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Start with the audit log for the system where the change occurred, then match its actor, action, time, target resource, and identity context to the change. Some systems can distinguish an AI agent that executed an event from the person who initiated it; those are separate roles, and the records may not establish every decision or later edit.
1. Define the change before searching
Write down the affected repository or resource, the approximate time window, and what changed or what operation you are investigating. Start broad enough to find relevant events; narrowing to a suspected person or agent too soon can exclude the event you need.
2. Search the system’s authoritative audit log
GitHub organization audit logs
For a GitHub organization, use the audit-log filters for actor, operation, action, repository, and creation time. For example, the documented search syntax includes operation:modify and actor:Copilot; repository searches should use the full organization/repository name. See GitHub’s organization audit-log search guidance.
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Record the query and the time range you searched. A result is useful only if you can connect it to the actual target and operation, rather than relying on an actor name alone.
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3. Separate the agent from the person who initiated its action
For GitHub agentic audit events, check the documented fields actor_is_agent, agent_session_id, and user. GitHub says actor_is_agent is true for agentic audit events; agent_session_id, when present, links the event to the session that generated it; and user identifies the person who initiated the event. These fields can therefore distinguish the executing agent from the human initiator. They do not, by themselves, prove every step in the agent’s decision process or rule out later human edits. The feature is documented for Enterprise owners; GitHub also notes a public-preview limitation for streamed Copilot API usage records. Consult GitHub’s agent audit-event documentation for current availability and field definitions.
4. Correlate the event with the observed change
Check several details together before attributing a change:
- Target: repository, resource, or other affected object.
- Operation: action or method recorded by the system.
- Timing: event timestamp compared with the change window.
- Identity: actor or principal, and any separate initiating user.
- Context: authentication, authorization, request, or response details where the platform records them.
Fields vary by platform. For example, Google Cloud’s audit-log guidance describes records that can include principalEmail, serviceName, methodName, authorization information, request and response fields, resource identity, and a timestamp. Use Google Cloud’s audit-log field guide to interpret Google Cloud records; do not assume its schema applies to GitHub or another service.
GitHub’s organization audit documentation also describes fields such as actor identity, affected user, repository, action, time, SAML/SCIM identity, authentication method for non-UI actions, and optional source IP, depending on the event. Use the platform’s documentation to interpret the specific record rather than treating every field as universally available.
5. Preserve records so the finding can be checked
Save the relevant raw event and enough context for someone else to reproduce your search. Keep:
- the system, account, or organization searched;
- the exact filters and time range;
- the original exported record and event identifier, where available;
- the associated agent session ID, if one is recorded; and
- the export or retrieval date and the source used.
GitHub documents JSON and CSV exports and recommends streaming audit logs to a SIEM or data-management system when longer-term history or alerting is needed. Consult GitHub’s Copilot audit-log guidance and its Enterprise Cloud audit-log documentation for the available routes and limitations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.6. Treat missing events as an evidence gap
No matching result is not proof that no action occurred. Coverage and retention can differ between a web interface, exports, API access, and streaming. GitHub’s Enterprise Cloud documentation notes that browser- or API-initiated Git changes may be absent from certain Git-event exports or API results. GitHub’s documented retention windows are also route- and event-specific: its cited organization and Copilot audit guidance describes a 180-day web-event/audit-log window, while the cited Enterprise Cloud guidance says Git events have a shorter retention period in the described access routes. GitHub’s agent-event page says Enterprise owners can filter agentic activity over the last 180 days. These are GitHub product limits stated in its 2026 documentation, not general retention rules for other platforms. Check the documentation for the exact event type and access route before drawing a conclusion.
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