Activity Log Pro – User Activity Log, Audit Log & Security Monitor vs ShieldUp – Bad Bots, Scrapers, Attackers

Activity Log Pro is a complete WordPress activity log, user activity log, and audit log plugin for user tracking and accountability. Track user logins, content changes, plugin and theme updates, settings changes, and other important site activity – and see who did what, when, and where from one clean activity dashboard. Activity Log Pro gives you a complete audit trail of everything happening on your WordPress site. See who logged in, what content changed, exactly when it happened, which plugins were updated and any suspicious activity – all in one place. Perfect for businesses, e-commerce stores, agencies, WordPress maintenance services, and multi-user sites that need full visibility into user and system changes. Agencies and freelancers managing multiple sites can use Log Channels (Premium) to centralise logs from every client site into a single logging platform like Datadog or Better Stack. Whether you’re troubleshooting issues, staying compliant, or monitoring for security threats, Activity Log Pro is your WordPress activity tracker and activity monitoring tool to keep your site secure and transparent. “This is a super slick plugin guys. Very simple to use, very clean interface. Super excited about it.” – Ryan @ InfluenceWP.com “Perfect! Robust and exemplary neat plugin! All the info that you need is in a clear overview.” – @mixha Why Use a WordPress Activity Log? Understand every action on your site, reduce security risks, and simplify compliance. Security & Compliance: Stay compliant with GDPR, HIPAA, and other regulations while detecting failed logins, role changes, and suspicious behavior. Troubleshooting & Debugging: See exactly what changed before something broke – track plugin updates, theme edits, and content changes. User Accountability & Audit Trails: Know exactly who did what, when, and from which IP address for complete transparency and legal compliance. Performance & Site Health: Monitor plugin installations, theme changes and modifications that impact your site’s speed and stability. Enhanced Backup Strategy: Create detailed change logs that complement your backups – know exactly what to restore and when changes occurred. WordPress Security Monitoring: Track failed logins, suspicious activities, user role changes, and potential security threats in real-time. Key Features of This WordPress Activity Log Plugin 🚀 Complete Core Activity Tracking User login/logout activities with IP tracking Failed login attempt monitoring for security Login Flood Guard (optional) — caps consecutive failed-login log entries during brute-force bursts; configurable threshold (20/50/100/200), on/off toggle, and an inline notice on the Activity Logs screen when suppression is active Post, page, and custom post type changes (create, update, delete) Media library activities (upload, edit, delete) Plugin installations, activations, deactivations, and updates Theme switches, installations, and customizer changes WordPress core updates Widget modifications and placement changes Menu creation, updates, and deletions User registration, profile updates, and role changes Comment activities (approved, spam, trash, delete) Settings and options changes Category and tag management 🔌 Advanced Plugin Integrations WooCommerce Activity Log: Complete e-commerce activity monitoring — track order modifications, product changes, inventory updates, customer data edits, payment gateway settings, and coupon usage for full store audit trails (Premium) Yoast SEO Activity Log: Monitor all SEO changes including meta descriptions, title tags, search engines follow links, Advanced Meta Robots, Breadcrumbs Title updates, focus keyword changes, and readability optimizations to maintain SEO integrity (Premium) Free Professional Features Real-time activity monitoring dashboard Advanced filtering and search capabilities Detailed activity metadata and context IP address tracking for security analysis User role-based activity permissions Customizable data retention policies Export capabilities (CSV, JSON, HTML and TXT formats) Clean, responsive admin interface Database optimization for performance 💎 Premium Features Upgrade to Activity Log Pro Premium for advanced security and privacy controls: Advanced IP Privacy Controls – GDPR-compliant IP anonymization and masking options IP Location Mapping – Geographical insights for visitor analysis and security monitoring Security Alerts – Security Alerts helps you detect important WordPress activity in real time with instant email notifications for security events, content changes, and core/plugin updates. Configure smart alert cooldowns, choose multiple recipients, and reduce noise while still catching high-risk behavior fast. Log Channels – Centralise activity logs from all your WordPress sites into one platform. Stream every log entry in real time to Grafana Loki, Better Stack, Slack, Papertrail, Loggly, Datadog, Syslog/SIEM targets, or your own custom webhook endpoint. Every event is automatically tagged with the site name and URL — so you can filter across all your sites inside your existing logging platform. Delivered asynchronously in background jobs with zero impact on page load times. Ideal for agencies, WordPress maintenance services, and freelancers managing multiple client sites. Enhanced Security Features – Real-time logs and suspicious activity logs (via Live Monitor) JSON Feed Export – SIEM integration with secure token-based access WooCommerce Logger – Comprehensive e-commerce tracking (orders, products, customers) Yoast SEO Logger – Complete SEO audit trails for meta data and schema changes Priority Support – Direct access to expert support with faster response times 👉 Compare Free vs Premium Features → | 👉 Try out the Demo → 🏢 Centralised Logging for Agencies & WordPress Maintenance Services Managing multiple WordPress sites? Log Channels (Premium) lets you stream activity logs from every client site into a single external logging platform — so you can monitor all your sites in one place, without logging into each WordPress admin individually. How it works: Install Activity Log Pro on each WordPress site, configure a Log Channel pointing to your preferred logging platform, and every activity log entry is forwarded in real time. Each event is automatically tagged with the site name and site URL, so you can filter, search, and alert by site inside your chosen platform. Supported platforms — bring your own logging stack: Better Stack — Stream logs to your Better Stack Logs source; filter by site in the Telemetry dashboard Datadog — Forward logs to your Datadog account; filter by site_name or site_url in Logs Search Loggly — Centralise logs in Loggly; tag and query by site across your entire client portfolio Papertrail — Route logs via HTTPS token or classic Syslog to your Papertrail destinations Slack — Push activity events to a Slack channel for real-time awareness across all sites Custom Webhook / Syslog / SIEM — Connect to any endpoint or enterprise SIEM platform Why agencies and maintenance services choose Log Channels: One dashboard, all sites — view and search logs from every client site in your existing logging platform No vendor lock-in — choose the platform you already use; no new SaaS subscription required Tamper-proof audit trail — if a site is compromised and an attacker clears the on-site logs, your external copy is already safely stored and completely out of reach Zero performance impact — log delivery runs asynchronously in background jobs; visitors and admins never wait for external services to respond Multiple simultaneous channels — send logs to Datadog for archiving and Slack for real-time alerts at the same time Per-channel test button — verify each connection is working before you rely on it View full Log Channels details: 👉 activitylog.pro/features → ⚡ Performance & Database Custom database table – Activity Log Pro uses its own dedicated table, keeping your posts and meta tables clean and queries fast. Low-overhead logging – Events are captured in real time using optimised queries designed to have minimal impact on site performance. Configurable retention – Set log retention from 7 to 365 days to keep your database lean and manageable. Automatic cleanup – Scheduled purges run automatically based on your retention settings, with no manual intervention required. 🧹 Clean Uninstall Full data removal – Uninstalling the plugin removes all log data, custom tables, plugin options, and scheduled tasks. No leftover clutter – Your database is restored to its original state with nothing left behind, so you can test the plugin with confidence. 🛡️ Security & Privacy Activity Log Pro takes your privacy and security seriously: IP Address Anonymization by Default – All IP addresses are automatically anonymized (e.g., 192.168.1.xxx) for privacy protection WordPress Standard Security – Database security practices (prepared statements, input sanitization) Configurable Data Retention – Meet your privacy requirements with customizable retention periods Administrator-Only Access – All plugin features require administrator privileges for security 📊 Perfect For Business Websites & Corporate Sites: Maintain GDPR compliance, PCI DSS standards, and audit trail requirements for regulatory inspections and security protocols. WooCommerce & E-commerce Stores: Track order modifications, product changes, inventory adjustments, customer data access, and payment processing for fraud prevention and compliance. Multi-user WordPress Sites: Monitor team member activities, role changes, content approvals, and administrative access for complete user accountability. WordPress Development & Staging Sites: Track plugin installations, removal, theme modifications. Digital Agencies, WordPress Maintenance Services & Freelancers: Centralise activity logs across all your client sites into a single logging platform like Datadog, Better Stack, or Loggly. Each log entry is tagged with the site name and URL, giving you a unified, searchable audit trail across your entire portfolio — without logging into each site individually. Use Log Channels (Premium) to stream logs from all your client sites to your existing stack. No new SaaS dashboard required — bring your own logging platform and stay in control of your data. Membership Sites & Private Communities: Track member activities, subscription changes, content access, and community moderation actions. Educational Institutions & Learning Management: Monitor student submissions, instructor activities, course content changes, and user enrollment modifications. News & Publishing Websites: Monitor editorial workflows, content publication schedules, author activities, and SEO optimization changes. 🔧 Easy Setup & Configuration Get started in minutes: 1. Install and activate the plugin – it works out of the box with default settings 2. Configure which activities to track (optional) 3. Set your data retention preferences (optional) 4. Start monitoring immediately (There are various other Settings for you to explore) No complex setup required — this WordPress activity log works right away with sensible defaults while offering extensive customization options for advanced users. 💡 Use Cases This user activity log helps you answer the questions that matter most: Troubleshooting: “What changed right before the site broke?” Security Monitoring: “Who attempted to login with admin credentials?” Content Management: “When was this post last modified and by whom?” Compliance: “Show me all user activities for the past 6 months” Performance: “What plugins were recently activated that might be slowing the site?” Multi-Site Management: “Which of my client sites had a plugin deactivated, a user role changed, or a new admin added today?” System Requirements WordPress 6.3 or higher PHP 7.4 or higher MySQL 5.6 or higher (or MariaDB 10.0+) Minimum 64MB PHP memory limit (128MB recommended) Database Information Creates custom table: {prefix}actlogpro_activity_log_pro_all_logs Estimated storage: ~1KB per logged event Automatic cleanup: Based on retention settings (7-365 days) Uses WordPress database prefix: Follows WordPress naming conventions Privacy Policy Activity Log Pro logs user activities on your WordPress site. This may include: User login/logout times and IP addresses (anonymized by default) Content creation, modification, and deletion activities Plugin and theme changes Administrative actions Data Storage: Activity logs are stored locally in your WordPress database by default. No log data is sent to external services unless you explicitly enable a Log Channel (Premium), which can forward copies of logs to services like Datadog, Grafana Loki, Better Stack, and others. IP Address Privacy: IP addresses are automatically anonymized by default (e.g., 192.168.1.xxx) for privacy protection. Full IP addresses are only stored if explicitly enabled by administrators in the premium version. Third-Party Services: The plugin uses ipinfo.io for optional IP geolocation lookups when administrators manually request location information, and LemonSqueezy for payment processing when users choose to purchase premium features and for newsletter subscriptions when users voluntarily sign up. The ipinfo.io service is only used when explicitly requested and data is cached locally. LemonSqueezy is only used when users voluntarily initiate premium purchases, subscription management, or newsletter signups. Data Retention: You can configure data retention periods to meet your privacy requirements. You can configure a secure JSON feed, with access via a secure authentication token, available in Premium → activitylog.pro/pricing Support For support, documentation, and feature requests, please visit: Plugin Website → activitylog.pro Get Support → activitylog.pro/support Plugin Docs → activitylog.pro/docs Following on Twitter/X → x.com/ActivityLog Third-Party Services This plugin uses the following third-party services: IP Geolocation Service (ipinfo.io) – Purpose: Provides geographical location data for IP addresses to enhance security monitoring – Data Sent: IP addresses are sent to ipinfo.io for location lookup when administrators manually request IP location information – When Used: Only when administrators manually request IP location information via the admin interface – Privacy Policy: https://ipinfo.io/privacy-policy – Terms of Service: https://ipinfo.io/terms-of-service – Data Storage: Location data is cached locally for 24 hours to minimize API calls – User Control: This feature is optional and only available to administrators who explicitly request IP location data Payment Processing Service (LemonSqueezy) – Purpose: Handles secure payment processing, license validation, and subscription management for premium features – Data Sent: When users choose to purchase premium plans, payment information (credit card details, billing address), email address, and license details are processed by LemonSqueezy – When Used: Only when users voluntarily initiate premium plan purchases, license activation, or subscription management – Privacy Policy: https://www.lemonsqueezy.com/privacy – Terms of Service: https://www.lemonsqueezy.com/terms – Data Storage: Payment and license data is managed entirely by LemonSqueezy – no payment information is stored on your WordPress site – User Control: Users have complete control over whether to purchase premium features and can manage their subscriptions through LemonSqueezy’s customer portal Newsletter Subscription Service (LemonSqueezy) – Purpose: Allows users to voluntarily subscribe to product updates and educational content newsletters – Data Sent: Name and email address only when users explicitly choose to subscribe to the newsletter – When Used: Only when users voluntarily fill out and submit the newsletter subscription form in the plugin settings – Privacy Policy: https://www.lemonsqueezy.com/privacy – Terms of Service: https://www.lemonsqueezy.com/terms – Data Storage: Newsletter subscription data is managed by LemonSqueezy – no subscription information is stored on your WordPress site – User Control: Users have complete control over newsletter subscription and can unsubscribe at any time via email links or LemonSqueezy’s customer portal

Tired of bad bots, scrapers, attackers and sluggish website performance? By providing real-time monitoring of accessing IPs, HTTP codes, URLs, and user agents, organized analytics, customizable timeline and visualizations, ShieldUp will help you indentify and combat threats like bad bots, scrapers, malicous attackers. Which will improve website security and performance by reducing the load on your server resources for a snappy website and great user experience. Key Features 🛡️ Advanced Security: ShieldUp protects your site from malicious bots, scrapers, attackers and hackers, shielding your website from potential threats. 🚀 Optimized Performance: Improve website speed and user experience by eliminating unnecessary requests from scrapers, bad bots and brute force attackers 🗃️ Comprehensive Data Collection: ShieldUp logs and archive accessing IPs, HTTP response codes, URLs, user agents, timestamps, etc. 📊 Detailed Data Insights: ShieldUp will analyze, organize and displays IP data based on IP ranges, request counts, details, offering a comprehensive view of your traffic within user-friendly tables. 📅 Custom Time Period: Select specific time ranges through an intuitive calendar feature for in-depth data analysis. 📈 Visualize Data: Easily visualize traffic trends and patterns with our user-friendly graphs. 🛠️ IP Tools: Helps you with actions like retrieving detailed IP information from DB or third-party tools. 🌐 Cloudflare Integration (Pro): Seamlessly connect your website to Cloudflare, enhancing security and performance even further by leverage Cloudflare’s powerful features. ⚙️ Advanced IP Management (Pro): Take control with a click. Manage IPs and IP ranges effortlessly, with actions like blocking, JavaScript challenges, whitelisting, or remove rules using Cloudflare’s firewall through the plugin. 💼 Centralized IP Database (Pro): Keep all IPs controlled by your WP plugin and Cloudflare in a centralized database for efficient management and tracking. 📝 User Activity Logging (Pro): Maintain detailed logs of all IP controls by users, ensuring accountability and providing a historical record of security actions. 🏆 Priority Support (Pro): Pro members get priority support, so you can expect quick help with any questions or issues. Please Note: Yes, the Pro version is undeniably impressive. However, the free version is really what you need and will get the job done. How it works 1. Installation and Activation Start by downloading and installing the ShieldUp plugin. Once activated, it seamlessly integrates with your WordPress, ready to work its magic. 2. Data Collection ShieldUp starts by collecting crucial data about the traffic to your website. It keeps a record of accessing IPs, including HTTP response codes, URLs, user agents, and timestamps. This data is organized into user-friendly tables and presented through interactive graphs, allowing you to gain valuable insights into your website’s traffic patterns. 3. Select, Organize and Display Data You can choose a specific time frame, making it easy to identify which IPs are accessing your site the most. It also groups IPs into /16 and /24 ranges and along with graphical representation helps you visualize trends, spot unusual activity and potential security threats. 4. Cloudflare Integration (Pro) ShieldUp seamlessly integrates with Cloudflare in PRO version, enhancing your website’s security even further. Using the Cloudflare API, you can manage IPs and IP ranges right from your WordPress dashboard. Implement blocks, JavaScript challenges, whitelist entries, or remove rules with just a few clicks. 5. IP Tools & IP Management Each IP listed in the user-friendly interface comes with action buttons, enabling you to ban IPs in your website’s firewall or CloudFlare, retrieve detailed IP information from third-party tools, and perform other custom actions. 6. Enhanced Security ShieldUp employs advanced security measures to protect your website from a wide range of threats. It identifies and blocks malicious bots, scrapers, attackers, and hackers, ensuring that your website remains secure. 7. Optimized Website Performance In addition to security, ShieldUp optimizes your website’s performance. It achieves this by filtering out unnecessary requests from bad bots, scrapers and other unwanted traffic. This optimization reduces the load on your server resources, resulting in a snappy and responsive website and great user experience. Firewalls, What we recommend? One of the best options would be a hardware-type firewall, but we wouldn’t be in this situation if we had one. The next best option for managing HTTP and HTTPS traffic is a cloud-based firewall, such as CloudFlare, especially when it is available for free and offers a wide range of excellent features. In addition to that, we also use CSF for other security solutions and to manage traffic and ports related to services like mail and SSH. So, why do we think CloudFlare is a better solution for HTTP and HTTPS trafic, than “Traditional” Server/Software-Based Firewall (CSF) especially Plugin-Like Firewalls (WordPress Plugins)? Traditional firewalls, while valuable, have limitations when compared to Cloudflare’s robust security and performance capabilities. These firewalls primarily protect your server or website by consuming server resources, leaving them vulnerable to large-scale attacks, among other things. In contrast, Cloudflare operates a global network that defends against threats at the network edge, providing superior DDoS protection and accelerated content delivery. By choosing Cloudflare, you gain a comprehensive, cloud-based solution that strengthens your website’s resilience and speed, effectively surpassing the capabilities of traditional local firewalls when it comes to HTTP and HTTPS trafic. Here are some of the main features of CloudFlare: Global Network Security: Cloudflare operates a vast global network that acts as a protective shield for your website, filtering out malicious traffic and threats before they even reach your server. This distributed approach ensures that attacks are mitigated at the network edge, preserving your server resources. Content Caching: Cloudflare’s caching infrastructure stores copies of your website’s content at data centers around the world. This means visitors experience faster load times as they access cached content from a server nearest to them, reducing server load and improving website responsiveness. Web Application Firewall (WAF): Cloudflare offers a comprehensive Web Application Firewall that can be finely tuned to your specific needs. It provides a robust defense against common web application attacks, such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS), without the need for additional on-site firewall plugins. IP Control and Access Management: Cloudflare’s firewall allows you to control and manage IP access with precision. You can easily set rules to block or allow specific IPs, IP ranges, or countries, giving you granular control over who can access your website. DDoS Protection: Cloudflare’s network is designed to withstand large-scale DDoS attacks, providing a shield against volumetric threats that would overwhelm on-site firewalls. This ensures uninterrupted website availability. Performance Optimization: Cloudflare’s content delivery network (CDN) optimizes the delivery of your website’s assets, including images, scripts, and stylesheets, resulting in reduced latency and faster load times for your visitors. Scalability and Reliability: Cloudflare’s infrastructure is highly scalable and redundant, ensuring that your website remains available even during traffic spikes or server failures. By integrating Cloudflare with your WordPress site, you not only enhance security but also optimize performance, reduce server load, and simplify IP access control, all while benefiting from Cloudflare’s global network and advanced security features. It’s a comprehensive solution that takes your website’s protection and performance to the next level. This is why we use it on all our websites, including the Pro version of this plugin as well. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you use it for your website if you haven’t already, whether you intend to use this plugin or not. Please note that we still use and recommend that you use a ‘Traditional’ server/software-based firewall like CSF, in conjunction with CloudFlare, to cover various security aspects such as traffic/ports for mail, FTP, SSH, etc.