#174 by installs
WP Activity Log
The #1 user-rated activity log plugin for event logging, activity monitoring and change tracking.
- Installs
- 300,000+
- Rating
- 4.7 (490)
- Updated
- 11 days ago
Simple History – Track, Log, and Audit WordPress Changes
Track changes and user activities on your WordPress site. See who created a page, uploaded an attachment, and more, for a complete audit trail.
- Active installs
- 300,000+
- #175 of 1,000
- Downloads, all time
- 13.8M
- 13,783,737
- Downloads, 30 days
- 421.3K
- 45K in the last 7
- Rating
- 4.9 / 5
- 491 reviews
- Last updated
- 14 days ago
- Oct 17, 2026
- Version
- 5.36.0
- 237 releases
Upkeep and compatibility
| Last updated | October 17, 2026Updated in the last 3 months |
|---|---|
| Tested up to | WordPress 7.1.4Covers WordPress 7.1.4, the current release |
| Needs WordPress | 6.3 or newer |
| Needs PHP | 7.4 or newer |
| First published | July 8, 2010 |
| Support, last two months | 3 of 4 threads resolved (75%) |
Reviews
4.9 / 5 from 491 reviews
| 5 stars | 466 |
|---|---|
| 4 stars | 12 |
| 3 stars | 6 |
| 2 stars | 4 |
| 1 star | 3 |
Downloads, last 30 days
What the author says it does
Trusted by 300,000+ WordPress sites, rated 4.9 stars with 450+ five-star reviews, actively developed for 10+ years, and translated into 15+ languages.
Simple History is the complete audit log for WordPress. It tracks every meaningful change — content edits, user logins, plugin updates, security events, and more — so site owners, teams, agencies, and developers always know who did what and when. Just install and activate; no configuration required.
Every event is written to be read: plain language like Updated page “About us”, relative timestamps such as “5 minutes ago”, and before/after comparisons instead of raw data dumps.
🔍 How Simple History Helps in Real Situations
Track what’s happening on your site
“Has anyone done anything today? Ah, Sarah uploaded the new press release and created an article for it. Great — now I don’t have to do that.”
Identify issues and debug faster
“The site feels slow since yesterday. Has anyone done anything special? … Ah, Steven activated ‘naughty-plugin-x’, that must be it.”
Keep freelancers & agencies accountable
“I hired a developer to optimize my site. But did they actually do anything? A quick glance at Simple History shows me exactly what they worked on.”
Spot suspicious activity early
The opening of the plugin's own description. The full text, installation notes and changelog are on its WordPress.org page.
Questions the author answers
Is the plugin free?
Yes! Simple History has been free for over 10 years and will remain free. To support development and unlock extra features, you can purchase the premium add-on. View premium features.
How do I view the log?
You can access the log in multiple ways:
- The dashboard widget with activity stats summary
- A dedicated log page in the WordPress admin area
- The admin bar quick view dropdown on
- The WordPress command palette – type “Simple History” to jump to the log for the current post
Can I change where the History menu appears in WordPress admin?
Yes! You can customize the menu position in the plugin settings. Choose between showing Simple History at the top or bottom of the main menu, or inside the dashboard menu or tools menu.
Do I need coding skills to use the plugin?
No! Just install and activate the plugin, and it will start collecting activity logs automatically.
Where is the log stored?
The log is stored in your WordPress database.
Can I export the log?
Yes, you can export logs in CSV or JSON format for further analysis.
Latest changelog entry
Post edits are easier to read outside the log: Copy as JSON, log files and forwarded events list each changed field with its old and new value. This release also contains security fixes.
Screenshots and details in the release post
Added
- Experimental — A short “Updated to Simple History X.Y.Z” line at the top of the log after an update, with how many new features and fixes it brought and a link to the release post. Premium updates get their own line.
Screenshots
The main event log: a clear timeline of who did what on your site, when, and from where — alongside a sidebar with daily activity and your… 
Content changes show a full before/after diff, so you can see exactly which words were edited on a post or page — not just that something… 
User events capture every change to a profile: first and last name, display name, website, role, and more — with the previous value… 
Every plugin install, activation, and deactivation is logged with author, version, source, and a link to the plugin — so you always know…
Tagged
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Stream – Activity Log & Audit Trail
Real-time activity log and audit log for WordPress. Track every user action — logins, edits, plugin & settings changes — and get alerts.
- Installs
- 70,000+
- Rating
- 4.3 (76)
- Updated
- 2 months ago
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Monitor every change on your WordPress site — who did what, when, and where it came from — for a complete audit trail and stronger security.
- Installs
- 200,000+
- Rating
- 4.3 (74)
- Updated
- 3 days ago
Highlight your company’s history, milestones, and key events directly inside Elementor using stunning vertical and horizontal timelines.
- Installs
- 70,000+
- Rating
- 4.8 (248)
- Updated
- 5 days ago
Where this page's numbers come from
Read from the WordPress.org plugin API on , when WordPress 7.1.4 was the current release. WordPress.org rounds active installs into buckets. These are the directory's figures, not my verdict, and I haven't tested this plugin. The author takes donations at their donate page.