What is an audit trail?
An audit trail is a time-ordered record of consequential actions: who did what, when, to which record, and what state resulted. See a worked QueryChart process and practical steps for applying it.
An audit trail is a time-ordered record of consequential actions: who did what, when, to which record, and what state resulted.
The short version
- Define events: Include creation, changes, review decisions, approvals, publication, access changes and retirement where they matter.
- Capture context: Record actor, timestamp, object ID, prior and new state, and a reason or linked request.
- Test reconstruction: Select one issued document and follow its events from draft through approval and supersession.
What is an audit trail in practice
A useful trail lets a reviewer reconstruct an event without relying on memory. For a controlled process it should connect a proposed change, edits, review, approval, publication and later withdrawal. A list of file timestamps lacks the decision context.
Define which actions matter, preserve actor and time, link events to the affected object and keep the records accessible for the relevant retention period. QueryChart version history records chart revisions; its separate compliance audit trail is a paid capability that must be enabled.
See the document control process workflow
Step through the decisions behind what is an audit trail.
Define events
The request and draft establish an identifiable object whose later actions can be joined into a trail.
Capture context
Review and approve-for-issue decisions add the decision evidence a revision list alone cannot supply.
Test reconstruction
Register update, publication and withdrawal form the final event chain for an issued document.
How it works
Define events
Include creation, changes, review decisions, approvals, publication, access changes and retirement where they matter.
Capture context
Record actor, timestamp, object ID, prior and new state, and a reason or linked request.
Test reconstruction
Select one issued document and follow its events from draft through approval and supersession.
Mistakes to avoid
Missing the decision record
Keep the actor, decision and effective state alongside the output. A useful trail lets a reviewer reconstruct an event without relying on memory. For a controlled process it should connect a proposed change, edits, review, approval, publication and later withdrawal. A list of file timestamps lacks the decision context.
Related QueryChart feature
Open the worked process
Use the linked document control process template to adapt the workflow to your team.
Frequently asked questions
Is version history an audit trail?
It is one part of one: revisions show changes, while a full trail may also cover approvals, access and distribution.
Can a trail be edited?
Corrections should be added as new attributable events rather than silently overwriting the original.
What makes a trail useful?
A reviewer can reconstruct the sequence, actors and outcomes for one selected record.