Structured logs for tools APIs

Structured logs describe events with consistent fields. They help a person or another program follow a tool run without having to infer meaning from scattered sentences. Useful logs answer which action ran, what it tried to do, and what happened next.

Record evidence that supports a decision

Give each run a stable identifier and each action a clear name. Record outcomes such as success, failure, cancellation, and skipped work without treating them as interchangeable. Include durations and error categories where useful, while keeping credentials and private payloads out of routine logs.

A practical sequence

• Define a small, stable event schema.
• Connect events using a run identifier and step identity.
• Record the meaningful outcome and relevant error context.
• Attach links to artifacts according to a clear retention policy.

Watch for this failure mode

Logging everything can make a system harder to understand and expose information that reviewers do not need. Decide what evidence helps diagnose a failure and explicitly omit secrets, unnecessary personal data, and entire responses when a small summary is enough.

Make the handoff clear

Use log examples when reviewing a tool’s interface. If operators cannot distinguish a retry from a new action, improve the event model before adding dashboards. A simple readable record is more valuable than a large volume of ambiguous messages.

Before expanding the workflow, write one representative success case and one useful failure case. Agree on the result shape and how a reviewer should decide whether the next step can proceed. Keep the example small enough that the assumptions remain visible.

Go deeper

Read the complete structured logs guide for examples and design decisions. Connect this step to tool runners, or return to the workflow library to map the whole sequence.