# Reduce diagnostic log verbosity

Diagnostic verbosity comes from the `logger` section in the configuration the server actually loads. The documented default level is `debug`, while the installation example explicitly uses `information`. Check the file selected by `--config-file` before editing a similarly named file elsewhere.

Choose the detail needed for normal operation:

```xml
<logger>
    <level>information</level>
    <log>server.log</log>
    <errorlog>server.err.log</errorlog>
    <size>10M</size>
    <count>3</count>
</logger>
```

Restart to apply the change. Relative log paths are resolved from the configuration directory, so a different `--db` path does not move the logs. Keep positive rotation sizes and the archive count appropriate for your retention needs. Unknown logger fields or invalid values cause configuration errors rather than silently taking effect.

Reducing file verbosity does not disable structured request history. Its separate `log_queries` and duration settings determine what appears in `system.query_log`. Prefer those structured events when investigating a specific query ID, duration or exception; use diagnostic files for the additional context needed by that investigation.

See [logger and file paths](https://coordinatordb.com/docs/reference/settings/server-settings/settings/other) and [query logging settings](https://coordinatordb.com/docs/reference/settings/session-settings/log-queries).