all in order based on the time the actions took place. But if you want to use other filters, look in the top-right corner.

You can use the “Filter by User” and “Filter by Action” to find certain logs faster. If you know what you’re looking for, it’ll be much easier.

Let’s say you want to find something that a certain moderator did. Then, you’d use the “Filter by User” option to find out what they did and when.

Conclusion

In short, you can’t delete Audit Logs on a Discord server. They’re protected by Discord itself.

Not even the owner can delete or modify them in any way. 

However, you can delete and modify bot logs. They’ll also provide records if you install a mod for your server.

Those logs can be customized, edited, and even deleted by you.

To check out the Discord Audit Logs, go to Server Settings – Audit Logs. That’s where you’ll find them.

Wondering what happens when you close a DM on Discord? The linked guide will tell you the answer.

If you have any questions about the Discord Audit Logs, leave a comment below, and I’ll reply as soon as possible!

How old are the audit logs on Discord?

That’s a good question. Most information points to a period of 90 days, which means the oldest audit logs on your server will be 90 days old.

You can’t go further back than that. But there have been server owners who said they could see audit logs from 5+ months ago.

Others, on the other hand, could only see the audit logs a couple of days ago.

While bugs and glitches may appear occasionally, there might be another explanation for this.

The Audit Log could keep a certain “number” of logs visible at any time. It might not be about the time these logs are kept but their number.

For instance, if the limit is 5,000 logs, they could be spread over 3 months, 6 months, or 1 month.

It depends on how large the server is and how often moderators take action. The log limit could be reached quickly if the server is large enough.

Do audit logs disappear if you delete a Discord server?

Yes, most likely, they do. And even if they don’t, there’s no way you can see them again if the server was deleted.

The only ones who could see it would be the Discord customer team. 

This would only happen if a serious legal dispute or another grave matter was tied to those audit logs.

However, you can save the audit logs to your computer before you delete the server. To do this, go to your server settings and take a screenshot of the logs.

There’s no direct way to download the audit logs, but you can screenshot them.
Keep the picture somewhere on your computer, and that’s it.

If a dispute appears concerning the server you deleted, you can use the screenshots to prove your point.

Fortunately, you can recover a deleted Discord server if you email Discord support at [email protected].

They’ll be able to restore your server, and you’ll have access to the audit logs again!

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Alex Popa

My name is Alex and I have a knack for social media in all its shapes and forms. I’ve dealt with such things for quite some time and I noticed that many people have issues with social media and technicalities.

Unforeseen errors, bugs, and other problems make their use of social media problematic. These things will be discussed amply in the guides on Whizcase.

I'll present the facts as they are, and offer quick and easy solutions for them.

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