---
title: Creating a file based access log publisher
description: Create a file-based access log publisher in the PingDirectory admin console with log rotation and retention policies.
component: pingdirectory
version: 10.3
page_id: pingdirectory:pingdirectory_server_administration_guide:pd_ds_new_log_publisher_console
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingdirectory/11.1/pingdirectory_server_administration_guide/pd_ds_new_log_publisher_console.html
llms_txt: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingdirectory/llms.txt
docs_for_agents: https://developer.pingidentity.com/build-with-ai/docs-for-agents.md
revdate: 2023-09-13T00:00:00Z
superseded_by: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingdirectory/11.1/pingdirectory_server_administration_guide/pd_ds_new_log_publisher_console.html
section_ids:
  about-this-task: About this task
  steps: Steps
---

# Creating a file based access log publisher

The PingDirectory server supports different types of log publishers that can be used to provide monitoring information for operations, access, debug, and error messages that occur during normal server processing.

## About this task

The server provides a standard set of default log files as well as mechanisms to configure custom log publishers with their own log rotation and retention policies. The file-based access log publisher publishes access messages with information about the operations processed by the server. For more information, see [Types of log publishers](pd_ds_types_of_log_pubs.html).

## Steps

1. Start the admin console.

2. In the main menu, select **Configuration**, and in the **Logging, Monitoring, and Notifications** section, select **Log Retention Policies**.

   ![Screen capture showing the ](_images/kri1681140168493.png)

3. In the **New Log Retention Policy** list, select your desired policy and fill out the fields according to the help text.

4. Click **Save**.

5. Return to the **Logging, Monitoring, and Notifications** section and select **Log Rotation Policies**.

6. In the **New Log Rotation Policy** list, select your desired policy and fill out the fields according to the help text.

7. Click **Save**.

8. Return to the **Logging, Monitoring, and Notifications** section and select **Log Publishers**.

9. In the **New Log Publisher** list, select **File Based Access Log Publisher**.

10. Fill out the fields according to the help text. In the **Rotation Policy** field of the **Log File Management** section, select your desired rotation policy in the **Available** list, and click the **Add Value** button to activate the policy.

11. Repeat step 10 for the **Retention Policy** field.

12. Click **Save**.