Guide
How to read your WoW Forever combat log
In short
- Type /combatlog in the game to switch logging on; the game then writes a WoWCombatLog-*.txt file to its Logs folder.
- The file records every damage, heal, aura and cast event, with spell IDs.
- Read it after the fight, around the moment that mattered, and ask three questions: what hit, what was used, what was missed.
What the combat log is
When combat logging is on, World of Warcraft: Forever writes a text file called WoWCombatLog-*.txt (the part after the dash is filled in by the game) into its Logs folder. It records every damage, heal, aura and cast event, with spell IDs.
It is a plain text file, so a text editor opens it. Expect a lot of lines: every event is recorded.
Turn it on and find the file
- In the game’s chat box, type /combatlog and press Enter. The same command toggles logging, so typing it again switches logging off.
- Play the fight.
- Switch logging off with /combatlog if you do not want a huge file.
- Open the Logs folder in the game’s folder and look for the newest WoWCombatLog-*.txt.
If there is no file, logging was probably never switched on. Run /combatlog before the next fight and look again.
Why a log file and not an addon
In Forever, addons cannot read protected spell values during combat. That makes a file written by the game while you play, and read afterwards, the dependable source for what happened. It is also why reviewing a fight after it ends makes more sense than trying to analyse it live.
How to read it
- Note the time of the moment you care about, such as your death or a wipe, and find the lines near that timestamp.
- Work backwards 10 to 20 seconds. What damage landed on you or your target, and from which spell?
- Look at the four kinds of event: damage, heals, auras (buffs and debuffs applied and removed) and casts. Auras show which defensive cooldowns you used and which crowd control hit you.
- Spell IDs are numbers. Look an ID up in a spell database to get the name and effect.
- Write down one thing to change. A log is long, a fix should be short.
Open a few lines first to see how the fields are laid out in your own file. We are not publishing a field-by-field description here, because we have not verified one for the current client.
Questions worth asking of any log
- What was the last damage before each death, and who dealt it?
- Did a defensive cooldown go unused, or go off too late to matter?
- Were enemy casts interrupted, and were yours?
- Did the same spell hit the same players again and again?
Our guides to reviewing a PvP match and a dungeon pull turn these into checklists.
Questions and answers
How do I turn on combat logging in WoW Forever?
Type /combatlog in chat. The same command toggles logging off again.
Where is the WoW Forever combat log saved?
In the game’s Logs folder, as a file named WoWCombatLog-*.txt.
Why can’t an addon analyse my fight live in WoW Forever?
Addons in Forever cannot read protected spell values during combat, so the log file written by the game is the dependable source after the fight.
What do the numbers in my combat log mean?
Events carry spell IDs, which are numbers that identify each spell or effect. Look an ID up in a spell database to see its name.
Sources
The combat log facts on this page (file name, location, the /combatlog command, what the log records, and addons being unable to read protected spell values during combat) come from our own checks of the game client on November 8-9, 2026, so they have no outside link.