Which log retention settings prevent Sketch plugin error data from being overwritten?

Question

Plugin Deployment Diagnostics
When diagnosing failed plugin deployments in Sketch, developers rely on the log files located in ~/Library/Logs/com.bohemiancoding.sketch3/ to analyze JavaScript stack traces and plugin identifier errors.
Log Persistence Uncertainty
Standard behavior suggests that these logs are overwritten upon each application launch. While there is a known "Keep logs" option within the Develop menu, this setting is not exposed in the default user interface, creating uncertainty regarding the default retention policy and how log rotation is handled for long-term debugging.
Does the "Keep logs" setting permanently prevent the overwrite cycle across all versions of Sketch, or is there a hidden rotation limit? Which specific configuration ensures that diagnostic data from a failed deployment persists after a mandatory application restart?

Wasi · Answer

Direct answerNo Sketch setting is confirmed to permanently prevent log overwrite across all versions. The Develop menu's "Keep logs" option may stop Sketch from clearing logs at launch, but there is no confirmed evidence that it disables size- or age-based rotation, or that it behaves the same in Sketch 3, later subscription builds, and Mac App Store versus direct-download distributions. The specific action that ensures failed-deployment diagnostics survive a mandatory restart is to copy the relevant log files out of ~/Library/Logs/com.bohemiancoding.sketch3/ to a separate folder before restarting Sketch.Confirmed facts versus likely explanationStatusItemConfirmedSketch writes plugin JavaScript stack traces and deployment errors to ~/Library/Logs/com.bohemiancoding.sketch3/.ConfirmedDefault behavior is commonly described as overwriting or rotating logs on application launch.ConfirmedThe Develop menu includes a "Keep logs" toggle, but it is hidden until the Develop menu is enabled.Unconfirmed"Keep logs" guarantees permanent retention or disables rotation by file count, size, or age.UnconfirmedA hidden rotation limit exists for Sketch plugin logs.Steps for this caseOpen Sketch and choose Sketch > About Sketch to record the exact version and build number. Retention behavior may vary by release and distribution channel.Enable the Develop menu using Sketch's published developer-tools method, then confirm whether Keep logs is selected. Treat this as a mitigation, not a guarantee.After a plugin deployment failure, immediately copy the relevant log files from ~/Library/Logs/com.bohemiancoding.sketch3/ to a separate diagnostics folder.Restart Sketch only after the copy is complete.Open the copied files in Console.app or Terminal and verify the JavaScript stack trace is present before relying on the originals.Safe verification commandsls -lt ~/Library/Logs/com.bohemiancoding.sketch3/Then copy the specific file named by timestamp, for example:cp ~/Library/Logs/com.bohemiancoding.sketch3/ ~/Desktop/sketch-plugin-diagnostics/Missing diagnostic detailWhat is the exact Sketch version and build number? This changes the recommendation because retention and rotation behavior may differ between Sketch 3, subscription builds, and Mac App Store versus direct-download distributions.Assumptions and uncertainty"Keep logs" may only suppress launch-time clearing while rotation still occurs.No file count, maximum size, or maximum age limit is confirmed for these logs.Writing hidden preferences with defaults write is not confirmed for this setting and may be version-specific or ineffective.

Which log retention settings prevent Sketch plugin error data from being overwritten?

Plugin Deployment Diagnostics

Log Persistence Uncertainty

1 answer

Direct answer

Confirmed facts versus likely explanation

Steps for this case

Safe verification commands

Missing diagnostic detail

Assumptions and uncertainty

Your perspective belongs here.

0 question comments

Status	Item
Confirmed	Sketch writes plugin JavaScript stack traces and deployment errors to `~/Library/Logs/com.bohemiancoding.sketch3/`.
Confirmed	Default behavior is commonly described as overwriting or rotating logs on application launch.
Confirmed	The Develop menu includes a "Keep logs" toggle, but it is hidden until the Develop menu is enabled.
Unconfirmed	"Keep logs" guarantees permanent retention or disables rotation by file count, size, or age.
Unconfirmed	A hidden rotation limit exists for Sketch plugin logs.