Better Stack Python logging

Start logging in 3 steps

Where do you want to collect your logs from?

• Django application
• Python code
• RQ workers
• AWS Lambda

Logging from Django

Collect logs from your Django application.

1. Install

Install Better Stack Python PyPI package:

pip3 install logtail-python

2. Setup

Set up Django Better Stack handler in settings.py:

LOGGING = {
    "version": 1,
    "disable_existing_loggers": False,
    'handlers': {
        'logtail': {
            'class': 'logtail.LogtailHandler',
            'source_token': '$SOURCE_TOKEN',
            'host': 'https://$INGESTING_HOST',
        },
    },
    "loggers": {
        "": {
            "handlers": [
                "logtail",
            ],
            "level": "INFO",
        },
    },
}

3. Start logging

Use Python logger as usual:

import logging
logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
logger.error('Something bad happened.')
logger.info('Log message with structured logging.', extra={
    'item': "Orange Soda",
    'price': 100.00
})

You should see your logs in Better Stack → Live tail.

Logging from Python

Collect logs from your Python code.

1. Install

Install Better Stack Python PyPI package:

pip3 install logtail-python

2. Setup

Set up Python logger with Better Stack:

from logtail import LogtailHandler
import logging

handler = LogtailHandler(
    source_token='$SOURCE_TOKEN', 
    host='https://$INGESTING_HOST',
)
logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)
logger.handlers = []
logger.addHandler(handler)

3. Start logging

Use Python logger as usual:

logger.error('Something bad happened.')
logger.info('Log message with structured logging.', extra={
    'item': "Orange Soda",
    'price': 100.00
})

You should see your logs in Better Stack → Live tail.

Logging from RQ workers

RQ runs each job in a forked process that exits without the usual Python shutdown, so logs written inside a job would never be sent. The Better Stack worker class sends them before the job process exits.

1. Setup

Configure the logtail handler as in the Django or Python setup above.

2. Start the worker

Start RQ with the Better Stack worker class:

rq worker --worker-class logtail.rq.Worker

With django-rq, set the worker class in settings.py instead:

RQ = {
    "WORKER_CLASS": "logtail.rq.Worker",
}

Logs from the worker process itself are sent as usual.

Need help?

Please let us know at hello@betterstack.com.
We're happy to help! 🙏

Additional information

Interested in learning more about Python log levels and using formatters to customize your logs? Check out our Comprehensive Guide to Logging in Python.

Missing logs from the end of your application run?

Make sure your application terminates gracefully, giving the logger enough time to finish the request to Better Stack.

Use sys.exit() to end your application.

Using os._exit() would terminate all threads immediately, potentially dropping your logs.

Logs not arriving at all?

Errors while building a log record are dropped together with the record by default, so a misconfiguration can leave you with no logs and no error message. While debugging, set raise_exceptions to True to see the exception instead:

handler = LogtailHandler(
    source_token='$SOURCE_TOKEN',
    host='https://$INGESTING_HOST',
    raise_exceptions=True,
)

In Django, add 'raise_exceptions': True to the logtail handler in LOGGING.

Enrich log context

Add custom data to multiple log lines using with block:

with logtail.context(user={ 'id': 123 }):
    logger.info('User logged in.')
    # More code here ...
    logger.info('User bought a python.')

Log exceptions

Use logger.exception() to log exceptions with traceback:

try:
    nonexisting_function()
except Exception as Argument:
    logger.exception("Error occurred while calling non-existing function.")

Handler options

Pass these as keyword arguments to LogtailHandler, or as keys of the logtail handler in Django LOGGING:

Example project

Want to try a more detailed example?
See our Python example project on GitHub.