SharePoint: Is it possible see who downloaded files in a library?

Question

Hi!

I wanted to know if its possible to see who and when downloads a file. Where can I see that, I think I can but don't know where.

Thanks

Answer 1

Good day @Charlie Martharper,

Yes, it is possible to see who downloaded a file and when the download happened, but this information usually isn’t available directly in the Document Library interface in SharePoint. The recommended way to track this is by using Microsoft Purview Audit.

You can navigate to Microsoft Purview, open the Audit section, and create a new search.

From there, simply set the activity to Downloaded file or use the operation name FileDownloaded. This audit event will capture when a user downloads a document from a SharePoint site, along with details such as the user identity and the exact time of the action.

When running your search, you can refine the results by applying filters such as date range, specific users, or the file, folder, or site path. If you need to work with the data further, you also have the option to export the results. One thing to keep in mind is that accessing audit logs in Microsoft Purview requires the appropriate permissions and licensing, so you’ll want to make sure your account is assigned the right role and your organization has the necessary license in place.

For reference, you may find these resources helpful:

• Microsoft Purview Licensing Guidance
• Search the audit log | Microsoft Learn
• Audit log activities | Microsoft Learn

If you have any follow-up questions or need further clarification, please feel free to leave a comment under this post. That’s the best way for me to stay notified and get back to you quickly.

Thank you so much again for reaching out

---

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". 

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.