The VICIdial Timeclock audit log

VICIdial keeps Timeclock data in two separate places, not one. There is an active log, which is the working copy you read and edit every day, and an audit log, which quietly preserves what was originally recorded and can never be changed. The Timeclock is the feature that tracks when each user is on and off the clock, and splitting its data this way is what makes payroll edits safe to do.

Two logs, two jobs

The active log is the live view of each record. It holds the current login and logout times for every shift, including any administrative changes a manager has made, and it notes whether a record was edited or left as it was first logged. When you fix a forgotten clock-out or correct a wrong time, the new value lands here. This is the log every report and screen reads from.

The audit log has one job: keep the original. It records what was first written when the user clocked in and out, and that copy is frozen. Nobody edits it, not even a manager with full permissions. It exists so there is always an untouched account of what really happened, no matter how many times the active record is later adjusted.

How an edit flows between them

flowchart LR
  A[User clocks in and out] --> B[Original written to audit log]
  A --> C[Same values in active log]
  C --> D[Manager edits active record]
  D --> E[Active log shows new times]
  B --> F[Audit log unchanged]
  E --> G[Reports read active log]
  F --> H[Admin reviews original]

Read the diagram as two paths that start together and split. When a shift ends, both logs get the same values. From then on, the active log can move every time someone edits it, while the audit log stays exactly where it started. Reports and the agent's stats read the active log; the audit log is there for the one moment you need to know what the original numbers were.

Why the audit log is locked

An immutable record is only useful if it truly cannot be altered, so the audit log is read-only by design and is only viewable by a system administrator. Ordinary managers who can edit active records never see it. That separation means an edit can never quietly rewrite history: the active log carries the correction, the audit log carries the truth of what was first logged, and the two can always be compared.

This matters most when an edit is disputed. If someone questions why a shift was shortened or extended, an administrator can open the audit log, see the original times next to the edited ones, and read the note the manager left when they made the change. Without the audit log there would be no way to prove what the record said before anyone touched it.

What this means for everyday edits

Because the original is always safe, you can correct a record without fear of losing the source data. When a Timeclock record is edited, the active log marks it as changed, so anyone reading it later knows it was touched. The same is true of a record the system force-logged out: it is flagged, and you can tell at a glance which records are pristine and which were adjusted. The mechanics of making those edits are in how to edit Timeclock records.

One detail worth knowing: a record can only be changed once it has both a login and a logout, so a shift that is still open never reaches the audit-versus-active comparison until the Agent clocks out. The reasons an edit can be refused are spelled out in why you cannot edit a Timeclock record. For the whole feature in context, including how it connects to each Agent session, read the scheduled callbacks and timeclock guide. The same User Stats and User Status screens that surface these logs also let admins review held work, such as callbacks by campaign, user, or list.

If you want a VICIdial server with both logs, the full Timeclock, and reporting set up for you, VICIfast provisions one in under 40 seconds. See our pricing for what is included on each plan.