Use the Google Analytics module to track "Events." Every time a user clicks a link ending in .pdf , .zip , or .docx , a log is sent to your GA dashboard.
You can use command-line tools like grep to filter these logs for specific file extensions: grep ".pdf" /var/log/apache2/access.log 5. Security and Compliance When collecting download logs, keep the following in mind:
While this will show you errors (like 404s for missing files) or successful uploads, it does not provide a comprehensive "download history" for every user. For that, you 3. Best Modules for Tracking Download Logs drupal download logs
If you don't want to bloat your Drupal database with log data, you can track downloads on the client side.
If you are logging IP addresses or user IDs associated with downloads, ensure your privacy policy reflects this. Use the Google Analytics module to track "Events
Logging every single file request to the database can slow down a high-traffic site. If you have thousands of downloads a day, consider using an external logging service or server-side logs instead of the Drupal Database Logging module. Summary Checklist
These are stored outside the web root. When a user requests a private file, Drupal checks their permissions before serving it. Because Drupal is involved in the process, these interactions are much easier to track and log. 2. Viewing Standard Drupal Logs (Watchdog) For that, you 3
for a raw, unfiltered view of all file traffic. If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know: Are you using Drupal 7, 9, or 10 ? Do you need to track public or private files?
These are stored in the /sites/default/files directory and are served directly by the web server (Apache or Nginx). Because the server handles these requests without "bootstrapping" Drupal, these downloads are not logged in Drupal's internal database by default.