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Python › Logging

How does logger.exception() differ from logger.error(), and when should you use it?

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Answer

logger.exception(msg) is equivalent to logger.error(msg, exc_info=True) -- it automatically attaches the current exception's traceback to the log record. It should only be called from within an except block; calling it outside one logs 'NoneType: None' for the traceback since there's no active exception.
try:
    1 / 0
except ZeroDivisionError:
    logging.exception('Division failed')
    # Logs the error message AND the full traceback automatically
Real-world example A background job's except block calls logger.exception() so the full stack trace lands in the log file for later debugging, without manually calling traceback.format_exc().

Common follow-ups: What does exc_info=True actually capture?;How do you log a traceback without re-raising the exception?

Exception Handling;Debugging & Profiling
All 15 Logging questions