smallwebwaf/docs/request-log.md

The request log's fields

The fields of the JSON object smallwebwaf writes for each request. "Request log" in SPEC.md says when a line is written and how the log is sent to a syslog server. A field that does not apply to a request is left out.

Example

{"type":"request","time":"2026-10-03T12:00:00.123Z","instance":"fsn1app1/gitea","client_ip":"203.0.113.9","method":"GET","scheme":"https","host":"app.example","path":"/","query":"","protocol":"HTTP/1.1","status":200,"request_bytes":0,"response_bytes":5120,"referer":"","user_agent":"curl/8.9.1","request_id":"7Q2NHZ4KJ3VXW5YB6R3MEFTD2A","peer_ip":"172.18.0.2","forwarded_for":"203.0.113.9","client_group":"203.0.113.9/32","asn":"AS64496","as_name":"Example Net","country":"DE","request_headers":{"accept":"*/*"},"response_content_type":"text/html; charset=utf-8","upstream_status":200,"action":"forward","counts":{"minute":1,"hour":12,"day":40,"minute_bytes":5120,"hour_bytes":61440,"day_bytes":204800},"duration_total":3.217,"duration_checks":0.041,"duration_upstream_connect":0.052,"duration_upstream_first_byte":2.874,"duration_upstream_total":3.104}

Every line

Every line has:

• type: request (the process's own messages have process);
• the standard web log fields;
• request_id, peer_ip and client_group;
• asn, as_name and country;
• action and duration_total.

Standard web log fields

• time: when the request arrived, RFC 3339 with milliseconds, in UTC;
• instance: SWWAF_INSTANCE_NAME;
• client_ip, method, scheme, host, path, query, protocol;
• status: what the client was sent, 0 if nothing;
• request_bytes and response_bytes: body bytes each way;
• referer and user_agent.

Request detail

• request_id: the X-Request-ID a trusted proxy sent, or a new random one of 26 letters and digits.
• peer_ip: the TCP peer, normally traefik.
• forwarded_for: the X-Forwarded-For header as received.
• client_group: the client as rate limiting counts it, an IPv4 address as a /32 or an IPv6 group.
• asn, as_name and country: the client's, as looked up. Each is empty when:
  • lookups are off;
  • the client is not looked up;
  • the source cannot place the client;
  • GeoJS had not answered by the time the request went on.
• content_type and content_length: the request's own.
• request_headers: the headers listed in SWWAF_LOG_REQUEST_HEADERS, by name in lower case.
• has_authorization and has_cookie: true when the request had those headers. Their values are never logged.
• websocket: true when the app switched the connection to another protocol.

Response detail

• upstream_status: what the app answered. It differs from status when smallwebwaf answered itself.
• response_content_type, cache_control and location: the answer's headers.
• aborted: true when the client went away early.

Decision

• action: what was done:

  • forward: passed to the app;
  • denied: refused for SWWAF_DENY_NETS, or for a reputation source with the action deny;
  • banned: refused under a ban, or for a ban rule, a trap path or a CrowdSec decision, each of which bans the client;
  • country_denied, rate_limited, rule_blocked and waf_blocked: refused by that check;
  • too_large and timed_out: a size or time limit was passed;
  • upstream_error: the app could not be reached, or its answer broke off;
  • admin: answered at one of smallwebwaf's own endpoints.

• would_action: in observe mode, what enforce mode would have done with a request it would have refused. action then names what was done, normally forward.

• limit_percent and limit_percent_setting: the client's percentage of the rate limits and the setting that lowered it, when one did. bytes_percent and bytes_percent_setting do the same for the byte limits.

• counts: the client's totals as rate limiting counts them, this request included. It is left out when rate limiting did not count the request. It holds:

  • minute, hour and day: requests;
  • minute_bytes, hour_bytes and day_bytes: bytes.

  A count can have a fraction (see "Counting method" in SPEC.md).

• limit_hit: the limit broken:

  • minute, hour or day for a rate limit;
  • minute_bytes, hour_bytes or day_bytes for a byte limit;
  • error_burst.

  A request whose bytes broke a limit was passed on whole, so its action stays forward.

• rule_ids: the rule file rules that matched, in order, up to the one that refused.

• waf_score and waf_rule_ids: the Core Rule Set's score and the rules that matched, for a request it inspected.

• reputation: the sources the client is on, in this order:

  • blocklist URLs;
  • the CrowdSec decision list's URL;
  • DNS blocklist zones;
  • abuseipdb.

• offence: limit, for a request that broke a limit.

• ban_expires: when the client's ban ends, for a request that made one or was refused under one: a time, or permanent.

Timings

All in milliseconds:

• duration_total: from the request's headers being read to its log line;
• duration_checks: to the end of the checks, before forwarding;
• duration_waf: the part of that the Core Rule Set took;
• duration_upstream_connect: from the hand-over to the app until there was a connection;
• duration_upstream_first_byte: until the first byte of the answer;
• duration_upstream_total: until the end of the answer.