View user Google Takeout activity
Depending on your Google Workspace edition, you might have access to the security investigation tool, which has more advanced features. For example, super admins can identify, triage, and take action on security and privacy issues. Learn more
As your organization's administrator, you can run searches and take action onTakeout log events. For example, you can seewho in your organization used Google Takeout to download a copy of their data. Takeout log events includeinformation like when a user started an export and when the export was completed.
Forward log event data toGoogle Cloud
You can opt in to share log event data with Google Cloud. If you turn on sharing, data is forwardedto Cloud Loggingwhere you can query and view your logs and control how you route and store your logs.
The type of log event data you can share with Google Cloud depends on your Google Workspace, Cloud Identity, or Essentials account.
Run a search for log events
Your ability to run a search depends on yourGoogle edition, your administrative privileges, and the data source. You can run a search on all users, regardless of their Google Workspace edition.
To run a search for log events, first choose a data source. Then, choose one or more filters for your search.
-
Sign in to your GoogleAdminconsole.
Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).
-
In the Admin console, go to Menu
ReportingAudit and investigationTakeout log events. - Click Add a filter, and then select an attribute.
- In the pop-up window, select an operatorselect a valueclickApply.
- (Optional) To create multiple filters for your search, repeat this step.
- (Optional) To add a search operator, above Add a filter,selectAND or OR.
- Click Search.
Note: Using theFiltertab, you can include simple parameter and value pairs to filter the search results. You can also use theCondition buildertab, where the filtersare represented as conditions with AND/OR operators.
ReportingSupported editions for this feature: Frontline Standard; Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus; Education Standard and Education Plus; Enterprise Essentials Plus; Cloud Identity Premium. Compareyouredition
To run a search in the security investigation tool, firstchoosea data source.Then, choose one or more conditions for your search. For each condition, choose an attribute, an operator, and a value.
-
Sign in to your GoogleAdminconsole.
Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).
-
In the Admin console, go to Menu
SecuritySecurity centerInvestigation tool. - Click Data source and selectTakeout log events.
- Click Add Condition.
Tip: You can include one or more conditions inyour search or customize your search with nested queries. For details, go toCustomize your search with nested queries. - ClickAttributeselect an option.
For a complete list of attributes, go to the Attribute descriptions section (later on this page). - Select anoperator.
- Enter a value or select a value from the list.
- (Optional) To add more search conditions, repeat steps 4–7.
- Click Search.
You can review the search results from the investigation tool in a table at the bottom of the page. - (Optional) To save your investigation, clickSaveentera titleand descriptionclickSave.
Security
Notes
- In the Condition builder tab, filters are represented as conditions with AND/OR operators. You can also use the Filter tab to include simple parameter and value pairs to filter the search results.
- If you gave a user a new name, you will not see query results with the user's old name. For example, if you rename [email protected] to [email protected], you will not see results for events related to [email protected].
Attribute descriptions
For this data source, you can use the following attributes when searching log event data:
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Actor | Email address of the user who performed the action |
| Actor group name | Group name of the actor. For more information, go toFiltering results by Google Group. To add a group to your filtering groups allowlist:
|
| Actor organizational unit | Organizational unit of the actor |
| Date | Date and time of the event (displayed in your browser's default time zone) |
| Event | The logged event action, such as User completed a Takeout or User initiated a Takeout |
| IP address | The IP address of the user who performed the Takeout event. The IP address is usually the user's physical location, but could be a proxy server or VPN address. |
| Products requested | Which Google products and services data the user exported |
| Scheduled Takeout expiration | Date when the scheduled Takeout jobs expire |
| Scheduled Takeout time interval | Unit of the Takeout time interval, such as Days, Weeks, or Months |
| Scheduled Takeout time interval value | Value of the scheduled Takeout time interval |
| Takeout destination | Destination of the exported data. For example, Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. |
| Takeout initiator | Initiator of the takeout job—USER or TAKEOUT_SCHEDULER |
| Takeout job ID | A unique identifier for the user's export job |
| Takeout status | Status of the Takeout job, for example, completed, in progress, cancelled, failed. |
| Target | Email address of the user whose data was exported |
.Note: If you gave a user a new name, you will not see query results with the user's old name. For example, if you rename [email protected] to [email protected], you will not see results for events related to [email protected].
Manage log event data
Manage search results column data
You can control which data columns appear in your search results.
- At the top-right of the search results table, click Manage columns.
- (Optional) To remove current columns, click Remove.
- (Optional) To add columns, next to Add new column, click the Down arrowand select the data column.
Repeat as needed. - (Optional) To change the order of the columns, drag the data column names.
- Click Save.
.
and select the data column.Export search result data
You can export search results to Google Sheets or to a CSV file.
- At the top of the search results table, click Export all.
- Enter a nameclick Export.
The export displays below the search results table under Export action results. - To view the data, click the name of your export.
The export opens in Google Sheets.
Export limits vary:
- The total results of the export are limited to 100,000 rows (except for Gmail message searches, whichare limited to 10,000 rows).
- Supported editions for this feature: Frontline Standard; Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus; Education Standard and Education Plus; Enterprise Essentials Plus; Cloud Identity Premium. Compareyouredition
If you havethe security investigation tool, the total results of the export are limited to 30million rows (except for Gmail message searches, which are limited to 10,000rows).
For more information, see Export search results.
When and how long is data available?
Go to Data retention and lag times.
Take action based on search results
Create activity rules & set up alerts
- You can set up alerts based on log event data using reporting rules. For instructions, seeCreate and manage reporting rules.
- Supported editions for this feature: Frontline Standard; Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus; Education Standard and Education Plus; Enterprise Essentials Plus; Cloud Identity Premium. Compareyouredition
To help prevent, detect, and remediate security issues efficiently, you can automate actions in the security investigation tool and set up alerts by creating activity rules.To set up a rule, set up conditions for the rule, and then specify what actions to perform when the conditions are met. For details and instructions, seeCreate and manage activity rules.
Take action based on search results
Supported editions for this feature: Frontline Standard; Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus; Education Standard and Education Plus; Enterprise Essentials Plus; Cloud Identity Premium. Compareyouredition
After you run a search in the security investigation tool, you can act on your search results. For example, you can run a search based on Gmail log events and then use the tool to delete specific messages, send messages to quarantine, or send messages to users' inboxes. For more details, go to Take action based on search results.
Manage your investigations
Supported editions for this feature: Frontline Standard; Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus; Education Standard and Education Plus; Enterprise Essentials Plus; Cloud Identity Premium. Compareyouredition
View your list of investigations
To view a list of theinvestigations that you own and that were shared with you, clickView investigations
. The investigation list includes the names, descriptions, and owners of theinvestigations, and the date last modified.
From this list, you can take action on any investigations that you own—for example, to delete an investigation. Check the box for aninvestigation and then click Actions.
Note: Directly above your list of investigations, underQuick access,youcan view recently saved investigations.
Configure settings for your investigations
As a super administrator, clickSettings
to:
- Change the time zone for your investigations. The time zone applies to search conditions and results.
- Turn on or offRequire reviewer. For more details, go to Require reviewers for bulk actions.
- Turn on or offView content. This setting allows admins with the appropriate privileges to view content.
- Turn on or offEnable action justification.
For instructions and details,go toConfigure settings for your investigations.
To save your search criteria or share it with others, you can create and save an investigation, and then share, duplicate, or delete it.
For details, go toSave, share, delete, and duplicate investigations.
Related topics for security center
- Start an investigation based on a dashboard chart
- Create a custom chart based on an investigation
- Start an investigation from the alert center
- Investigate reports of malicious emails
- Investigate file sharing
- Investigate a user across data sources
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