How you can utilize the Send Logging feature within the Salesforce Marketing Cloud.

What Is a Send Log?

    Send Logging gives you access to data not available via standard tracking functions in the SFMC. It also allows you to log subscriber specific attributes along with the run-time tracking data into a data extension. You can then use this data extension in queries, filters and extracts. Custom queries combined with the Send Logging feature within SFMC supports the highest level of tracking information.

Prerequisites

To utilize send logging your account needs to have two important features activated:

• DataExtensions
• SendLogging

Note: If they are not enabled contact your account executive to enable this feature for your account.

 Additionally, if you have an Enterprise 2.0 account, determine if you want to have the send log in the enterprise account or in the individual child accounts.

Enterprise “Parent” Send Log		Business Unit “Child” Send Log
Pros	Good for reporting on emails across business units.	Good for reporting on business unit specific campaigns.
Cons	Can get very large, quickly, therefore it is important to establish a data retention policy.	Doesn’t show a big picture across lines of business.

To use Send Log

1. Create a data extension using the send logging template (Each account can use one template and data extension for email messages and one template and data extension for SMS messages)
2. Each data extension includes required fields with values use to identify the send, subscriber, and other information. To keep additional information in the send logging data extension, create a column in the data extension to contain it
3. The names of the columns in the send logging data extension must exactly match the names of the attributes or the fields in the sendable data extensions to log any values

Default columns

The values automatically logged to your data extension are:

• JobID
• ListID
• BatchID
• SubID
• TriggeredSendID
• ErrorCode

Adding additional columns

You can add additional data by adding a column using exactly the name the variables have in Marketing Cloud internally. If done correctly, the columns are populated with values automatically. Popular examples for these variables are the SubscriberKey and the EmailAddress.Additionally add a date-column using the default value GETDATE() which will help you further for time based reporting.

Note: Make sure you set all your additional columns to be nullable, so there is no possibility for an error to occur if the value isn’t available. 

Setting up Send Logging in SFMC

1. Click the Subscribers tab.
2. Click Data Extensions. 
3. Click the Create From Template button.
   
4. Select the checkbox next to the SendLog template.
   
5. Click the Select button at the top of the screen.
6. Enter the name, external key and description you wish to assign to this data extension.
7. Leave the checkbox next to Used for Sending unchecked. 
8. Select the Use Data Retention feature if desired. 
   (Therefore ask yourself the following question: How long do I really need to utilize the data for every single email message sent? Reasonable settings vary depending on what you like to do with the data. Do you just want to check failed sends or do you want to get more out of your data? ).
9. Create additional fields for list attributes or data extension fields you would like to record in the Send Logging data extension.
   
10. Click Save to save the data extension.

Prepare Your Messages for Logging

To make the most of your send log, it’s important to ensure your sendable data extensions use the exact same names as the columns in the send log data extension. It can be helpful to create a template that is used for all sends that need to be tracked using the send log. 
Additionally, make sure your emails are enabled for send logging. It’s as easy as checking a box (seriously). Every send, whether from Content Builder, a User-Initiated Send, or a Triggered Email Send interaction, needs to have the checkbox selected for Retain Send Log Data.

Send Logging Best Practices and Tips

The values automatically logged to your data extension are:

• Use data retention to limit the amount of data stored. Limit data storage to 10 days.
• Add 10 or fewer custom fields to the send log.
• Minimize the size of the fields used in a send log to the size required for the expected data.
• Limit the number of activities concurrently using a data extension. For example, schedule a query activity or report that is reading from the Send Log to run at a different than a send that uses the Send Log.
• Dates added are in UTC-6

Now that data is flowing into the send log, you can do lots of cool things with this information, including running a query activity within the send log data extension.

Source: Send Logging in Email Studio

Stay tune for upcoming blog on more exciting functionalities of Salesforce Marketing Cloud.......