# Logger

<!-- meta: type=debug; location=Logic; category=Logic; platforms=Joomla and WordPress (where applicable) -->

## Overview

Writes information to the flow execution log so you can see what happened during a test or live run.

This step executes when the flow reaches it along a wired path. It does not call external services by itself unless combined with API or CMS steps — it shapes *how* the flow continues.

## Why use this node

Logger is a **logic step** in the **Logic** group. Logic steps control how data moves through the flow: branch on conditions, loop over lists, pause, merge parallel paths, or reshape payloads.

Typical reasons teams add **Logger** to a flow:

- Inspect payload values while building a new flow
- Confirm an API step returned the fields you expect before going live
- Capture execution context during troubleshooting in production

## Example workflows

Common patterns on the canvas:

1. **Trigger** → **Logger** → **Send Email** / **API REST POST**
2. Parallel branches → **Merge** → **Logger** → downstream action

## How to set it up

Optionally type a short message on the General tab. Leave the message blank to show the full run execution log (each component’s lines, same as Trigger Flow without a Logger).

## Good to know

This node ends the branch — nothing continues after it. Useful for troubleshooting before you wire up the real next step.

## Properties panel

The designer shows these tabs for this node:

| Tab | Purpose |
|-----|---------|
| **Info** | Plain-language description and output payload fields for downstream steps |
| **General** | Canvas label and read-only node ID |
| **AI** | Optional assistant to help draft settings from plain language |
| **Design** | Node-specific configuration fields |

### System (automatic — not edited by the user)

These fields are managed by the designer or runtime — you do not type into them directly:

| Property key | Label | Type | Required | Visible when | Notes |
|--------------|-------|------|----------|--------------|-------|
| `_nodeId` | Node ID | `node-id` | No | — | — |
| `_payloadFields` | Available Fields | `payload-panel` | No | — | — |

### User-configured — General tab

| Property key | Label | Type | Required | Visible when | Notes |
|--------------|-------|------|----------|--------------|-------|
| `label` | Label | `text` | No | — | Node label |
| `message` | Message | `textarea` | No | — | Enter a log message or leave empty to log the payload |
| `logLevel` | Log Level | `select` (`info` \| `warning` \| `error` \| `debug`; default: `info`) | No | — | — |

### CMS site configuration (not on this node's properties panel)

Credentials, API keys, mailers, SMTP, and integration defaults are configured in the CMS plugin under **Node Configuration**, not per step on this node. Link the flow to a domain before testing CMS-backed fields.

## Output payload fields

After this step runs, later nodes can reference these fields using placeholders such as
`{{logger.message}}`.

| Field key | Type | Description |
|-----------|------|-------------|
| `message` | string | Human-readable status, error, or result summary. |
| `logLevel` | string | Log level used by the logger node. |
| `payload` | object | Snapshot of upstream payload logged by this node. |

## Related nodes

Other steps in the same area of the palette:

- **Array to String** (`join-array-to-text`) — Logic
- **Check Condition** (`if`) — Logic
- **Filter List** (`filter-list`) — Logic
- **Match Text** (`match-regex`) — Logic
- **Merge** (`merge`) — Logic