---
title: Enabling debug logging for the Kong Gateway plugin
description: Ping Identity Support might ask you to enable debug logging for the Kong Gateway integration kit. Changing these settings logs the full authorization request and response between the ping-auth plugin in Kong Gateway and PingAuthorize.
component: pingauthorize
version: 10.1
page_id: pingauthorize:pingauthorize_integrations:paz_kong_debug_logging
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingauthorize/10.1/pingauthorize_integrations/paz_kong_debug_logging.html
revdate: August 29, 2025
section_ids:
  about-this-task: About this task
  steps: Steps
---

# Enabling debug logging for the Kong Gateway plugin

## About this task

Ping Identity Support might ask you to enable debug logging for the Kong Gateway integration kit. Changing these settings logs the full authorization request and response between the `ping-auth` plugin in Kong Gateway and PingAuthorize.

|   |                                                                                                                                                          |
| - | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   | Debug logs can contain sensitive and personally identifiable information (PII). Enable debug logging only when troubleshooting and disable it afterward. |

## Steps

1. [Enable error logging](paz_kong_error_log.html) in Kong Gateway.

2. To view debug messages, configure Kong error log verbosity.

   For more information, see the Kong Gateway [Logging Reference](https://docs.konghq.com/gateway/2.8.x/configure/logging/) documentation.

   For example, in a Docker environment, you can set the environment variable `KONG_LOG_LEVEL` to `debug` to set the verbosity.

3. To enable debug logging, edit settings for the `ping-auth` plugin and select the **Config.Enable Debug Logging** checkbox.

4. View the Kong Gateway error log.

   For example, when deploying Docker, you can use the `docker compose logs kong --follow` command.

5. Look for messages containing `ping-auth`.

   A typical log message looks like: `[ping-auth] Sending sideband request to policy provider`.