diff --git a/tests/test_import_flow.py b/tests/test_import_flow.py
index 68e4f4f..7828337 100644
--- a/tests/test_import_flow.py
+++ b/tests/test_import_flow.py
@@ -1185,3 +1185,38 @@ def test_version_endpoint_reports_a_build_stamp(client):
     assert data["version"]
     # "2026-09-01 15:43" - the newest source file, so a stale deploy stands out
     assert len(data["built_at"]) == 16 and data["built_at"][4] == "-"
+
+
+def test_history_records_what_happened_to_a_request(client):
+    root = client.tmp_path / "library" / "hist"
+    lib_id = client.post("/api/libraries", json={
+        "name": "hist", "media_type": "ebook", "root_path": str(root),
+        "folder_template": "{Title}", "file_template": "{Title}",
+    }).json()["id"]
+    req_id = client.post("/api/requests", json={
+        "library_id": lib_id, "title": "Momo"}).json()["id"]
+
+    gone = client.downloads / "gone.epub"
+    res = client.post("/api/import", json={"items": [{
+        "path": str(gone), "is_dir": False, "files": [str(gone)], "request_id": req_id,
+    }]}).json()["results"][0]
+    assert not res["ok"]
+
+    src = client.downloads / "Momo.epub"
+    src.write_bytes(b"x")
+    dest = client.post("/api/import", json={"items": [{
+        "path": str(src), "is_dir": False, "files": [str(src)], "request_id": req_id,
+    }]}).json()["results"][0]["dest"]
+    client.put(f"/api/requests/{req_id}", json={"library_id": lib_id, "title": "Momo 2"})
+    assert client.post(f"/api/requests/{req_id}/relocate").json()["moved"]
+    # a relocate that moves nothing is not worth a row
+    client.post(f"/api/requests/{req_id}/relocate")
+    client.delete(f"/api/requests/{req_id}")
+
+    rows = client.get("/api/history").json()
+    assert [r["event"] for r in rows] == ["deleted", "relocated", "imported", "failed"]
+    assert all(r["request_id"] == req_id for r in rows)
+    assert rows[0]["title"] == "Momo 2"  # survives the deleted request
+    assert rows[2]["dest"] == dest
+    assert rows[3]["message"]
+    assert rows[0]["at"].endswith("+00:00")
diff --git a/wordarr/api/history.py b/wordarr/api/history.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6c83085
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wordarr/api/history.py
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import datetime
+
+from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends
+from pydantic import BaseModel, ConfigDict, field_serializer
+from sqlalchemy import select
+from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
+
+from ..db import History, get_session
+
+router = APIRouter(prefix="/api/history", tags=["history"])
+
+
+class HistoryOut(BaseModel):
+    model_config = ConfigDict(from_attributes=True)
+
+    id: int
+    at: datetime.datetime
+    event: str
+    request_id: int | None
+    title: str
+    media_type: str
+    source: str
+    dest: str
+    message: str
+
+    # SQLite drops the zone, and a bare timestamp reads as local time in JS
+    @field_serializer("at")
+    def _utc(self, at: datetime.datetime) -> str:
+        return at.replace(tzinfo=datetime.UTC).isoformat()
+
+
+@router.get("", response_model=list[HistoryOut])
+def list_history(limit: int = 200, session: Session = Depends(get_session)):
+    """Newest first."""
+    stmt = select(History).order_by(History.id.desc()).limit(min(limit, 1000))
+    return session.scalars(stmt).all()
diff --git a/wordarr/api/imports.py b/wordarr/api/imports.py
index 44e24f1..b6bea36 100644
--- a/wordarr/api/imports.py
+++ b/wordarr/api/imports.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from sqlalchemy import select
 from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
 
 from .. import config
-from ..db import BookRequest, get_session
+from ..db import BookRequest, get_session, record
 from ..fsnames import decode_path, readable
 from ..importer import matcher, mover, scanner
 
@@ -91,9 +91,12 @@ def do_import(data: ImportIn, session: Session = Depends(get_session)):
             try:
                 dest = mover.append_to_import(item.files, req, req.library)
             except Exception as exc:
+                record(session, "failed", req, source=shown, message=str(exc))
+                session.commit()
                 results.append({"path": shown, "ok": False, "error": str(exc)})
                 continue
             req.imported_path = dest
+            record(session, "appended", req, source=shown, dest=dest)
             session.commit()
             results.append({"path": shown, "ok": True, "dest": dest, "appended": True})
             continue
@@ -111,10 +114,13 @@ def do_import(data: ImportIn, session: Session = Depends(get_session)):
             dest = mover.import_item(item.path, item.files, item.is_dir, req, req.library)
         except Exception as exc:
             session.rollback()  # the next commit must not keep the folder's series
+            record(session, "failed", req, source=shown, message=str(exc))
+            session.commit()
             results.append({"path": shown, "ok": False, "error": str(exc)})
             continue
         req.status = "imported"
         req.imported_path = dest
+        record(session, "imported", req, source=shown, dest=dest)
         session.commit()
         results.append({"path": shown, "ok": True, "dest": dest})
     if not results:
diff --git a/wordarr/api/requests.py b/wordarr/api/requests.py
index 49e8b9e..73f3eb9 100644
--- a/wordarr/api/requests.py
+++ b/wordarr/api/requests.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from sqlalchemy import select
 from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
 
 from .. import config
-from ..db import BookRequest, Library, get_session
+from ..db import BookRequest, Library, get_session, record
 from ..importer import mover, tagger
 
 router = APIRouter(prefix="/api/requests", tags=["requests"])
@@ -213,9 +213,13 @@ def retag_request(request_id: int, session: Session = Depends(get_session)):
             raise HTTPException(404, f"no audio files in {path}")
         for i, f in enumerate(files, 1):
             tagger.tag_audio(f, req, track=i, total=len(files))
+        record(session, "retagged", req, dest=str(path))
+        session.commit()
         return {"ok": True, "files": len(files)}
     if path.is_file():
         tagger.tag_audio(path, req)
+        record(session, "retagged", req, dest=str(path))
+        session.commit()
         return {"ok": True, "files": 1}
     raise HTTPException(404, f"imported path no longer exists: {path}")
 
@@ -237,6 +241,8 @@ def relocate_request(request_id: int, session: Session = Depends(get_session)):
     except FileExistsError as exc:
         raise HTTPException(409, str(exc))
     req.imported_path = dest
+    if dest != old:
+        record(session, "relocated", req, source=old, dest=dest)
     session.commit()
     return {"ok": True, "moved": dest != old, "from": old, "dest": dest}
 
@@ -246,6 +252,7 @@ def delete_request(request_id: int, session: Session = Depends(get_session)):
     req = session.get(BookRequest, request_id)
     if not req:
         raise HTTPException(404, "request not found")
+    record(session, "deleted", req, source=req.imported_path)
     session.delete(req)
     session.commit()
     return {"ok": True}
diff --git a/wordarr/db.py b/wordarr/db.py
index 38bc2c9..b2dc9d9 100644
--- a/wordarr/db.py
+++ b/wordarr/db.py
@@ -48,6 +48,32 @@ class BookRequest(Base):
     library: Mapped[Library] = relationship(back_populates="requests")
 
 
+class History(Base):
+    """One row per thing done to a request. Title and type are copied, and
+    there is no foreign key, so an entry outlives a deleted request."""
+
+    __tablename__ = "history"
+
+    id: Mapped[int] = mapped_column(primary_key=True)
+    at: Mapped[datetime.datetime] = mapped_column(
+        default=lambda: datetime.datetime.now(datetime.UTC)
+    )
+    # imported | appended | relocated | retagged | deleted | failed
+    event: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String)
+    request_id: Mapped[int | None] = mapped_column(default=None)
+    title: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String)
+    media_type: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String)
+    source: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String, default="")
+    dest: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String, default="")
+    message: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String, default="")
+
+
+def record(session, event: str, req: BookRequest, **fields: str) -> None:
+    """Add a history row; it is saved with the caller's next commit."""
+    session.add(History(event=event, request_id=req.id, title=req.title,
+                        media_type=req.media_type, **fields))
+
+
 _engine = None
 SessionLocal = None
 
diff --git a/wordarr/main.py b/wordarr/main.py
index a1515d7..c9cd3c3 100644
--- a/wordarr/main.py
+++ b/wordarr/main.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from fastapi import FastAPI
 from fastapi.staticfiles import StaticFiles
 
 from . import db, version
-from .api import fs, imports, libraries, requests, search
+from .api import fs, history, imports, libraries, requests, search
 
 
 @asynccontextmanager
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ app.include_router(search.router)
 app.include_router(requests.router)
 app.include_router(imports.router)
 app.include_router(fs.router)
+app.include_router(history.router)
 
 
 @app.get("/api/version")