How to view task logs airflow

AirflowHow-ToBeginner · 3 min read

How to View Task Logs in Apache Airflow

To view task logs in Apache Airflow, use the Airflow UI by navigating to the specific DAG run and clicking the task instance's log link. Alternatively, use the airflow tasks logs CLI command with the DAG ID, task ID, and execution date to see logs in the terminal.

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Syntax

There are two main ways to view task logs in Airflow: via the UI and via the CLI.

UI: Navigate to the DAG, select the DAG run, then click on the task instance and choose View Log.
CLI: Use the command airflow tasks logs <dag_id> <task_id> <execution_date>.

Each part means:

dag_id: The unique identifier of your DAG.
task_id: The specific task within the DAG.
execution_date: The run date/time of the DAG in ISO format (e.g., 2023-06-01T00:00:00+00:00).

bash

airflow tasks logs <dag_id> <task_id> <execution_date>

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Example

This example shows how to view logs for a task named extract_data in a DAG called data_pipeline for a run on June 1, 2023.

bash

airflow tasks logs data_pipeline extract_data 2023-06-01T00:00:00+00:00

Output

[2023-06-01 00:00:01,234] {taskinstance.py:876} INFO - Starting attempt 1 of 1 [2023-06-01 00:00:02,345] {bashoperator.py:123} INFO - Running command: echo 'Extracting data' Extracting data [2023-06-01 00:00:03,456] {taskinstance.py:1100} INFO - Task succeeded

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Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when viewing Airflow task logs include:

Using the wrong execution_date format or timezone, causing no logs to show.
Trying to view logs for a task that has not run yet.
Not having proper permissions to access the Airflow UI or logs directory.
Confusing DAG run dates with task instance dates.

Always verify the exact execution_date from the Airflow UI or CLI before running the logs command.

bash

Wrong:
airflow tasks logs data_pipeline extract_data 2023-06-01

Right:
airflow tasks logs data_pipeline extract_data 2023-06-01T00:00:00+00:00

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Quick Reference

Method	Command/Action	Description
UI	Navigate DAG > DAG Run > Task > View Log	View logs in browser with full details and timestamps.
CLI	airflow tasks logs	View logs directly in terminal for quick access.
Log Files	Check logs directory (default: ~/airflow/logs/)	Access raw log files stored on disk if needed.

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Key Takeaways

Use the Airflow UI to easily view task logs with a few clicks.

The CLI command requires exact DAG ID, task ID, and execution date in ISO format.

Check the execution date carefully to avoid missing logs.

Ensure you have permissions to access logs in UI or filesystem.

Logs are also stored on disk under the Airflow logs directory for manual inspection.