ParseCard

Guide to Combat Logging

How to record your fights and upload them to Warcraftlogs so you can generate ParseCards.

What Is Combat Logging?

Combat logging is a built-in World of Warcraft feature that records everything that happens during combat: damage dealt, healing done, abilities used, buffs applied, debuffs received, deaths, and more. The game writes this data to a text file on your computer in real time. Once the log file is uploaded to Warcraftlogs, it gets parsed into detailed reports that you and your guild can analyze.

ParseCard reads these Warcraftlogs reports to generate cards. If a fight has been logged and uploaded, ParseCard can create a card for it. The quality and completeness of the card depends on the quality of the log, so understanding how logging works helps you get the best results.

How to Start Logging In-Game

There are two ways to enable combat logging in World of Warcraft:

Manual Toggle

Type /combatlog in your chat window to start logging. Type it again to stop. When logging is active, you will see a message in chat confirming that combat logging has been enabled. The log file is written to your WoW installation folder under Logs/WoWCombatLog.txt.

Automatic via Warcraftlogs Uploader

The Warcraftlogs Uploader application can be configured to automatically enable combat logging when you enter an instance and disable it when you leave. This is the recommended approach because it means you never forget to start logging and your log files stay focused on instanced content.

The Warcraftlogs Uploader

The Warcraftlogs Uploader is a desktop application that handles both log recording and uploading. It is the standard tool used by most WoW guilds. Here is the basic workflow:

  1. Create a free account on Warcraftlogs if you do not have one.
  2. Download the Warcraftlogs Uploader from the Warcraftlogs website. It is available for Windows and macOS.
  3. Log in to the uploader with your Warcraftlogs credentials.
  4. Point the uploader to your WoW installation directory so it can find the combat log files.
  5. Choose whether to log live (upload in real time as you play) or upload after the session ends.

Live logging uploads the data as you play, so your guild can review fights between pulls. Post-session uploading waits until you finish playing and then uploads the entire log at once. Both methods produce the same Warcraftlogs reports and work identically with ParseCard.

Advanced Logging

For the most complete logs, you can enable advanced combat logging in the WoW system settings. Go to System → Network → Advanced Combat Logging. This records additional data fields that Warcraftlogs uses for more detailed analysis, including precise position data and advanced spell information. Most Warcraftlogs features work without it, but enabling it gives you the richest data.

Who Needs to Log?

Only one person in the group needs to be logging for the fight to be recorded. If your guild has a designated logger (often a raid leader or officer), everyone in the raid will appear in that log. You do not need to log yourself to appear on a ParseCard.

That said, multiple people can log the same fight. Each person will produce their own Warcraftlogs report, and any of those reports can be used with ParseCard. The data will be the same regardless of who logged it.

Log Visibility

When uploading to Warcraftlogs, you can set the visibility of your report:

  • Public — Anyone with the link can view the report. ParseCard can access public reports.
  • Unlisted — Not visible in search results but accessible with a direct link. ParseCard can access unlisted reports if you have the link.
  • Private — Only visible to guild members on Warcraftlogs. ParseCard cannot access private reports through the public API.

For ParseCard to generate a card, the report must be public or unlisted. If you want to use ParseCard with your guild's logs, make sure the reports are uploaded with public or unlisted visibility.

Tips for Good Logs

  • Enable advanced combat logging in your WoW network settings for the most detailed data.
  • Use the Warcraftlogs Uploader for automatic logging so you never miss a pull.
  • Clear old log files periodically. Combat log files can grow very large over time. The uploader has an option to clear logs after uploading.
  • Upload promptly after raid. If you are not live-logging, upload the log soon after raiding so your guild can review and your ParseCards are available while the night is fresh.
  • Check the fight list on Warcraftlogs after uploading to confirm all fights were captured before generating cards.

From Log to Card

Once your log is uploaded to Warcraftlogs and you have the report URL, you are ready to generate a ParseCard. Head to the ParseCard homepage, paste the link, and follow the step-by-step guide to create your card. The entire process takes just a few seconds.