Log all queries in MySQL

Better Stack Team
Updated on November 23, 2022

In MySQL, it is possible to log all queries that were executed. You can view them as a table or file.

Output query history into a table

To output executed queries into a table, run the following MySQL commands:

 
SET GLOBAL log_output = 'TABLE';
SET GLOBAL general_log = 'ON';

Then, take a look at mysql.general_log table, where you see the query history:

 
SELECT * FROM mysql.general_log

Output query history into a file

To output query history into a file instead of a table, run the following MySQL commands:

 
SET GLOBAL log_output = "FILE";
SET GLOBAL general_log_file = "/path/to/your/logfile.log";
SET GLOBAL general_log = 'ON';

Don’t forget to replace "/path/to/your/logfile.log" with the actual log file you wish to use. Then you can just open the file to see query history. To see the last 10 line, run the following command:

 
tail /path/to/your/logfile.log
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