Why Some Google Drive Logs Don’t Show IP Addresses?
Overview
In some Google Drive audit reports, the IP address field may appear blank. This is normal and depends on how Google handles data visibility.
Main Causes
Privacy Protection
Google may hide IP details to comply with data protection and privacy laws, such as the GDPR, especially for users in certain regions.
Account Type
Some Google Workspace editions (for example, Business Starter or Standard) include limited logging features and may not show IP addresses for every action.
Mobile & Automated Activity
Actions done through the mobile app, background syncs, or automated system processes may be recorded without IP information.
Google System Design
According to Google:
““You might not see IP address details for every event in your activity logs because certain activities do not log IP addresses. Specifically, for Drive log events, IP addresses are not logged for:
Events started by users external to your domain.
Events from services that do not log the IP address in their requests.
Events relating to renaming or deleting a shared drive.”
— Google Workspace Admin Help: Drive log events
System Design
Some mobile, background, or system-generated activities are recorded without IP details by design.
