sim/apps/docs/content/docs/execution/advanced.mdx

---
title: Logging and Cost Calculation
description: Understanding workflow logs and how execution costs are calculated in Sim
---

import { Accordion, Accordions } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/accordion'
import { Callout } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/callout'
import { Tab, Tabs } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/tabs'
import { ThemeImage } from '@/components/ui/theme-image'

Sim provides comprehensive logging for workflow executions and automatic cost calculation for AI model usage.

## Logging System

Sim offers two complementary logging interfaces:

### Real-Time Console (Manual Executions)

During manual workflow execution, logs appear in real-time in the Console panel on the right side of the workflow editor:

<ThemeImage
  lightSrc="/static/light/console-panel-light.png"
  darkSrc="/static/dark/console-panel-dark.png"
  alt="Real-time Console Panel"
  width={600}
  height={400}
/>

The console shows:
- Block execution progress with active block highlighting
- Real-time outputs as blocks complete
- Execution timing for each block
- Success/error status indicators

### Logs Page (All Executions)

All workflow executions—whether triggered manually, via API, Chat, Schedule, or Webhook—are logged to the dedicated Logs page:

<ThemeImage
  lightSrc="/static/light/logs-page-light.png"
  darkSrc="/static/dark/logs-page-dark.png"
  alt="Logs Page"
  width={600}
  height={400}
/>

The Logs page provides:
- Comprehensive filtering by time range, status, trigger type, folder, and workflow
- Search functionality across all logs
- Live mode for real-time updates
- 7-day log retention (upgradeable for longer retention)

## Log Details Sidebar

Clicking on any log entry opens a detailed sidebar view:

<ThemeImage
  lightSrc="/static/light/logs-sidebar-light.png"
  darkSrc="/static/dark/logs-sidebar-dark.png"
  alt="Logs Sidebar Details"
  width={600}
  height={400}
/>

### Block Input/Output

View the complete data flow for each block with tabs to switch between:

<Tabs items={['Output', 'Input']}>
  <Tab>
    **Output Tab** shows the block's execution result:
    - Structured data with JSON formatting
    - Markdown rendering for AI-generated content
    - Copy button for easy data extraction
  </Tab>
  
  <Tab>
    **Input Tab** displays what was passed to the block:
    - Resolved variable values
    - Referenced outputs from other blocks
    - Environment variables used
    - API keys are automatically redacted for security
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Execution Timeline

For workflow-level logs, view detailed execution metrics:
- Start and end timestamps
- Total workflow duration
- Individual block execution times
- Performance bottleneck identification

### Model Breakdown

For workflows using AI blocks, expand the Model Breakdown section to see:

<ThemeImage
  lightSrc="/static/light/model-breakdown-light.png"
  darkSrc="/static/dark/model-breakdown-dark.png"
  alt="Model Breakdown"
  width={600}
  height={400}
/>

- **Token Usage**: Input and output token counts for each model
- **Cost Breakdown**: Individual costs per model and operation
- **Model Distribution**: Which models were used and how many times
- **Total Cost**: Aggregate cost for the entire workflow execution

### Workflow Snapshot

For any logged execution, click "View Snapshot" to see the exact workflow state at execution time:

<ThemeImage
  lightSrc="/static/light/workflow-snapshot-light.png"
  darkSrc="/static/dark/workflow-snapshot-dark.png"
  alt="Workflow Snapshot"
  width={600}
  height={400}
/>

The snapshot provides:
- Frozen canvas showing the workflow structure
- Block states and connections as they were during execution
- Click any block to see its inputs and outputs
- Useful for debugging workflows that have since been modified

<Callout type="info">
  Workflow snapshots are only available for executions after the enhanced logging system was introduced. Older migrated logs show a "Logged State Not Found" message.
</Callout>

## Cost Calculation

Sim automatically calculates costs for all AI model usage:

### How Costs Are Calculated

Every workflow execution includes two cost components:

**Base Execution Charge**: $0.001 per execution

**AI Model Usage**: Variable cost based on token consumption
```javascript
modelCost = (inputTokens × inputPrice + outputTokens × outputPrice) / 1,000,000
totalCost = baseExecutionCharge + modelCost
```

<Callout type="info">
  AI model prices are per million tokens. The calculation divides by 1,000,000 to get the actual cost. Workflows without AI blocks only incur the base execution charge.
</Callout>

### Pricing Options

<Tabs items={['Hosted Models', 'Bring Your Own API Key']}>
  <Tab>
    **Hosted Models** - Sim provides API keys with a 2.5x pricing multiplier:
    
    | Model | Base Price (Input/Output) | Hosted Price (Input/Output) |
    |-------|---------------------------|----------------------------|
    | GPT-4o | $2.50 / $10.00 | $6.25 / $25.00 |
    | GPT-4.1 | $2.00 / $8.00 | $5.00 / $20.00 |
    | o1 | $15.00 / $60.00 | $37.50 / $150.00 |
    | o3 | $2.00 / $8.00 | $5.00 / $20.00 |
    | Claude 3.5 Sonnet | $3.00 / $15.00 | $7.50 / $37.50 |
    | Claude Opus 4.0 | $15.00 / $75.00 | $37.50 / $187.50 |
    
    *The 2.5x multiplier covers infrastructure and API management costs.*
  </Tab>
  
  <Tab>
    **Your Own API Keys** - Use any model at base pricing:
    
    | Provider | Models | Input / Output |
    |----------|---------|----------------|
    | Google | Gemini 2.5 | $0.15 / $0.60 |
    | Deepseek | V3, R1 | $0.75 / $1.00 |
    | xAI | Grok 4, Grok 3 | $5.00 / $25.00 |
    | Groq | Llama 4 Scout | $0.40 / $0.60 |
    | Cerebras | Llama 3.3 70B | $0.94 / $0.94 |
    | Ollama | Local models | Free |
    
    *Pay providers directly with no markup*
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Callout type="warning">
  Pricing shown reflects rates as of July 14, 2025. Check provider documentation for current pricing.
</Callout>

### Cost Optimization

<Accordions>
  <Accordion title="Model Selection">
    Choose models based on task complexity. Simple tasks can use GPT-4.1-nano ($0.10/$0.40) while complex reasoning might need o1 or Claude Opus.
  </Accordion>
  
  <Accordion title="Prompt Engineering">
    Well-structured, concise prompts reduce token usage without sacrificing quality.
  </Accordion>
  
  <Accordion title="Local Models">
    Use Ollama for non-critical tasks to eliminate API costs entirely.
  </Accordion>
</Accordions>

## Usage Monitoring

Monitor your usage and billing in Settings → Subscription:

- **Current Usage**: Real-time usage and costs for the current period
- **Usage Limits**: Plan limits with visual progress indicators
- **Billing Details**: Projected charges and minimum commitments
- **Plan Management**: Upgrade options and billing history