Documentation

Complete guide to mastering log analysis with Log4j Analyzer. From basic usage to advanced features and productivity tips.

Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with Log4j Analyzer in just 3 simple steps

Install Log4j Analyzer

Download and install Log4j Analyzer from the Applications folder.

Open Your Log Files

Drag and drop log files or use File → Open to load your logs.

Start Analyzing

Use search, filtering, and multi-file sync to find what you need.

Feature Guides

Step-by-step instructions for using Log4j Analyzer's most powerful features

Multi-File Synchronization

Click any log entry to sync all open files to that timestamp

1
Open multiple log files using File → Open or drag & drop
2
Click on any log entry in any window
3
All other windows automatically scroll to the nearest timestamp
4
Use the sync indicator to see which entries are synchronized

Advanced Search

Find exactly what you need with regex and multi-field search

1
Enter search terms in the search field (⌘F)
2
Use regex patterns for complex searches
3
Search across message, logger, level, and timestamp fields
4
Results are highlighted in real-time

Live Tail Monitoring

Monitor active log files in real-time

1
Open an active log file that's being written to
2
Live tail automatically detects file changes
3
New entries appear automatically with filtering applied
4
Background monitoring with minimal performance impact

Log Level Filtering

Focus on specific log levels and loggers

1
Use the log level toggles to show/hide levels
2
Open the Logger Filter window (⌘L) for advanced filtering
3
Select specific loggers from the list
4
Combine level and logger filtering for precise results

AI Log Analysis (Pro)

Ask natural-language questions about the entries you are viewing

1
Toggle the Ask AI panel from the toolbar or with ⌥⌘I (Pro version only)
2
Choose a backend: Ollama (local, free, private), Claude API (your own Anthropic API key from console.anthropic.com, entered in Settings ▸ AI — this is the Claude option in the Mac App Store build), or Claude CLI (your Claude Pro/Max login, direct-download build only — the App Store sandbox forbids subprocesses); both Claude backends cost ~$0.04–$0.55 per question
3
Ask about patterns, anomalies, error clusters, or likely root causes — the AI only sees the currently filtered entries
4
Answers stream in live; ask follow-ups to keep context, or use Clear conversation to reset
5
Claude backends also accept free-form instructions such as "show db timeouts from this morning"; Claude adjusts filters, search, time range, and bookmarks for you. Click the ? button in the panel header for tips and click-to-run examples
6
Type a plain command to change the view instantly (no AI call, no cost, works offline): level filters ("errors and warnings only", "problems only", "only debug"), "clear filters", logger scoping ("only OrderService", "hide PaymentGateway"), search ("search timeout"), time windows ("last 15 minutes", "past 2 days"), or "bookmark these"; the result appears as a note in the transcript. Unrecognized input is still sent to the AI as a question

Search in Files

Search raw text across every log file in a folder tree

1
Choose File → Search in Files... (⌘⇧⌥F), or drop a folder on the app icon
2
Pick a folder and enter text or a regex pattern
3
Results are grouped by file with a match count
4
Double-click a match to open the file scrolled to that line

Entry Detail Pane

Read the full raw text of the selected entry

1
Toggle the pane from the toolbar (Detail Pane) or with ⌥⌘D
2
Select a row to see its full raw text, wrapped and selectable
3
Use the copy button to copy the raw text
4
Drag the handle at the top edge of the pane to resize it; the height is remembered

Keyboard Shortcuts

Master Log4j Analyzer with these essential keyboard shortcuts

Open file
⌘O
Close window
⌘W
Focus search field
⌘F
Reload current file
⌘R
Show logger filter window
⌘L
Export filtered results
⌘E
Increase font size
⌘+
Decrease font size
⌘-
Reset font size
⌘0
Auto-size all columns
⌥⌘=
Toggle log levels (ERROR, WARN, INFO, DEBUG, TRACE)
⌘1-5
Scroll to first entry
⌘↑
Scroll to last entry
⌘↓
Open preferences
⌘,
Search in Files
⌘⇧⌥F
Toggle the Entry Detail pane
⌥⌘D
Copy raw data from selected entries
⌘⌥R
Toggle the Ask AI panel (AI log analysis, Pro only)
⌥⌘I

Tips & Best Practices

Pro tips to maximize your efficiency with Log4j Analyzer

Effective Searching

Use regex patterns like "error.*timeout" to find error messages containing timeout. Search history remembers your most useful patterns.

Multi-File Analysis

Open all related log files first, then use timestamp sync to correlate events across different services or components.

Performance Optimization

For very large files, use level filtering first to reduce the visible dataset, then apply search terms for faster results.

Live Monitoring

Live tail works best with moderate log volume. For high-volume logs, use filtering to focus on relevant entries.

Exporting Results

Apply all desired filters before exporting. Only visible entries will be included in the exported file.

Keyboard Efficiency

Learn the essential shortcuts: ⌘F for search, ⌘L for logger filter, and ⌘1-5 for quick log level toggling.

Need More Help?

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