Former President Barack Obama voluntarily disclosed more than 6 million records during his presidency.
Critics say the logs allow for monitoring of individuals or groups who may be trying to influence policy.
White House Communications Director Michael Dubke said the administration is following a 2013 federal court ruling that found most of the logs are considered presidential records and are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
He argued Mr Trump has taken steps to improve ethics such as imposing new restrictions on lobbying and opening to the White House news briefing room to outlets that previously did not have access.
Senior White House officials also contend Mr Trump's new policy mirrors what previous administrations have done before Mr Obama.
The Obama administration began releasing visitor records in September 2009 in response to legal challenges.
The policy had some exceptions, which included private visits to the Obama family and those in attendance for "sensitive meetings", such as potential Supreme Court nominees.
But the records were not made available immediately and sometimes took months before they appeared online.
White House lawyers also redacted names for national security concerns and other reasons before the logs were made public.
In 2012, Mr Trump criticised Mr Obama for concealing names.
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