What You'll Learn

In this training article, we'll show you how to:
 

• Use the Platform's Activity Log to gain insight into the tasks you've been performing.
   
• Make changes to tasks that are queued in the Activity Log. 
  
   

What is the Activity Log?

The Platform's Activity Log gives you an instant overview of your account and all tasks that are either queued or have already been actioned. The Activity Log is available from any screen in the Platform, and it's sure to become a central part of your day-to-day workflow. 

From here, you can manage tasks – including Posting, Pausing and Cancelling – as well as filtering data and taking shortcuts to bulk operations. 

Note that some of the features of the Activity Log, such as the checkboxes used to select jobs, are explained in more depth during our Overview of the Grid training article -- so we'd recommend that you complete that before continuing with this article. 

See it in action

Join a member of the Marin Software team as we show you how to access the Activity Log, as well as introducing you to the key features of this handy Platform feature. 

Click the play button to get started.  (Length: 2:59). 
 

How to

Our visual step-by-step guide is a great way to familiarize yourself with the Activity Log and the ways it can help you manage your campaigns better.
 

1. First, log in to the Platform as normal, then click on the Admin link in the upper-right corner of the screen.
   
   
    
2. You'll now be presented with the Activity Log. If you've already been using the Platform to manage your campaigns, you'll see a list of tasks that are either to be processed or have already been processed. The setup of the Activity Log is much the same as any other grid in the Platform, but its functions differ just a little.
   
   
    
3. Just like other grids, you're able to use the buttons at the top (Post Now, Hold and Cancel) to make changes to your upcoming tasks. Here's a rundown of what each of these buttons does:
    
   • Post Now will instantly send the queued changes to the publisher (i.e. Google or Microsoft) for immediate processing.
   • Hold will essentially pause the task until such time as you decide to post it.
   • Cancel will remove an upcoming task from the Activity Log and it will not be processed by the publisher.
      
4. In the lower- and upper-right of the grid, you'll also find the Post All Now button. This is is useful if you want to send all changes to the publisher right away without selecting each one via the checkboxes. 
   
   
   
    
5. On the right of the Activity Log, you'll see the Status column. This will let you know whether or not your tasks were successfully sent to the publisher. You'll also be able to check if a task is on hold from here.
   
   
    
6. Another important column for you to know about is the ID column. At first glance, these simply look like a list of numbers -- which they are -- but they can also offer vital information about your Activity Log tasks.
   
   
   
    
7. Click on one of the IDs in the list and you'll be presented with the Activity Detail Operation page for that task. From here you can find additional details about the task, as well as access results files for bulk uploads. This page can be very valuable if specific tasks are failing and you're not sure why, so be sure to check it out now and then. 
   
   
    
8. One final tip: On the left of the Activity Log, you'll find the Bulk Upload menu, where you can jump straight to the bulk upload page for a range of different objects.
    
9. And that's it! Those are the basics of the Platform's Activity Log. Are you ready to become the master of your account?
    

Try it yourself

We know that it's not always possible to explain every detail of a feature with a video and an article, so we developed our handy interactive sections. With this, you're able to try out the Activity Log in an isolated environment that isn't connected to any live data. It'll give you the chance to get familiar with the key functions of the feature before you jump in and try it with your own account.

Click below to get started. 
 

Want to know more?

We've detailed practically everything there is to know about the Activity Log above, but there are some related articles which may come in useful.

Simply click a link below to read that article now...
 

• How to Cancel Jobs in the Activity Log​
   
• Posting Changes from the Activity Log

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