> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://private-7c7dfe99-home-button.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Why is ClickHouse logging so verbose by default?

> Learn why the ClickHouse developers chose to set a verbose logging level by default.

## Verbose Logging

One thing that often confuses new users is that ClickHouse generates a lot of logging output, even under light load.

This is because the default logging level, due to historical reasons, is `trace` (instead of `warning` that would be the default in other databases).

The ClickHouse developers argue that `trace` provides a lot of insight in case something goes wrong.

On the other hand, large volumes of logging mean that the system table `system.text_log` fills up quickly and needs to be merged in the background.

If the database runs stably, users may re-configure the log level, which we explain how to do below.

## Change the log level

The different log levels available are documented [here](/reference/settings/server-settings/settings#logger)

You'll need to edit the ClickHouse server configuration file (`/etc/clickhouse-server/config.xml`) to modify the log level.

The default value is `trace` but you can change it to the desired level. See the comment below:

```
<clickhouse>
    <logger>
        {/* Possible levels [1]:

          - none (turns off logging)
          - fatal
          - critical
          - error
          - warning
          - notice
          - information
          - debug
          - trace
          - test (not for production usage)

            [1]: https://github.com/pocoproject/poco/blob/poco-1.9.4-release/Foundation/include/Poco/Logger.h#L105-L114 */}
        <level>trace</level>
... Rest of the configuration file
</clickhouse>
```