🍲dfcv🏰dd⋉(● ∸ ●)⋊@% PNG %k25u25%fgd5n! PNG %k25u25%fgd5n!Audit Log System - Implementation Guide
Overview
This audit log system automatically tracks all database changes (create, update, delete) across your Laravel application and provides a comprehensive searchable interface to view and restore deleted records.
Files to Copy to New Project
1. Database Migration
text
database/migrations/xxxx_xx_xx_create_audit_logs_table.php
2. Models
text
app/Models/AuditLog.php
3. Traits
text
app/Traits/Auditable.php
4. Controllers
text
app/Http/Controllers/AuditLogController.php
5. Helpers (Optional - for serial numbers)
text
app/Helpers/SerialHelper.php
6. Views
text
resources/views/audit_logs/index.blade.php
resources/views/audit_logs/show.blade.php
resources/views/audit_logs/partials/rows.blade.php
7. Routes
text
routes/web.php (add audit log routes)
Step-by-Step Implementation
Step 1: Run Migration
bash
php artisan migrate
Step 2: Add Auditable Trait to Models You Want to Track
Add to any model you want to audit:
php
use App\Traits\Auditable;
class YourModel extends Model
{
use Auditable; // Add this line
}
Recommended models to track:
PaymentVoucher.php
GoodsReceivedNote.php
Invoice.php
PurchaseOrder.php
SalesReturn.php
StockTransfer.php
Step 3: Add Routes
Add to routes/web.php:
php
Route::middleware(['auth'])->group(function () {
Route::get('/audit-logs', [AuditLogController::class, 'index'])->name('audit-logs.index');
Route::get('/audit-logs/filter', [AuditLogController::class, 'filter'])->name('audit-logs.filter');
Route::get('/audit-logs/{id}', [AuditLogController::class, 'show'])->name('audit-logs.show');
Route::get('/audit-logs/{id}/advanced-data', [AuditLogController::class, 'advancedData']);
Route::post('/audit-logs/{id}/restore', [AuditLogController::class, 'restore']);
});
Step 4: Add Navigation Link
Add to your main layout file (resources/views/layouts/app.blade.php):
blade
What Gets Tracked Automatically
When you add use Auditable to a model, Laravel automatically logs:
Action When it happens What's stored
Created When a new record is inserted New data as JSON
Updated When a record is modified Old data + New data + Changed fields
Deleted When a record is deleted Full record data before deletion
Restored When a soft-deleted record is restored Restored data
Database Table Structure
The audit_logs table stores:
Column Description
table_name Which table was changed (grn, invoices, etc.)
record_id ID of the changed record
action created, updated, deleted, restored
old_data Previous data (JSON)
new_data New data (JSON)
changed_fields Only fields that changed (JSON)
user_id/name/email Who made the change
ip_address User's IP address
amount Transaction amount (for reports)
reference_no Invoice/voucher number
Features You Get
✅ Automatic Tracking
No extra code needed - just add the trait
Captures all CRUD operations
✅ Search & Filter
Date range filtering
Table name filtering
Action type filtering (created/updated/deleted)
Keyword search (reference numbers, users, amounts)
✅ Advanced View Modal
Shows complete record details
Displays serial numbers (if configured)
Raw JSON data for debugging
✅ Restore Functionality
One-click restore for deleted records
Recovers full record data
✅ Export to CSV
Export filtered results
Useful for reporting and auditing
Configuration Options
Customize Which Data to Track
In your Auditable.php trait, modify the extractRelatedData method to add business-specific data:
php
protected static function extractRelatedData($model, $action)
{
$related = [];
if ($model instanceof PaymentVoucher) {
$related['supplier_name'] = $model->supplier->name;
$related['amount'] = $model->total_amount;
}
return $related;
}
Add Serial Number Tracking
If you have serial numbers in your application, update SerialHelper.php with your table mappings:
php
protected static $serialMappings = [
'grn' => [
'table' => 'item_serials',
'foreign_key' => 'doc_id',
'serial_column' => 'serial_number'
],
// Add more tables as needed
];
Testing Checklist
After implementation, verify:
Run php artisan migrate successfully
Create a test record - check if appears in audit log
Update a test record - verify old/new data captured
Delete a test record - confirm deletion logged
Visit /audit-logs - page loads with data
Test search/filter functionality
Click "Advanced View" on any log
Test restore function on a deleted record
Check export CSV feature
Common Issues & Solutions
Issue Solution
restored() event error Remove or comment out the restored event in Auditable.php if not using soft deletes
No data showing Ensure models have use Auditable trait added
Serial numbers not showing Update SerialHelper.php with correct table/column mappings
jQuery errors Use pure JavaScript as shown in the view file
Slow performance Add indexes to created_at, table_name, action columns
Estimated Implementation Time
Task Time
Copy files 5 minutes
Run migration 2 minutes
Add trait to models 5-10 minutes
Add routes 2 minutes
Add navigation link 2 minutes
Testing 10 minutes
Total ~30 minutes
Files Location Summary
text
your-project/
├── app/
│ ├── Http/
│ │ └── Controllers/
│ │ └── AuditLogController.php
│ ├── Models/
│ │ └── AuditLog.php
│ ├── Traits/
│ │ └── Auditable.php
│ └── Helpers/
│ └── SerialHelper.php (optional)
├── database/
│ └── migrations/
│ └── xxxx_xx_xx_create_audit_logs_table.php
├── resources/
│ └── views/
│ └── audit_logs/
│ ├── index.blade.php
│ ├── show.blade.php
│ └── partials/
│ └── rows.blade.php
└── routes/
└── web.php (add routes)
Support
If you encounter any issues:
Check Laravel logs: storage/logs/laravel.log
Verify database connection
Ensure all migrations ran successfully
Clear cache: php artisan cache:clear and php artisan view:clear
This audit system works with Laravel 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.