Quick Start¶

This page gets you from zero to a logged HTTP request in under two minutes.

1. Install¶

npm install cipher-logger

2. Create a logger instance¶

import { createCipherLogger } from "cipher-logger";

const cipher = createCipherLogger({
  fields: {
    ip: true,
    userAgent: true,
    query: true,
  },
  level: "info",
});

createCipherLogger takes an optional CipherLoggerConfig object. Every field you leave out simply falls back to its default — see Configuration for the full list.

3. Wire it into your framework¶

import express from "express";

const app = express();

app.use(cipher.express());

app.get("/users", (req, res) => res.json({ users: [] }));

app.listen(3000);

// middleware.ts
import { createCipherLogger } from "cipher-logger";

const cipher = createCipherLogger({ fields: { ip: true } });

export default cipher.next();

export const config = {
  matcher: ["/api/:path*", "/dashboard/:path*"],
};

Full walkthroughs, including the Next.js timing caveat, live in the Guide.

4. Read the output¶

[2026-09-01T20:00:00.000Z] [INFO] [express] HTTP Request {
  id: 'a1b2c3d4-...',
  type: 'http',
  timestamp: '2026-09-01T20:00:00.000Z',
  method: 'GET',
  path: '/users?page=1',
  status: 200,
  duration: 12,
  ip: '::1',
  userAgent: 'Mozilla/5.0 ...',
  query: { page: '1' }
}

id, type, timestamp, method, path, status, and duration are always present. Everything else is opt-in through fields — see the Log Schema for the complete list and types.

5. Log outside of HTTP¶

Need general-purpose logging (startup messages, background jobs, warnings)? Use the framework-agnostic Logger class directly:

import { Logger } from "cipher-logger";

const logger = new Logger({ level: "info", prefix: "app" });

logger.info("Server started");
logger.warn("Deprecated API used", { route: "/old" });
logger.error("Unhandled error", { err: "..." });

Next steps¶

• Configuration — every option, in detail
• Express — accurate status/duration after the response finishes
• Next.js — middleware.ts setup and its current limitations
• API Reference — full method and type signatures