Why Your Lockout Log Is Missing or Not Showing Entries (And How to Fix It)
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One of the most common issues users encounter with the Limit Login Attempts Reloaded plugin is the lockout log not displaying entries as expected. You might see a high lockout count, but the log itself appears empty, or new lockouts fail to appear after a reset. This can be frustrating, as the log is a critical tool for identifying and managing security threats.
Why This Happens
Based on community reports, this problem can stem from several different causes:
- GDPR Compliance Mode: If the 'GDPR Compliance' checkbox is enabled, IP addresses are hashed (converted to a long string of characters like
e9ceeb50539fcf227f0b428d924d29d0) and may not be displayed in a standard log format, making them difficult to recognize. - Reverse Proxy or Server Configuration: If your site is behind a reverse proxy, load balancer, or a hosting-specific firewall (e.g., Sucuri, Cloudflare), the plugin might be detecting your server's internal IP address instead of the visitor's real IP. This can cause all log entries to appear to come from a single, local IP.
- Plugin Reset or Reinstallation: Uninstalling and reinstalling the plugin can sometimes cause the log to reset and stop displaying historical data, even if the counter remains.
- Database Cleanup Issues: In some cases, using the 'Clear Log' function may not fully purge data from the underlying database (
wp_optionstable), leading to display inconsistencies. - Plugin Conflict or Corruption: A faulty update or a conflict with another plugin can occasionally break the log's functionality.
How to Troubleshoot and Fix the Issue
1. Check the GDPR Setting
Navigate to the plugin's settings. If the 'GDPR Compliance' option is checked, this is the reason IP addresses appear as long strings. Unchecking it will ensure future IPs are logged in their standard format.
2. Verify Your IP Detection Settings
Go to the plugin's 'Debug' tab. This section shows how the plugin is detecting IP addresses. If all lines show the same IP (often an internal one), the plugin is not correctly identifying the real visitor IP. You may need to configure the 'Assume X-Forwarded-For' or other IP-related settings according to your hosting environment's documentation.
3. Test a New Lockout
The log only shows IPs that have triggered a full lockout, not every failed attempt. To confirm the log is working, try to lock yourself out from a different IP address (e.g., using your mobile phone's data connection). If a new entry appears, the log is functioning but was simply empty of lockouts.
4. Basic Troubleshooting Steps
- Reactivate the Plugin: As noted in one thread, simply deactivating and then reactivating the plugin can resolve the issue.
- Check for Errors: Enable WordPress debugging by adding
define('WP_DEBUG', true);anddefine('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);to yourwp-config.phpfile. Attempt to clear the log again and check thewp-content/debug.logfile for any related PHP errors. - Check for Conflicts: Temporarily disable all other plugins to see if a conflict is causing the blank page or log display issue.
5. Manual Database Check (Advanced Users)
The plugin stores log data in your WordPress database's wp_options table under the option name limit_login_logged. If the GUI is blank but this database entry contains data, it suggests a display issue rather than a data loss issue.
If these steps do not resolve the problem, the issue may be specific to your server configuration. In such cases, consulting your hosting provider's support team to clarify how they handle IP forwarding is often the most effective next step.
Related Support Threads Support
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Export lockout log as CSVhttps://wordpress.org/support/topic/export-lockout-log-as-csv/
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Lockout Log IP addresses are not standard formathttps://wordpress.org/support/topic/lockout-log-ip-addresses-are-not-standard-format/
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Clearing Login Data via Plugin GUI Not Automatically Purging Options Table Datahttps://wordpress.org/support/topic/clearing-login-data-via-plugin-gui-not-automatically-purging-options-table-data/
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Lockout Minutes Not Workinghttps://wordpress.org/support/topic/lockout-minutes-not-working/
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What are Locked, Unlocked in the Logs?https://wordpress.org/support/topic/what-are-locked-unlocked-in-the-logs/
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Overwriting ban messageshttps://wordpress.org/support/topic/overwriting-ban-messages/
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Block Loghttps://wordpress.org/support/topic/block-log/
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The log has disappeared!https://wordpress.org/support/topic/the-log-has-disappeared/
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Log sizehttps://wordpress.org/support/topic/log-size/
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Lockouts no longer show in loghttps://wordpress.org/support/topic/lockouts-no-longer-show-in-log/
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Locking users that do no longer exist?https://wordpress.org/support/topic/locking-users-that-do-no-longer-exist/
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Missing Restore Lockouts Button?https://wordpress.org/support/topic/missing-restore-lockouts-button/
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‘Clear log’ feature NOT workinghttps://wordpress.org/support/topic/clear-log-feature-not-working/
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Lockout log not displayinghttps://wordpress.org/support/topic/lockout-log-not-displaying/
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Use local time in logshttps://wordpress.org/support/topic/use-local-time-in-logs/
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Lockouts Not Showing in Loghttps://wordpress.org/support/topic/lockouts-not-showing-in-log/
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How to access log entries from the database via SQL?https://wordpress.org/support/topic/how-to-access-log-entries-from-the-database-via-sql/
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My log says ‘Unlocked’, what does it mean?https://wordpress.org/support/topic/my-log-says-unlocked-what-does-it-mean/
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Allow other user roles to handle lockouthttps://wordpress.org/support/topic/allow-other-user-roles-to-handle-lockout/