Systems, methods, and media for tracking configuration file changes are presented. Tracking configuration file changes include receiving a definition of a pattern used to identify a configuration file to be tracked. Horizontal discovery is performed using the pattern to discover the configuration file based at least in part on the pattern. If an entry in a configuration management database corresponds to a previously discovered configuration file has not been discovered during the horizontal discovery, the entry is deleted from the configuration management database. With discovered configuration files, the configuration management database is updated with the discovered configuration file as a configuration item. Using the configuration management database changes to the configuration file are tracked and displayed in a timeline and history of the discovered configuration file.