Overview
This article provides information about the Access Logs page and how to view and analyze your website's access log data.
Background
This page provides detailed records of website visits, including timestamps, status codes, IP addresses, accessed pages, and server requests. This information helps you to monitor traffic, enhance security, and troubleshoot server performance.
All results in the Logs section of your DreamHost panel are presented in Pacific Standard Time (PST).
Viewing the Access Logs page
To view your site's access logs:
- Navigate to the Manage Websites page.
- Click the Manage button to open the Domain Settings page, which allows you to adjust various settings for your site.
- Click the Logs tab.
- Click the Access Logs tab at the top of the page.
Analyzing the Access Logs data
This section explains how to analyze the data in the panel.
Access log graph
The graph displays access log frequency over time. The lines can be filtered by 'severity', as described below. This helps to quickly identify patterns and investigate periods of increased activity.
Log data
Logs are organized in columns showing Timestamp, Status Code, IP Address, Path, Referrer, and User Agent.
The panel view displays the first 200 results for each search. You can view the complete access log data by logging into your server via SFTP or SSH.
Filter logs by Date and Time
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Use the calendar option located at the top right of the graph to filter logs by date and time.
The system retains logs for up to 7 days. Grayed-out dates in the calendar indicate they are unavailable as they fall outside of this time range.
Filter logs by Status Code
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Click the Status Codes dropdown at the top of the graph to filter logs by status codes.
Selecting a status code automatically filters the results within a specified range. For example, selecting status code 400 displays all related results, including 401, 402, 403, and 404.
Understanding HTTP status codes
The following provides a brief explanation for each status code option.
| Status code | Description |
|---|---|
| HTTP 100 (Informational) | Indicates that the server has received the headers and the client can continue sending the request body. This is commonly used for large requests or header validation. |
| HTTP 200 (Success) | Indicates the request was processed successfully and the server has returned the requested data. |
| HTTP 300 (Redirection) | Tells the client to take additional action, usually by sending a new request to a different URL provided in the response. |
| HTTP 400 (Client Error) | Occurs when the server is unable to process a request due to client-side issues, such as invalid syntax, incorrect parameters, or an unmatched hostname. |
| HTTP 500 (Server Error) | Occurs when the server encounters an unexpected issue and cannot complete the request. It is a generic error often caused by misconfigurations, faulty scripts, resource limits, or database issues. |
Troubleshooting HTTP Errors
This section provides basic information about common errors that can occur.
400 errors
400 errors generally occur client-side and can be resolved by checking the following:
- Verify the URL: Ensure that the URL is correct and properly formatted.
- Clear cookies and cache: Clear your browser cache as cached data or cookies may cause conflicts.
- Try a different browser: Access the website using a different browser to determine if the problem is browser-specific.
- Check file size: Ensure any uploaded files do not exceed the website's upload limit.
500 errors
500 errors generally occur server-side. Some common causes are:
| Error | Description |
|---|---|
| Server Configuration Issues | Problems with server settings, such as .htaccess errors or permission issues. |
| Script Errors | Bugs or unhandled exceptions in server-side code (e.g., PHP, Python, Node.js). |
| Database Issues | Connection failures, corrupted databases, or incorrect queries. |
| Insufficient Permissions | Server files or directories may have incorrect permissions. |
| Resource Limits Reached | Server memory, CPU, or disk space may be exhausted. |
| Plugin or Module Failures | Incompatible or faulty plugins (especially in CMSs like WordPress). |
| Corrupted Files | Essential files for running the server or application might be damaged. |
| Timeouts | The server took too long to process a request, causing it to fail. |
Contact support
If the issue persists after troubleshooting, please contact support via the Contact Support page for further assistance.