Compliance Problems

How to Fix Microsoft Purview Auditing Enablement Error

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is trying to enable or verify activity auditing in Microsoft Purview but encounters an error message stating that the system cannot determine if activity is being recorded.

Product: Microsoft Purview
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to enable unified audit logging via the Microsoft Purview compliance portal as a Global Administrator.
Observed behavior: The portal fails to load the audit status and displays the error: "Sorry, we're having trouble figuring out if activity is being recorded."

Before you start

Ensure you are logged in with Global Administrator credentials and have the Exchange Online PowerShell module installed on your system to run the necessary diagnostic commands.

Solution 1Recommended

Enable Unified Audit Logging via PowerShell

Bypass the portal error by checking and turning on audit log ingestion directly through Exchange Online PowerShell.

Often, portal errors are caused by temporary UI glitches or frontend communication failures. Using PowerShell allows you to interact directly with the server-side configuration.

Connect to Exchange Online

Open your PowerShell terminal as an administrator and connect to Exchange Online using your Global Administrator credentials.

Verify Current Configuration

Run the command `Get-AdminAuditLogConfig` to check the current status of your auditing configuration.

Enable Audit Ingestion

Execute the command `Set-AdminAuditLogConfig -UnifiedAuditLogIngestionEnabled $true` to forcefully enable unified audit log ingestion.

Refresh the Portal

Wait a few minutes for the backend to sync, then refresh the Microsoft Purview portal page to verify if the error is resolved.

Propagation Time: It can take up to 60 minutes for the auditing changes applied via PowerShell to fully propagate across your Microsoft 365 tenant.

Solution 2

Create a Microsoft Support Ticket

If PowerShell commands do not resolve the issue, it may require server-side log collection and investigation by Microsoft.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Microsoft Purview say it can't figure out if activity is being recorded?

This error typically occurs due to a backend synchronization issue or a temporary server error in Microsoft 365 that prevents the web portal from accurately reading the audit log configuration status.

Do I need special permissions to enable auditing in Purview?

Yes, you must be assigned the Global Administrator role or hold specific Audit Logs permissions within Exchange Online to successfully enable or configure unified audit logging.

How long does it take for audit logging to start after enabling it via PowerShell?

After successfully running the PowerShell command to enable unified audit log ingestion, it can take up to 60 minutes for the change to take effect and for the portal to reflect the updated status.

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