Add Logs Directory reference page to docs

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit is contained in:
Bryan Helmkamp 2026-03-07 10:08:42 -05:00
parent 31ebd12c17
commit 0eeaf4cb79
2 changed files with 139 additions and 0 deletions

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"reference/dot-language",
"reference/cli",
"reference/cli-configuration",
"reference/logs-directory",
"reference/architecture",
"administration/advanced-setup",
"administration/security"

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---
title: "Logs Directory"
description: "Structure of Arc's local logs directory"
---
Arc writes all local run data to `~/.arc/logs/`. This directory contains daily CLI log files and a subdirectory for each workflow run.
## Daily log files
The CLI appends tracing output to a daily log file:
```
~/.arc/logs/2026-03-07.log
```
The log level defaults to `info`. Set `ARC_LOG=debug` or pass `--debug` for verbose output including HTTP connection pool diagnostics.
## Run directories
Each `arc run start` invocation creates a timestamped directory:
```
~/.arc/logs/arc-run-20260307-143022/
```
The naming format is `arc-run-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS`. You can override the location with `--logs-dir`.
### Root-level files
| File | Format | When written | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `manifest.json` | JSON | Run start | Run metadata — `run_id`, `workflow_name`, `goal`, `start_time`, `node_count`, `edge_count`, `run_branch`, `base_sha`, `labels` |
| `graph.dot` | DOT | Run start | Copy of the workflow graph |
| `run.pid` | Text | Run start | Process ID of the running CLI process. Presence indicates the run is active; an orphaned file indicates a crash. |
| `run.toml` | TOML | Run start | Copy of the original workflow file (only when the workflow is defined in TOML) |
| `progress.jsonl` | JSONL | Continuous | Event stream — one JSON object per line for every significant event (stage starts, completions, tool calls, retries, etc.). See [Observability](/execution/observability) for the full event catalog. |
| `live.json` | JSON | Continuous | Current execution state snapshot, overwritten on each event. Used for live monitoring. |
| `checkpoint.json` | JSON | After each node | Crash recovery state — `current_node`, `completed_nodes`, `node_retries`, `context_values`, `node_outcomes`, `next_node_id`, `git_commit_sha`, failure signatures. See [Checkpoints](/execution/checkpoints). |
| `conclusion.json` | JSON | Run end | Final result — `status`, `duration_ms`, `failure_reason`, `final_git_commit_sha`. Only present when the run completes (not for crashed or interrupted runs). |
| `final.patch` | Diff | Run end | Git diff from `base_sha` to final HEAD. Only present in git checkpoint mode. |
| `retro.json` | JSON | Run end | Post-run retrospective analysis — `smoothness_rating`, `learnings`, `friction_points`, `stages`. Omitted if `--no-retro` is passed. See [Retros](/execution/retros). |
### `nodes/` subdirectory
Each node execution writes artifacts into `nodes/{node_id}/`. When a node is retried, subsequent visits use `nodes/{node_id}-visit_{N}/` (where N starts at 2).
Every node gets a `status.json` after completion containing `status`, `notes`, `failure_reason`, and `timestamp`. The remaining files depend on the handler type:
**Agent and prompt nodes:**
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| `prompt.md` | The full prompt sent to the LLM |
| `response.md` | The LLM's response text |
| `status.json` | Execution status with routing outcome |
**Command nodes:**
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| `script_invocation.json` | Command metadata — `command`, `language`, `timeout_ms` |
| `stdout.log` | Standard output |
| `stderr.log` | Standard error |
| `script_timing.json` | Timing info — `duration_ms`, `exit_code`, `timed_out` |
**Nodes with git checkpointing:**
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| `diff.patch` | Git diff of changes made during this stage |
**Manager loop nodes:**
Manager nodes that run sub-workflows write a nested `child/` directory containing a full run structure (manifest, checkpoint, nodes, etc.).
### Other directories
**`worktree/`** — When running in git checkpoint mode, Arc creates a Git worktree here as the working directory for agents and commands.
**`assets/`** — Test artifacts collected from the execution environment (Playwright reports, JUnit XML, Cypress screenshots/videos). Located at `worktree/assets/` for local runs or within node directories for remote sandbox runs.
## Browsing runs
Use `arc run list` to scan the logs directory and display a table of all runs with their status, workflow name, and timestamps. Pass `--json` for machine-readable output.
```bash
arc run list
arc run list --json
arc run list --filter workflow=my-workflow
```
## Full directory tree
```
~/.arc/logs/
├── 2026-03-07.log # Daily CLI log
├── arc-run-20260307-143022/ # One directory per run
│ ├── manifest.json
│ ├── graph.dot
│ ├── run.pid
│ ├── run.toml
│ ├── progress.jsonl
│ ├── live.json
│ ├── checkpoint.json
│ ├── conclusion.json
│ ├── final.patch
│ ├── retro.json
│ ├── nodes/
│ │ ├── plan/
│ │ │ ├── prompt.md
│ │ │ ├── response.md
│ │ │ └── status.json
│ │ ├── work/
│ │ │ ├── prompt.md
│ │ │ ├── response.md
│ │ │ ├── status.json
│ │ │ └── diff.patch
│ │ ├── work-visit_2/ # Retry of "work" node
│ │ │ ├── prompt.md
│ │ │ ├── response.md
│ │ │ ├── status.json
│ │ │ └── diff.patch
│ │ ├── test/
│ │ │ ├── script_invocation.json
│ │ │ ├── stdout.log
│ │ │ ├── stderr.log
│ │ │ ├── script_timing.json
│ │ │ └── status.json
│ │ └── manager/
│ │ ├── status.json
│ │ └── child/
│ │ ├── manifest.json
│ │ ├── checkpoint.json
│ │ └── nodes/
│ ├── worktree/ # Git worktree (git checkpoint mode)
│ │ └── assets/ # Test artifacts
│ └── assets/ # Or here for remote sandboxes
```