Document Activity Tracking and Audit Logs

Track every action taken on your documents with detailed activity logs and audit trails. This guide covers viewing activity history, understanding event types, exporting audit logs, tracking recipient engagement, and using activity data for compliance.

Prerequisites

Account: Active BreezeDoc account
Plan: Available on all plans (Free, Pro, Agency)
Document: Sent or completed document with activity to track
Access: Document owner, editor, or viewer role

What is Activity Tracking?

Activity tracking records every interaction with your documents, creating a complete audit trail of who did what and when. This provides transparency, accountability, and compliance documentation. Key features:

Universal Availability – Activity tracking on all BreezeDoc plans (Free, Pro, Agency)
Real-Time Logging – Events recorded immediately as they occur
Complete Audit Trail – Every action timestamped with IP address and user agent
Recipient-Level Tracking – Monitor each recipient's engagement independently
Exportable Logs – Download activity history as PDF for records
Compliance-Ready – Detailed logs suitable for legal and regulatory requirements

What Events Are Tracked

Document-Level Events

Document Created – When document is first created
Document Sent – When document is sent to recipients (with timestamp)
Document Completed – When all recipients have signed
Document Expired – When expiration deadline passes

Recipient Events

Email Sent – When notification email delivered to recipient
Document Opened – When recipient clicks link and opens document
Document Viewed – When recipient accesses signing page
Recipient Signed/Completed – When recipient finishes signing
Reminder Sent – When automatic reminder email sent (Pro/Agency)

Metadata Captured Per Event

Each event includes detailed context:

Timestamp – Exact date and time (down to the second)
Recipient Email – Who performed the action
IP Address – Network address of the user
User Agent – Browser and device information
Event Type – Specific action taken (sent, opened, viewed, signed)

Viewing Activity Logs

Step-by-Step: View Document Activity

Log in to your BreezeDoc account.
Go to Documents and select the document.
Click the Activity tab or button (usually near document details).
View chronological list of all events:
- 📧 Email sent events
- 👁️ Document opened events
- ✅ Signature completed events
- 🔔 Reminder sent events
Each event shows:
- Event type and description
- Recipient name/email
- Timestamp
- IP address (if applicable)
Events are sorted chronologically (newest first or oldest first depending on view).

Activity Log Interface

The activity log typically displays:

Timeline View: Chronological list of events
Event Icons: Visual indicators for event types (📧, 👁️, ✅)
Recipient Grouping: Events grouped by recipient for multi-party documents
Detailed View: Click events to see full metadata (IP, user agent)
Export Button: Download activity log as PDF

Interpreting Event Timeline

Example Activity Log:

✅ 2024-01-15 14:32:15 - Recipient signed (john@example.com)
   IP: 192.168.1.100, Browser: Chrome/Mac

👁️ 2024-01-15 14:30:45 - Document viewed (john@example.com)
   IP: 192.168.1.100

📧 2024-01-15 09:15:00 - Email sent (john@example.com)

📧 2024-01-15 09:14:58 - Document sent to recipients

Interpretation: Document sent at 9:14 AM, recipient received email at 9:15 AM, opened document at 2:30 PM (5+ hours later), and signed at 2:32 PM (2 minutes after opening).

Tracking Recipient Engagement

Key Engagement Metrics

Email Delivery: Did recipient receive the email?
Open Rate: Did recipient open the document link?
Time to Open: How long between sent and opened?
Time to Sign: How long between opened and completed?
Completion Status: Has recipient finished signing?

Recipient Status Tracking

Monitor each recipient's progress:

Not Sent: Recipient hasn't received email yet (sequential signing, not their turn)
Sent: Email delivered but recipient hasn't opened document
Opened/Viewed: Recipient clicked link and accessed document
Completed: Recipient finished signing

Follow-Up Signals

Use activity data to decide when to follow up:

Not Opened After 24-48 Hours: Recipient may not have seen email (check spam, resend)
Opened But Not Signed: Recipient has questions or concerns (call to discuss)
No Activity After Reminder: Recipient may be uninterested (manual follow-up needed)
Multiple Opens Without Signing: Recipient may be reviewing or have technical issues

Exporting Activity Logs

Step-by-Step: Export Activity Log PDF

Open the document in BreezeDoc.
Go to Activity tab.
Look for Download Activity PDF or Export button.
Click the button to generate activity log PDF.
PDF downloads to your computer.
Filename typically: Document-Title-activity.pdf

Activity PDF Contents

The exported PDF includes:

Document Summary: Title, creation date, completion status
Recipient List: All recipients with their completion status
Event Timeline: Complete chronological list of all events
Event Details: Type, timestamp, recipient, IP address, user agent
Audit Trail Format: Professional table format suitable for legal/compliance use
Generation Timestamp: When the PDF was created

When to Export Activity Logs

Compliance Requirements: Maintain audit trails for 7-10 year retention
Legal Disputes: Provide proof of document execution timeline
Internal Records: Archive activity logs with completed documents
Client Requests: Share proof of delivery and signing with clients
Audit Preparation: Compile activity logs for regulatory audits

Using Activity Logs for Compliance

Audit Trail Requirements

Activity logs satisfy common compliance requirements:

ESIGN Act (US): Demonstrates consent and identity verification
UETA (US): Provides electronic record of transaction
eIDAS (EU): Shows qualified electronic signature process
GDPR: Documents data processing activities and consent
SOX/HIPAA: Maintains audit trail for regulated documents

Legal and Evidentiary Value

Proof of Delivery: Timestamp when document was sent to recipient
Proof of Receipt: IP address and timestamp when recipient opened document
Proof of Signing: Exact time and device used for signature
Chain of Custody: Complete record from creation to completion
Non-Repudiation: Difficult for signers to deny involvement

Activity Log Retention

BreezeDoc Storage: Activity logs stored indefinitely with documents in BreezeDoc
Export for Archiving: Download activity PDFs for local/backup storage
Regulatory Requirements: Some industries require 7-10 year retention
Best Practice: Export and archive activity logs for all important contracts

IP Address and Device Tracking

What IP Addresses Tell You

Geographic Location: Approximate location of signer (city/region)
Network Type: Corporate network, home internet, mobile data
Consistency Check: Same IP for open and sign suggests same session
Fraud Detection: Unusual IP addresses may indicate fraud

User Agent Information

User agent captures device and browser details:

Browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, etc.
Operating System: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux
Device Type: Desktop, mobile, tablet
Browser Version: Specific version numbers

Example User Agent:

Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_15_7) Chrome/120.0.0.0

Interpretation: Chrome browser on macOS (Mac computer)

Privacy Considerations

Legitimate Purpose: IP tracking for security and audit purposes
Data Minimization: Only essential metadata collected
Confidential Storage: IP addresses stored securely in BreezeDoc database
GDPR Compliance: IP tracking justified by legitimate interest (contract execution)
Recipient Awareness: Terms of service disclose activity tracking

Troubleshooting

Issue: Activity log shows "Document sent" but recipient says they never received email

Fix: "Document sent" means BreezeDoc sent the email, not that recipient received it. Check recipient email address for typos. Ask recipient to check spam/junk folder – look for emails from breezedoc.com or noreply@breezedoc.com. Verify recipient's email server didn't block the email (check with IT if corporate email). Look for "Email bounced" event in activity log (indicates delivery failure). Resend document from BreezeDoc to retry email delivery.

Issue: Activity log shows no "Document opened" event but recipient claims they opened it

Fix: "Opened" event only triggers when recipient clicks the signing link. If recipient opened the email but didn't click the link, no event is logged. Ask recipient to click the blue "Sign Document" button in the email. Check if recipient clicked link but page didn't load (network issue, browser blocker). Look for "Viewed" event which may appear instead of "Opened". If recipient truly clicked link but no event, there may be tracking pixel/JavaScript blocking (corporate firewall, privacy extensions).

Issue: Want to see more detailed timestamp information

Fix: Activity log shows timestamps to the second. Hover over timestamps to see exact time in your timezone. Export activity PDF to get complete detailed log. Check document settings for timezone configuration – timestamps displayed in account timezone. For legal/compliance use, export activity PDF which includes full precision timestamps.

Issue: Activity log shows same IP address for all events – is this normal?

Fix: Yes, this is normal if recipient opened and signed in the same session from the same location. Consistent IP addresses indicate legitimate signing session. Different IP addresses between open and sign may indicate: 1) Recipient opened on mobile, signed on desktop, 2) Recipient changed networks (office to home), 3) Potential fraud (different person signed). For high-value contracts, verify with recipient if you see suspicious IP changes.

Issue: Need to share activity log with client but don't want to reveal IP addresses

Fix: Export activity PDF which includes all event data. Unfortunately, BreezeDoc doesn't offer redacted activity logs. Consider taking screenshots of activity log and redacting IP addresses manually. For most business purposes, sharing full activity log (including IPs) is acceptable. If privacy is critical, summarize key events (sent, opened, signed dates) in a separate document without raw log data.

Issue: Activity log shows "Reminder sent" but recipient says they didn't receive it

Fix: "Reminder sent" means BreezeDoc sent the email – recipient should check spam folder. Verify automatic reminders are enabled and configured correctly (Pro/Agency plan required). Check that recipient hasn't already signed (reminders stop after completion). Ensure 3 reminders haven't already been sent (maximum limit). If reminders consistently aren't received, recipient's email server may be blocking them – try manual resend or different contact method.

FAQ

Q: Is activity tracking available on the Free plan?

A: Yes! Activity tracking and audit logs are available on all BreezeDoc plans including Free, Pro, and Agency.

Q: How long are activity logs stored?

A: Activity logs are stored indefinitely as long as the document exists in your BreezeDoc account. Export activity PDFs for permanent offline archiving.

Q: Can recipients see the activity log?

A: No, activity logs are only visible to the document owner and team members with appropriate permissions. Recipients cannot see who else has opened or signed the document.

Q: Are IP addresses and device information accurate?

A: IP addresses are accurate but may show approximate location (not exact address). VPNs and proxies can mask true location. User agent strings are generally reliable but can be spoofed. Use activity data as one factor in verification, not sole evidence.

Q: Can I delete or modify activity log entries?

A: No, activity logs are immutable for integrity and compliance purposes. Once an event is logged, it cannot be edited or deleted. This ensures the audit trail is tamper-proof.

Q: What happens to activity logs if I delete a document?

A: Activity logs are preserved with the document. If you permanently delete a document, activity logs are also deleted. Export activity PDFs before deleting important documents.

Need more help? Contact our support team – we are here to help!