Can an admin in Nextcloud view user activity logs, including folder creation, deletion, and renaming?
The admin_audit app: Logging — Nextcloud latest Administration Manual latest documentation
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here: including folder creation, deletion, and renaming
I always ask myself why something like this is needed. Normally, everyone has their own folder structure and can do what they want there. That might be different for a group folder or shared folder. But collaborative work is based on trust and only includes the folders and files that have been shared accordingly. Instead, offer your users further training. I assume that you have informed your users about this monitoring.
If I were a user of your Nextcloud, I would probably get a free Nextcloud account somewhere on the Internet. I would have peace of mind and know that nobody is monitoring my activities.
When I give a user authorisation to one of my Nextclouds, I do not monitor anything. The only thing is that I say that I don’t guarantee anything except for an automatic backup, which I am happy to explain. I don’t care about anything else. I will not be accused of monitoring any activities.
The need for monitoring in Nextcloud isn’t about a lack of trust—it’s about maintaining security, compliance, and troubleshooting issues when necessary. Not all environments function on blind trust, especially in professional or enterprise settings where accountability matters.
If you prefer to run your Nextcloud without monitoring, that’s your choice. However, dismissing the need for user activity logs ignores the reality that many administrators have a responsibility to ensure data integrity and prevent misuse. Monitoring isn’t about invading privacy—it’s about responsible system management.
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That may be. The only strange thing is that this exact form of monitoring is not possible with CIFS (Common Internet File System) as far as I know, or at least is not activated. But new technologies probably require higher security standards. Do you use CIFS? Do you also have this form of monitoring there? Is it monitored for each folder and file when something is created or deleted? That seems sensible to me. Or do you simply not use it there because it is not available or produces too much overhead?
You don’t have to do everything possible in terms of safety.
It makes far more sense to keep the functionality of the safety functions fundamentally correct. To do this, it makes more sense to always use the latest patched software, make backups and perhaps read a few security forums. And whether this is possible with the proprietary CIFS? I don’t know.
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