Audit log for ActiveAdmin. Logs all non-read actions made via ActiveAdmin UI, works on controller level, tracks resource changes.

README.md

Audit log for ActiveAdmin. Logs all non-read actions made via ActiveAdmin UI, works on controller level, tracks resource changes.

Installation:

1. Create database table and model to store audit log entries
2. Create controller concern module AdminAuditable to hook into ActiveAdmin controllers
3. Prepend it to all controllers on a resource declaration in ActiveAdmin initializer
4. Create an admin panel page that will display audit log entries
5. Enjoy!

active_admin.rb

# config/initializers/active_admin.rb
ActiveSupport.on_load(:active_admin_controller) do
  ActiveSupport::Notifications.subscribe ActiveAdmin::Resource::RegisterEvent do |event|
    event.payload[:active_admin_resource].controller.prepend AdminAuditable
  end
end

admin_audit_log.rb

# app/admin/admin_audit_log.rb
ActiveAdmin.register Admin::AuditLog, as: "Admin Audit Log" do
  menu label: "Admin Audit Log", parent: :menu_settings

  actions :index, :show

  remove_filter :resource_changes, :params, :ip_address, :user_agent, :session_id, :controller, :action, :username

  config.sort_order = "created_at_desc"

  index title: "Audit Log", download_links: [:csv], pagination_total: false do
    column "Time", sortable: :created_at do |log_entry|
      link_to(log_entry.created_at.to_fs(:rfc822), admin_admin_audit_log_path(log_entry))
    end
    column :user do |log_entry|
      next "#{log_entry.username} (deleted)" if log_entry.user.nil?

      link_to(log_entry.username, log_entry.user)
    end
    column :action, sortable: false do |log_entry|
      "#{log_entry.controller} # #{log_entry.action}"
    end
    column :resource do |log_entry|
      next unless log_entry.resource_type && log_entry.resource_id

      resource_name = log_entry.resource_type.underscore.humanize
      next "#{resource_name} (deleted)" unless log_entry.resource

      link_to("#{resource_name} #{log_entry.resource.to_param}", [:admin, log_entry.resource])
    end
  end

  show title: ->(log_entry) { "Event ##{log_entry.id}" } do
    attributes_table do
      row :resource_type do |log_entry|
        log_entry.resource_type&.underscore&.humanize
      end
      row :resource_id do |log_entry|
        next unless log_entry.resource

        link_to(log_entry.resource_id, [:admin, log_entry.resource])
      end
      row :action do |log_entry|
        "#{log_entry.controller} # #{log_entry.action}"
      end
      row :user do |log_entry|
        next "#{log_entry.username} (deleted)" if log_entry.user.nil?

        link_to(log_entry.username, log_entry.user)
      end
      row :resource_changes do |log_entry|
        table_for log_entry.resource_changes.to_a, style: "overflow-x:scroll;" do
          column :attribute do |attribute, _changes|
            attribute
          end
          column :before do |_attribute, changes|
            changes[0].to_json
          end
          column :after do |_attribute, changes|
            changes[1].to_json
          end
        end
      end
      row :params do |log_entry|
        log_entry.params.to_json
      end
      row :ip_address do |log_entry|
        log_entry.ip_address
      end
      row :user_agent do |log_entry|
        log_entry.user_agent
      end
      row :session_id do |log_entry|
        span log_entry.session_id

        if log_entry.session_id != session.id && Session.exists?(session_id: log_entry.session_id)
          small \
            link_to "Revoke",
              revoke_session_admin_user_path(log_entry.user, session_id: log_entry.session_id),
              method: :delete,
              data: {confirm: "Are you sure you want to revoke this session?"}
        end
      end
    end
  end
end

admin_auditable.rb

# app/controllers/concerns/admin_auditable.rb
module AdminAuditable
  extend ActiveSupport::Concern

  prepended do
    before_action :initialize_audit_log, except: audit_ignored_actions
    after_action :persist_audit_log, except: audit_ignored_actions
  end

  class_methods do
    def audit_ignored_actions
      return super if superclass.respond_to?(__method__)

      %i[index new show edit]
    end

    def audit_ignored_changes
      ignores = superclass.respond_to?(__method__) ? superclass.audit_ignored_changes : []
      ignores + %w[updated_at]
    end
  end

  protected

  # As many custom actions don't use activeadmin's `update_resource` to change the resource
  # we can't use activeadmin's callbacks and need to hook into the resource finding process to track changes
  def find_resource
    super.tap { |resource| audit_resource(resource) }
  end

  def build_resource
    super.tap { |resource| audit_resource(resource) }
  end

  def audit_resource(resource)
    audit_log = initialize_audit_log
    audit_log.resource = resource
    activeadmin_ctrl = self
    resource.singleton_class.after_commit do
      changes = destroyed? ? attributes.map { |k, v| [k, [v, nil]] }.to_h : previous_changes
      audit_log.resource_changes = changes.except(*activeadmin_ctrl.class.audit_ignored_changes)
    end
  end

  IGNORED_PARAMS = %w[controller action format id _method authenticity_token]

  def initialize_audit_log
    @audit_log ||= Admin::AuditLog.new(
      user: current_user,
      username: current_user.username,
      controller: controller_path,
      action: action_name,
      params: request.filtered_parameters.except(*IGNORED_PARAMS),
      ip_address: request.remote_ip,
      user_agent: request.user_agent,
      session_id: request.session.id,
    )
  end

  def persist_audit_log
    @audit_log&.save!
  end
end

audit_log.rb

# app/models/admin/audit_log.rb

module Admin
  class AuditLog < ApplicationRecord
    self.table_name = "admin_audit_logs"

    belongs_to :user
    belongs_to :resource, polymorphic: true, optional: true
  end
end

create_admin_audit_log.rb

# db/migrate/20250806000000_create_admin_audit_log.rb
class CreateAdminAuditLog < ActiveRecord::Migration[8.0]
  def change
    create_table :admin_audit_logs, id: :uuid do |t|
      t.references :user, foreign_key: {on_delete: :nullify, on_update: :cascade}, index: false
      t.string :username, null: false
      t.references :resource, polymorphic: true, index: false
      t.string :controller, null: false
      t.string :action, null: false
      t.jsonb :params, null: false, default: {}
      t.jsonb :resource_changes, null: false, default: {}
      t.inet :ip_address, null: false
      t.string :user_agent, null: false
      t.string :session_id, null: false
      t.datetime :created_at, null: false, default: -> { "CURRENT_TIMESTAMP" }
    end

    add_index :admin_audit_logs, [:user_id, :created_at], order: {created_at: :desc}
    add_index :admin_audit_logs, [:resource_type, :resource_id, :created_at], order: {created_at: :desc}
    add_index :admin_audit_logs, [:created_at], order: {created_at: :desc}
  end
end