# PPC Activity Log

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**Difficulty:** 🔴 Advanced · **Reading time:** \~10 min
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**Open this page in your dashboard:** [**Go to PPC Activity Log \[BETA\] →**](https://dashboard.sellermagnet.com/ppc/activity-log)
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**BETA:** The PPC Manager is currently in beta. Some features may behave unexpectedly or change based on user feedback. Please report any issues at <info@sellermagnet.com>.
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## 📋 Overview

The **Activity Log** records every action taken on your Amazon PPC campaigns. Whether a change was made manually, by an automation rule, or by the AI Optimizer, it's logged here with full details including the source, old value, new value, and reason.

Think of it as your PPC black box recorder. If campaign performance suddenly improves or drops, the Activity Log tells you exactly what changed, when, and why.

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**Why this matters:** On teams with multiple users managing PPC, the Activity Log is your single source of truth. No more guessing "who changed the bid on that keyword?", every action is attributed and timestamped.
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***

## Summary KPIs

| Card              | Description                                    |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| **Total Actions** | Total number of recorded actions               |
| **Bid Increases** | Count of bid increase actions                  |
| **Bid Decreases** | Count of bid decrease actions                  |
| **AI Actions**    | Count of actions initiated by the AI Optimizer |

{% hint style="success" %}
**Quick health check:** Compare **Bid Increases** vs **Bid Decreases** over the last 30 days. A healthy ratio is roughly 1:2 to 1:3 (more decreases than increases), meaning your automation is actively cutting waste while selectively boosting winners. If increases far outnumber decreases, your rules or AI may be too aggressive at scaling.
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***

## 🔍 Filters

| Filter          | Options                                                                               | Default      |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------ |
| **Time Range**  | Last 7, 14, 30, 60, or 90 days                                                        | Last 30 days |
| **Source**      | All Sources, AI Autopilot, Bid Rules, User Approved, Manual, System                   | All          |
| **Action Type** | All Types, Bid Change, Budget Change, Campaign State, Negate Keyword, Harvest Keyword | All          |

> **Filters stack.** You can combine all three filters simultaneously. For example, show only "AI Autopilot" + "Bid Change" actions from the "Last 7 days" to see exactly what the AI changed to your bids this week.

### Filter Combinations for Common Investigations

| Investigation Goal                                | Time Range | Source       | Action Type     |
| ------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | ------------ | --------------- |
| "What did the AI do this week?"                   | Last 7     | AI Autopilot | All Types       |
| "Why did my spend spike yesterday?"               | Last 7     | All Sources  | Bid Change      |
| "Which keywords did bid rules pause?"             | Last 30    | Bid Rules    | Campaign State  |
| "What did I manually change last month?"          | Last 30    | Manual       | All Types       |
| "Were any new negative keywords added?"           | Last 14    | All Sources  | Negate Keyword  |
| "What keywords were harvested from search terms?" | Last 30    | All Sources  | Harvest Keyword |

***

## Activity Table

![PPC Activity Log - Actions timeline and filters](/files/XORCYXShNTLMZQlLZUk0)

| Column       | Description                                                                                                       |
| ------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Date**     | Timestamp of the action                                                                                           |
| **Source**   | Color-coded badge: AI Autopilot (purple), Bid Rules (blue), User Approved (green), Manual (orange), System (gray) |
| **Action**   | Type of change: Bid Change, Budget Change, Campaign State, etc.                                                   |
| **Entity**   | What was affected (keyword, campaign, ad group)                                                                   |
| **Campaign** | Campaign name                                                                                                     |
| **Old**      | Previous value (strikethrough styling)                                                                            |
| **New**      | Updated value (color-coded: green for increase, red for decrease)                                                 |
| **Change**   | Visual indicator with direction arrow and percentage/absolute change                                              |
| **Reason**   | Explanation of why the change was made                                                                            |

The table supports **sorting**, **pagination**, and **combined filtering** (time range + source + action type simultaneously).

***

## Understanding Sources

| Source            | Color  | Meaning                                                |
| ----------------- | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| **AI Autopilot**  | Purple | Change made autonomously by the AI Optimizer           |
| **Bid Rules**     | Blue   | Change executed by a scheduled bid automation rule     |
| **User Approved** | Green  | AI suggestion that you approved in the Approval Center |
| **Manual**        | Orange | Change you made directly                               |
| **System**        | Gray   | System-level adjustment (e.g., budget cap enforcement) |

### Source Detailed Analysis

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**AI Autopilot vs User Approved:** Both originate from AI suggestions, but the difference is critical. **AI Autopilot** changes were applied automatically (you are in Auto-Apply mode). **User Approved** changes went through the Approval Center and you explicitly approved them. If you see AI Autopilot actions you disagree with, switch to Manual Review mode in the [Approval Center](/ppc-management-beta/ppc-manager-overview/ppc-approval-center.md).
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> **System actions** are relatively rare. They typically occur when Amazon enforces a budget cap (your daily budget was hit and the system paused the campaign) or when a campaign's end date is reached. These are informational entries, you cannot prevent or modify them.

***

## Use Case Scenarios

### Scenario 1: Investigating a Sudden Spend Spike

> **Situation:** Your daily PPC spend jumped from EUR 80 to EUR 140 overnight and you want to know why.
>
> **How to investigate:**

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
Set **Time Range** to "Last 7 days."
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{% step %}
Set **Action Type** to "Bid Change."
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Set **Source** to "All Sources."
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{% step %}
Sort the table by **Date** (newest first).
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{% step %}
Look for large bid increases (green arrows in the Change column) on the day spend spiked.
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Check the **Source** column, was it a bid rule, AI action, or manual change?
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Read the **Reason** column to understand the logic behind the increase.
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{% endstepper %}

> **Common causes:** A bid rule with overly aggressive increase settings (e.g., +25% on any keyword with CVR > 5%) or the AI Autopilot responding to a sudden conversion spike by aggressively bidding up.

### Scenario 2: Auditing AI Performance Over 30 Days

> **Situation:** You have been running AI Autopilot for a month and want to evaluate whether it is helping.
>
> **How to investigate:**

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
Set **Time Range** to "Last 30 days."
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{% step %}
Set **Source** to "AI Autopilot."
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Note the total number of actions in the **Total Actions** KPI card.
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Compare **Bid Increases** vs **Bid Decreases**, the AI should be making more decreases than increases in most cases.
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Cross-reference with your campaign performance: Is ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sale) trending down? Is wasted spend decreasing?
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If the AI made changes you disagree with, consider switching to Manual Review mode.
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{% endstepper %}

### Scenario 3: Preparing a Team Performance Review

> **Situation:** You manage PPC for a team and need to report on what was done this month.
>
> **How to use the Activity Log:**

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
Set **Time Range** to "Last 30 days."
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Filter by **Source** = "Manual" to see all human-made changes.
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{% step %}
Export or screenshot the results for your report.
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{% step %}
Then filter by "AI Autopilot" and "Bid Rules" to show automation contributions.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Compare the ratio of manual vs automated actions to demonstrate the efficiency gains from automation.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

***

## Before/After: How the Activity Log Reveals Hidden Problems

| What You See in Campaigns        | What the Activity Log Reveals                                         |
| -------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ACoS dropped from 32% to 24%     | Bid Rules decreased bids on 45 high-ACoS keywords over 3 weeks        |
| Top keyword lost impressions     | A bid rule decreased the bid 4 times in 2 weeks (rule too aggressive) |
| New keyword appeared in campaign | AI Autopilot harvested it from search term report 5 days ago          |
| Campaign paused unexpectedly     | System action: daily budget cap reached at 3:00 PM                    |
| Spend shifted between campaigns  | Manual budget reallocation by team member on Tuesday                  |

***

<details>

<summary><strong>⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid</strong></summary>

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**Mistake 1: Ignoring the Activity Log after enabling automation.** Setting up bid rules or AI Autopilot and never reviewing the log is like hiring an employee and never checking their work. Review the log weekly at minimum. **Fix:** Set a calendar reminder to review the Activity Log every Monday morning.
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**Mistake 2: Not filtering before investigating.** Scrolling through hundreds of unfiltered entries is inefficient and leads to missed insights. **Fix:** Always start by narrowing to a specific time range and source before analyzing.
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**Mistake 3: Confusing correlation with causation.** A bid increase on Monday does not necessarily explain a sales spike on Wednesday : Amazon's attribution window means the cause could be older. **Fix:** Look at changes from 3-7 days before a performance shift, not the same day.
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**Mistake 4: Overlooking System actions.** Budget cap enforcement actions (System source) can silently kill your campaign performance by pausing campaigns mid-day. If you see frequent System actions, your daily budgets may be too low for your bid levels. **Fix:** Increase daily budgets or lower bids to ensure campaigns run throughout the full day.
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</details>

\## Reading the Activity Log Like a Pro

### Pattern Recognition Checklist

Use this checklist during your weekly Activity Log review:

* [ ] **Bid oscillation:** Is the same keyword being increased and decreased repeatedly? This signals conflicting rules or an AI strategy that does not match your goals.
* [ ] **Bid floor hits:** Are many keywords hitting your minimum bid? Your min bid floor may be too high, or your decrease rules may be too aggressive.
* [ ] **Cluster changes:** Did many keywords change on the same day? This usually means a bid rule executed on its schedule. Verify the rule is producing the intended results.
* [ ] **Source distribution:** Is one source dominating? If 90% of changes come from a single bid rule, that rule might be too broadly scoped.
* [ ] **Unusual reasons:** Read the Reason column for anything unexpected, such as "Insufficient data" or "Confidence below threshold."

***

## 🔧 Troubleshooting

### Activity Log shows no entries

| Check                                | Solution                                                                           |
| ------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Are filters too restrictive?         | Reset all filters to "All" and check if entries appear                             |
| Is the time range too narrow?        | Expand to "Last 90 days" to verify data exists                                     |
| Are any rules or AI features active? | If no automation is running and no manual changes were made, the log will be empty |
| Is the API connection active?        | Verify your Amazon Advertising API credentials in Settings                         |

### Entries appear but are missing details

| Check                          | Solution                                                                                      |
| ------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Is the Reason column empty?    | Some manual changes may not have an attached reason. This is expected                         |
| Is the Old or New value blank? | For "Campaign State" actions (pause/enable), there is no numerical value, only a state change |

### Cannot find a specific change

| Check                                   | Solution                                                                                                |
| --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Was the change made in Amazon directly? | Changes made outside SellerMagnet (e.g., directly in Amazon Seller Central) are not tracked in this log |
| Was the change in a different account?  | Confirm you are viewing the correct marketplace/account                                                 |

***

## ❓ FAQ

<details>

<summary><strong>How long is Activity Log data retained?</strong></summary>

Activity Log entries are retained for 90 days. After that, they are archived and no longer visible in the interface. If you need longer retention for compliance purposes, export your data regularly.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>Can I export the Activity Log?</strong></summary>

Yes. Use the export button at the top of the Activity Table to download a CSV file of the currently filtered view. This is useful for reporting, auditing, and sharing with team members.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>Are changes made directly in Amazon Seller Central tracked here?</strong></summary>

No. The Activity Log only tracks changes made through SellerMagnet (manual changes, bid rules, AI Autopilot, and system actions). Changes you make directly in Amazon's console are not captured.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>I see a "System" action I don't understand. What should I do?</strong></summary>

System actions are typically budget enforcement events. If the reason is unclear, check your campaign's daily budget and compare it to your actual spend on that day. The system may have paused a campaign that hit its budget cap.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>Can I reverse a change shown in the Activity Log?</strong></summary>

There is no one-click undo. However, you can see the **Old** value in the table and manually set the bid or budget back to that amount. For ongoing protection, use Manual Review mode in the [Approval Center](/ppc-management-beta/ppc-manager-overview/ppc-approval-center.md) so you approve changes before they are applied.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>Does the Activity Log count against any storage or API limits?</strong></summary>

No. Logging is included in your SellerMagnet plan at no additional cost and does not consume any Amazon API quota.

</details>

***

## ➡️ What's Next?

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[PPC Settings](/ppc-management-beta/ppc-manager-overview/ppc-settings.md)
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{% content-ref url="/pages/pQTsyjXdDCQAMg0Eueka" %}
[PPC Analytics](/ppc-management-beta/ppc-manager-overview/ppc-analytics.md)
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