diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index ac20780..ba06ef8 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
-# Path to the local folder to back up
+# (Required) Absolute path to the local folder to back up
 SOURCE_FOLDER=""
-# Name of the remote bucket (destination)
+# (Required) Name of the remote bucket or container
 TARGET_BUCKET=""
 
-# Cloud provider (gcs, s3, azure)
+# (Required) Cloud provider (gcs, s3, azure)
 SERVICE_NAME=""
-# Cloud provider access string or path to key file
-SERVICE_KEY=""
\ No newline at end of file
+# (Required) Cloud provider access string or path to key file
+SERVICE_KEY=""
+
+# -----------------------------------------------------------
+
+# (Optional) Path to log file and level
+LOG_FILE=""
+LOG_LEVEL="WARNING"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/__init__.py b/src/__init__.py
index efa8b99..1975223 100644
--- a/src/__init__.py
+++ b/src/__init__.py
@@ -1,9 +1,24 @@
+import os
 from dotenv import load_dotenv
+
 from .db import Database, dbname
 from .fs import FileSystem, file_exists
 from .backup import Backup
 
+# Required environment variables
+required_vars = (
+	"SOURCE_FOLDER",
+	"TARGET_BUCKET",
+	"SERVICE_NAME",
+	"SERVICE_KEY",
+	"LOG_LEVEL"
+)
+
 if not file_exists(".env"):
 	raise FileNotFoundError("Environment variable file does not exist. Copy '.env.example' to '.env'")
 
-load_dotenv()
\ No newline at end of file
+load_dotenv()
+
+# Check that required environment variables are set
+if not all(map(lambda var: os.getenv(var), required_vars)):
+	raise SystemExit("One or more required environment variables in '.env' have not been set")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/backup.py b/src/backup.py
index 9b9848c..a071603 100644
--- a/src/backup.py
+++ b/src/backup.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+import os
+import logging
+from logging.handlers import RotatingFileHandler
 from typing import Union
 
 from .cloud import Storage as StorageClient
@@ -7,6 +10,7 @@ from . import dbname
 class Backup(FileSystem):
     def __init__(self):
         super().__init__()
+        self.enable_logging()
 
         self.has_change = False
 
@@ -15,6 +19,37 @@ class Backup(FileSystem):
 
         self.compress = self.db.get_flag("COMPRESS")
 
+    # Configure logging
+    def enable_logging(self):
+        self.log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+        self.log.debug("Start console logging")
+        log_format = logging.Formatter("[%(asctime)s][%(levelname)s]: %(name)s: %(message)s")
+
+        # Log to console
+        log_console = logging.StreamHandler()
+        log_console.setLevel(logging.INFO)
+        log_console.setFormatter(log_format)
+
+        self.log.addHandler(log_console)
+
+        # Log to file
+        log_file_path = os.getenv("LOG_FILE")
+        if log_file_path:
+            self.log.debug("Start file logging")
+            log_file = RotatingFileHandler(
+                log_file_path,
+                mode        = "a",
+                maxBytes    = 50 * 1024 * 1024,
+                backupCount = 5,
+                encoding    = None,
+                delay       = False
+            )
+
+            log_file.setLevel(os.getenv("LOG_LEVEL"))
+            log_file.setFormatter(log_format)
+
+            self.log.addHandler(log_file)
+
     # Backup a file or folder
     def backup_item(self, item: Union[list, str], silent: bool = True) -> bool:
         if isinstance(item, str):
@@ -32,31 +67,35 @@ class Backup(FileSystem):
 
         self.has_change = True
 
-        print(f"⧖ | Uploading: '{item[0]}'", end="\r")
+        self.log.info(f"'{item[0]}': Uploading")
+        print(f"⏳ | Uploading: '{item[0]}'", end="\r")
 
         blob = item
         # Upload as zip archive
         if self.compress:
+            self.log.debug(f"'{item[0]}': Compressing")
             blob = FileSystem.zip(blob)
 
         # Upload to cloud
         if self.cloud.upload(blob):
-            print(f"✓ | Upload sucessful: '{item[0]}'")
+            self.log.debug(f"'{item[0]}': Uploaded")
+            print(f"✅ | Upload successful: '{item[0]}'")
             # Update local database
             if not self.db.set_item(item):
-                print("🛈 | Failed to update database")
+                self.log.warn(f"'{item[0]}': Failed to update database")
+                print("⚠️ | Failed to update database")
         else:
-            print(f"✕ | Upload failed: '{item[0]}'")
-            if self.cloud.error:
-                print("🛈 | " + str(self.cloud.error))
-
+            self.log.error(f"'{item[0]}': {self.cloud.error}")
+            print(f"❌ | Upload failed: '{item[0]}'")
 
         # Remove temp zip
         if self.compress:
             FileSystem.delete(blob)
 
+        # Deprecated: Run when a single item is backed up directly
         if not silent and not self.has_change:
-            print("✓ | Up to date. No changes found")
+            self.log.info("No changes found")
+            print("✅ | Up to date. No changes found")
         
         return
 
@@ -67,4 +106,5 @@ class Backup(FileSystem):
             self.backup_item(item)
         
         if not self.has_change:
-            print("✓ | Up to date. No changes found")
\ No newline at end of file
+            self.log.info("No changes found")
+            print("✅ | Up to date. No changes found")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/cloud/azure.py b/src/cloud/azure.py
index cc939fe..6614297 100644
--- a/src/cloud/azure.py
+++ b/src/cloud/azure.py
@@ -27,5 +27,5 @@ class StorageClient:
 			return True
 		except Exception as e:
 			if e.response.status_code == 403:
-				self.error = "Account lacks 'storage.objects.create' permissions on this bucket "
+				self.error = "Azure: Access key invalid or lacking required permissions"
 			return False
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/cloud/gcs.py b/src/cloud/gcs.py
index 1a98023..1f3e03c 100644
--- a/src/cloud/gcs.py
+++ b/src/cloud/gcs.py
@@ -35,5 +35,5 @@ class StorageClient:
             return True
         except Exception as e:
             if e.response.status_code == 403:
-                self.error = "Account lacks 'storage.objects.create' permissions on this bucket "
+                self.error = "GCS: Forbidden: Account lacks 'storage.objects.create' role on target bucket"
             return False
\ No newline at end of file