---
title: Getting Envoy's Access Logs
description: This task shows you how to configure Envoy proxies to print access logs to their standard output.
weight: 10
keywords: [telemetry]
aliases:
    - /docs/tasks/telemetry/access-log
    - /docs/tasks/telemetry/logs/access-log/
test: yes
---

The simplest kind of Istio logging is
[Envoy's access logging](https://www.envoyproxy.io/docs/envoy/latest/configuration/observability/access_log/usage).
Envoy proxies print access information to their standard output.
The standard output of Envoy's containers can then be printed by the `kubectl logs` command.

{{< boilerplate before-you-begin-egress >}}

{{< boilerplate start-httpbin-service >}}

## Enable Envoy's access logging

Edit the `istio` configuration map:

{{< tip >}}
In the example below, replace `demo` with the name of the profile you used when you installed Istio.
{{< /tip >}}

{{< text bash >}}
$ istioctl install --set profile=demo --set meshConfig.accessLogFile="/dev/stdout"
...
- Processing resources for Istiod.
✔ Istiod installed
...
- Pruning removed resources
✔ Installation complete
{{< /text >}}

You can also choose between JSON and text by setting `accessLogEncoding` to `JSON` or `TEXT`.

You may also want to customize the
[format](https://www.envoyproxy.io/docs/envoy/latest/configuration/observability/access_log/usage#format-rules) of the access log by editing `accessLogFormat`.

{{< tip >}}
All three of these parameters may also be configured via [install options](https://archive.istio.io/v1.4/docs/reference/config/installation-options/):
{{< /tip >}}

* `meshConfig.accessLogFile`
* `meshConfig.accessLogEncoding`
* `meshConfig.accessLogFormat`

## Test the access log

1.  Send a request from `sleep` to `httpbin`:

    {{< text bash >}}
    $ kubectl exec "$SOURCE_POD" -c sleep -- curl -v httpbin:8000/status/418
    ...
    < HTTP/1.1 418 Unknown
    < server: envoy
    ...
        -=[ teapot ]=-

           _...._
         .'  _ _ `.
        | ."` ^ `". _,
        \_;`"---"`|//
          |       ;/
          \_     _/
            `"""`
    {{< /text >}}

1.  Check `sleep`'s log:

    {{< text bash >}}
    $ kubectl logs -l app=sleep -c istio-proxy
    [2019-03-06T09:31:27.354Z] "GET /status/418 HTTP/1.1" 418 - "-" 0 135 11 10 "-" "curl/7.60.0" "d209e46f-9ed5-9b61-bbdd-43e22662702a" "httpbin:8000" "172.30.146.73:80" outbound|8000||httpbin.default.svc.cluster.local - 172.21.13.94:8000 172.30.146.82:60290 -
    {{< /text >}}

1.  Check `httpbin`'s log:

    {{< text bash >}}
    $ kubectl logs -l app=httpbin -c istio-proxy
    [2019-03-06T09:31:27.360Z] "GET /status/418 HTTP/1.1" 418 - "-" 0 135 5 2 "-" "curl/7.60.0" "d209e46f-9ed5-9b61-bbdd-43e22662702a" "httpbin:8000" "127.0.0.1:80" inbound|8000|http|httpbin.default.svc.cluster.local - 172.30.146.73:80 172.30.146.82:38618 outbound_.8000_._.httpbin.default.svc.cluster.local
    {{< /text >}}

Note that the messages corresponding to the request appear in logs of the Istio proxies of both the source and the destination, `sleep` and `httpbin`, respectively. You can see in the log the HTTP verb (`GET`), the HTTP path (`/status/418`), the response code (`418`) and other [request-related information](https://www.envoyproxy.io/docs/envoy/latest/configuration/observability/access_log/usage#format-rules).

## Cleanup

Shutdown the [sleep]({{< github_tree >}}/samples/sleep) and [httpbin]({{< github_tree >}}/samples/httpbin) services:

{{< text bash >}}
$ kubectl delete -f @samples/sleep/sleep.yaml@
$ kubectl delete -f @samples/httpbin/httpbin.yaml@
{{< /text >}}

### Disable Envoy's access logging

Edit the `istio` configuration map and set `accessLogFile` to `""`.

{{< tip >}}
In the example below, replace `demo` with the name of the profile you used when you installed Istio.
{{< /tip >}}

{{< text bash >}}
$ istioctl install --set profile=demo
- Applying manifest for component Base...
✔ Finished applying manifest for component Base.
- Applying manifest for component Pilot...
✔ Finished applying manifest for component Pilot.
- Applying manifest for component EgressGateways...
- Applying manifest for component IngressGateways...
- Applying manifest for component AddonComponents...
✔ Finished applying manifest for component EgressGateways.
✔ Finished applying manifest for component IngressGateways.
✔ Finished applying manifest for component AddonComponents.


✔ Installation complete
{{< /text >}}