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

# Retrieve & export logs from API Self-Hosted v3

> This article shows how to view and export logs for your **API Self-Hosted v3** stack from the console. It covers per-service log streaming, time-range filters, and simple export recipes for Linux/macOS and Windows.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/draftable/PNuzpyDjwEVWCtnb/images/image-1.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=PNuzpyDjwEVWCtnb&q=85&s=8e5d0dadf3b847c04aed4629bd57254f" alt="" width="1946" height="1157" data-path="images/image-1.png" />
</Frame>

## Before you start

* Open a terminal **in the directory containing your** `**docker-compose.yml**`.
* Ensure Docker Desktop / Docker Engine is running.
* If you’re unsure of service names, run:

```bash theme={null}
docker compose config --services
```

or to see what’s running:

```bash theme={null}
docker compose ps
```

## Service names you can target

Use any of the following service names in place of `api` in the examples below:

```bash theme={null}
db
rabbitmq
redis
celery_beat
celery_worker
converter
web_init
web
compare
server
```

## Stream live logs (follow mode)

Stream logs for a specific service:

```bash theme={null}
docker compose logs -f web
```

Press **Ctrl+C** to stop following.

**Common filters**

```bash theme={null}
# Only the last 200 lines
docker compose logs --tail=200 web

# Since a relative time window (e.g., last 2 hours)
docker compose logs --since=2h web

# Since/until absolute timestamps (ISO 8601)
docker compose logs --since="2025-09-30T01:00:00" --until="2025-09-30T03:00:00" web

# Include timestamps in each line
docker compose logs -f --timestamps web
```

**All services at once**

```bash theme={null}
docker compose logs -f
```

## Export logs to files (Linux/macOS)

**Entire history (can be large):**

```bash theme={null}
docker compose logs web > web.log
```

**Recent logs with timestamps (recommended for support):**

```bash theme={null}
docker compose logs --since=24h --timestamps web > "web-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M).log"
```

**Compress for sharing:**

```bash theme={null}
gzip -9 web-*.log
# produces e.g. web-20250930-1042.log.gz
```

**Stream & save simultaneously:**

```bash theme={null}
docker compose logs -f --since=30m --timestamps web | tee "web-live-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M).log"
```

## Export logs for **all services** (copy/paste)

### Linux/macOS

```bash theme={null}
services=(db rabbitmq redis celery_beat celery_worker converter web_init web compare server)
stamp=$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M)

for s in "${services[@]}"; do
  docker compose logs --since=24h --timestamps "$s" > "${s}-${stamp}.log"
done

tar -czf "api-selfhosted-logs-${stamp}.tar.gz" *-"${stamp}".log
```

## Per-container logs (scaled services)

If a service is scaled (e.g., `web` has multiple replicas), you can export each container’s logs:

```bash theme={null}
# List running containers and their service
docker compose ps

# Export per-container (replace with actual container name, e.g., stack_web_1)
docker logs --since=24h --timestamps stack_web_1 > stack_web_1.log
```

<Tip>
  Container names are typically `<project>_<service>_<index>`. For ad-hoc viewing, `docker compose logs <service>` is simpler; for per-instance analysis, use `docker logs <container>`.
</Tip>

## What should I collect for Support?

When requested, please provide:

1. The `.log`, `.tar.gz`, or `.zip` files you created above (ideally limited with `--since` and/or `--tail`).
2. The **time window** during which the issue occurred.
3. The **service name(s)** involved (e.g., `web`, `compare`, `server`).
4. Any noteworthy steps just before the issue (deploy, restart, config change, etc.).

## Troubleshooting tips

* **Keep it concise:** Use `--since` (e.g., `2h`, `24h`) and `--tail` to reduce noise and file size.
* **Timestamps help:** Add `--timestamps` so lines can be correlated across services.
* **Startup issues:** Check `web_init` and `server` first; they often surface misconfigurations early.
* **Dependencies:** If the app looks healthy but jobs stall, review `celery_worker` and `celery_beat`. For connectivity or persistence problems, check `db`, `redis`, and `rabbitmq`.
* **Redaction:** Logs may contain URLs or IDs. Skim before sharing externally.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Do I have to be in the compose directory?">
    Yes. `docker compose` resolves services from the `docker-compose.yml` in the current directory (or use `--file` to point to the correct one).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I get JSON logs?">
    `docker compose logs` prints plain text from the Docker log driver. If your services emit JSON lines, they’ll appear as such. For structured querying, consider a central log stack (e.g., Loki/ELK) in addition to these ad-hoc exports.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The output is huge, what now?">
    Narrow with `--since`, `--until`, and `--tail`. For example:

    ```bash theme={null}
    docker compose logs --since=90m --tail=1000 --timestamps web > web-window.log
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I am still having issues. Who do I contact?">
    Get in touch with our support team at [support@draftable.com](mailto:support@draftable.com) and we will do our best to help you.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>