---
title: "Creating Custom Log Files"
slug: "creating-custom-log-files"
description: "This document shows how to create custom Log files in Decisions. This is achieved by opening and editing the LogCategorySettings.xml file and executing a Flow containing the Log Step function. "
updated: 2024-06-27T20:30:10Z
published: 2024-06-27T20:30:10Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://documentation.decisions.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating Custom Log Files

## Overview

To help customize logging****specifications within a Decisions environment, **Administrators**are provided the ability to define new **Log****Categories**via the Log step and **Logging****Settings****JSON.**

This file automatically updates when a new category is created.

Further, these settings can be used to to log specified Categories to their own individual files within the **Local****File****System**. This can also be helpful when managing multiple **Projects**where files need to be segmented, by allowing customers to have their own specific error files organized.

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## Example

1. Follow the process outlined in [**Using the Log Step**](https://documentation.decisions.com/v9/docs/using-the-log-step) to create a new **Log****Category**.  
![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/2024-06-27_16h26_08.png)
2. From the **Decisions****Studio**, navigate to **System > Settings**, and open **Logging Settings**.  
![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/2024-06-27_16h26_52.png)
3. From the **Logging Settings** list, select **File System**. From the File System window, check the desired Levels. Then, under **Log Categories**, click ADD.
4. From the **Add Log Categories**window, select the previously created **Category**from the **Category Name** dropdown. Check the desired **Levels**, then enable **Log To Own File**.Overlapping Category NamesIf the name of an already existing Log Category is used for the Log Step in a Flow and the **Log To Own File Name** settings is True, it will cause SHM to give an **Error 1064** on restart attempt. If this error is received, the log category name already exists.  
Then, click OK, and OK once more to exit the **File System** window.  
![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/2024-06-27_16h28_08.png)
5. Return to, and then **Run**, the previously create **Logging****Flow**. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/2024-06-27_16h29_42.png)

### Custom Log File Location

1. After following the above steps, open the Decisions File System by navigating to **C:\Program Files\Decisions\Decisions Server**.
2. Right-click on the **LogSettings.json** file and open it with a text editor such as Visual Studio or Notepad++.  
![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/image-1649097410428.png)
3. This file displays multiple lines of **LogCategorySettings** for each available log category including new categories added by the **Log**step. Notice the new "InsuranceProcess" category under this setting. Exit the text editor.  
![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/image-1649097531524.png)
4. Open the **Logs**folder back in the file directory. Notice the newly created custom log file named after the category.Note on Matching Category/LevelsNote that to create a unique **Log**based on a set **Category**the following must occur: 

  - **LogToOwnFile**must be set to **True**
  - The Category Name must match the Category set on the Log step
  - The Level must match the Type set on the Log step

Failure to match either of these values will result in the **Log****Message**writing to the **Decisions.Web.Core**. file only.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/image-1649097723809.png)  
When the newly added**InsuranceProcess****.log** file is opened, it will show the recorded log of the error that was hit when the Flow executed along with the message that was configured in the Log Step of the Flow.

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For further information on Settings, visit the [Decisions Forum](https://community.decisions.com/categories/Settings).