How to set the SBT logging level

By Alvin Alexander. Last updated: April 17, 2020

This is an excerpt from the Scala Cookbook (partially modified for the internet). This is Recipe 18.13, “Setting the SBT Log Level.”

Problem

You’re having a problem compiling, running, or packaging your project with SBT, and need to adjust the SBT logging level to debug the problem. (Or, you’re interested in learning about how SBT works.)

Solution

Set the SBT logging level in your build.sbt file with this setting:

logLevel := Level.Debug

Or, if you’re working interactively from the SBT command line and don’t want to add this to your build.sbt file, use this syntax:

> set logLevel := Level.Debug

Changing the logging levels significantly changes the output SBT produces, which can help you debug problems. If you’re just starting out with SBT, the output can also help you learn how SBT works.

All of the SBT log levels are: