Raw access logs are text files that record every visitor request to your website, including IP addresses, timestamps, requested URLs, and HTTP response codes. You can download these logs as a compressed .zip file from your hosting control panel, and configure automatic archiving to keep historical records for analysis or troubleshooting.
What Are Raw Access Logs?
Raw access logs provide detailed information about everyone who visits your website and what content they access. Each line in the log represents a single request to your server, showing the visitor's IP address, the date and time of the request, the page or file they accessed, their browser type, and the HTTP status code returned by the server. These logs are essential for tracking website traffic, identifying security issues, debugging errors, and analyzing visitor behavior beyond what standard analytics tools provide.
How to Configure Log Archiving
You can configure your control panel to automatically save and manage your access logs. This feature helps preserve historical data while preventing logs from consuming excessive disk space.
To enable automatic log archiving:
- Navigate to the Raw Access section in your control panel
- Select the checkbox labeled Archive log files in your home directory after the system processes statistics
- This moves log files to your /home directory after statistics processing completes (typically every 24 hours)
- To automatically clean up old logs, select Remove the previous month's archived logs from your home directory at the end of the month
- Click Save to store your configuration changes
The frequency of statistics processing depends on your server configuration. Your hosting provider may adjust this schedule or manually trigger statistics runs as needed.
Downloading Current Raw Access Logs
The download section displays all domains on your hosting account along with their corresponding log information. Each domain listing shows four key details:
- Domain: The domain name with a clickable link to download its raw access log as a .zip file
- Last Update: The date and time when the log file was most recently updated
- Disk Usage: The amount of storage space the log files currently consume
- Linked Domains: Any parked domains that share the same log file
To download a current access log, simply click the domain name link. Your browser will download a compressed .zip file containing the log data. Extract this file to view the raw log entries in any text editor.
Accessing Archived Raw Logs
If you enabled log archiving, the Archived Raw Logs section displays previously saved log files stored in your /home directory. The system creates new archives at the end of each month during the log rotation process.
You can download archived logs by clicking the filename in the control panel. Alternatively, access archived logs directly through the command line by navigating to your /home/username/access-logs directory and opening files with your preferred text editor.
If you recently enabled archiving or if this is a new account, the archived logs section may appear empty until the first monthly rotation completes.
Understanding Log File Contents
Raw access logs use a standardized format that includes several fields for each visitor request. A typical log entry contains the visitor's IP address, timestamp, HTTP request method (GET, POST, etc.), requested URL path, HTTP protocol version, status code, bytes transferred, referrer URL, and user agent string (browser and operating system information).
This detailed information helps you identify traffic patterns, detect suspicious activity, troubleshoot website errors, and analyze which pages receive the most visits. Many website analysis tools can import and process these raw log files to generate comprehensive traffic reports.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often are raw access logs updated?
Raw access logs update in real-time as visitors access your website. However, the system processes and archives these logs according to a set schedule, typically every 24 hours. The exact timing depends on your server configuration and may vary based on your hosting plan.
How much disk space do raw access logs use?
Log file size varies significantly based on your website traffic volume. High-traffic websites generate larger log files that can consume substantial disk space over time. The Disk Usage column in your control panel shows the current size of each domain's logs. Enabling automatic monthly deletion of old archived logs helps prevent excessive storage consumption.
Can I analyze raw access logs without downloading them?
Yes, if you have command-line access to your hosting account, you can view and analyze raw access logs directly on the server. Navigate to your /home/username/access-logs directory and use text processing tools like grep, awk, or sed to search and analyze log data without downloading files to your local computer.
What is the difference between raw access logs and visitor statistics?
Raw access logs contain every single request made to your server in its original unprocessed format, including requests from bots, crawlers, and failed page loads. Visitor statistics tools process these raw logs to filter out bot traffic, group related requests into visits, and present the data in a more user-friendly format with graphs and summaries. Raw logs provide complete granular data, while statistics offer easier interpretation.
If you need assistance accessing or interpreting your raw access logs, our support team is available 24/7 to help. Visit our contact page or email support@obhost.org for technical support.
