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Paul Bunyan Message Logger by Diamond Sierra

Settings reference

Every Paul Bunyan setting, its default, and when to change it.

Updated · By Diamond Sierra

The Fix first screen: problems ranked by cost, each with its PB code and what to do
On this page

All settings are on Paul Bunyan → Settings. The defaults suit most sites. Change them while you investigate something specific, then put them back. Turning recording on and off is not a setting: it is the switch in the header (see Turn recording on and off).

What is recorded

SettingDefaultWhat it does
Watch database queriesOnTimes queries on traced requests.
Watch hooksOnTimes actions and filters and names the plugins attached to slow ones.
Watch outbound HTTP callsOnEvery call through the WordPress HTTP API, with who made it.
Capture PHP errorsOnWarnings and fatal errors, matched to the plugin or theme at fault.
Measure in the visitor's browserOnAdds a small script to traced pages that reports load times, AJAX calls and slow files. No cookies; paths and timings only.
Time outgoing emailOnSplits each email into time spent building it and time spent handing it to the mail server.
Keep the text of slow queriesOnValues are always replaced by question marks. Untick it to keep only the table and who ran the query; the Database screen then groups by table.
Mask email addressesOnStores ***@domain.com instead of the full address.
Write the log after the response is sentOffThe visitor gets the page first, then Paul Bunyan writes its log. Works on PHP-FPM and LiteSpeed hosts. Leave it off if another plugin prints output at shutdown.
Minimum level to recordInfoMessages below this level are dropped where they are logged. Verbose records everything, including PHP notices.
Callback detailSlow hooks and AJAX handlersNames the function, plugin, file and line inside a slow hook. "Every hook" is the heaviest; use it only for short sessions.
Watch listEmptyHooks to time function by function on every traced request, one per line. End a line with * to match a prefix, for example woocommerce_email_*.
Settings screen: what is recorded, with switches for queries, hooks, outside calls, PHP errors, browser timing, email timing and masking
Settings, top half.

How much is traced

SettingDefaultWhat it does
Trace this percent of requests100Slow requests and errors are logged whatever this is set to. Lower it on busy sites.
Discovery: percent of traced requests that watch every hook5Finds slow hooks nobody knew about, then adds them to the watch. Costly on a heavy page, so keep it low.

Thresholds

SettingDefault
Slow request threshold1000 ms
Slow page load in the browser3000 ms
Slow query threshold50 ms
Slow hook threshold (total time inside one hook)50 ms
Slow callback threshold (one function inside a watched hook)10 ms
Slow HTTP call threshold500 ms

Safety and storage

SettingDefaultWhat it does
Safety limit on Paul Bunyan's own cost150 msIf Paul Bunyan itself costs more than this on five ordinary requests inside ten minutes, it switches itself off and says why (PB-1008).
Maximum stored messages200,000If the table grows past this, the oldest messages go first and Paul Bunyan reports it (PB-1003).

How long messages are kept

Days 1 to 3 keep everything; days 4 to 7 keep a summary; Professional keeps 30 days or 13 months

In the free edition, Paul Bunyan keeps 3 days of full detail and 7 days of summary. From day 4 to day 7 it keeps every request, anything slow or failed, anything with a PB code, browser timings and cost per plugin, and drops the routine detail. Professional adds longer history. The Your data screen shows exactly what is kept and for how long.

Ask AI

Ask AI, "Explain this" and the AI summary in the email report are part of Professional, where you choose the AI service and add your own key. The free edition keeps the AI report, which you copy or download yourself. See The AI report and AI assistants.

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