What you’ll see
A reverse-chronological list of error events. Each row carries:- A timestamp in server time.
- The domain or vhost where the error fired.
- The level:
[error],[warn],[notice]. - The message itself, often with file path and line number.
| Pattern | Usually means |
|---|---|
PHP Fatal error: Uncaught ... in /home/user/public_html/... | Your code crashed. The line number points at the exact spot. |
File does not exist: /home/user/public_html/wp-content/uploads/... | A 404 on a missing image or asset. Loud but rarely fatal. |
client denied by server configuration | An .htaccess rule blocked the request. Useful when debugging WAF rules. |
Premature end of script headers | A CGI/PHP script crashed before sending a response. The next entry in the log usually has the actual error. |
Permission denied: ... .htaccess pcfg_openfile | The webserver can’t read an .htaccess. Almost always a chmod problem. |
What it’s good for
- Reproducing a 500. Trigger the page, refresh the error log, the new line at the top is your error.
- Catching warnings WordPress is hiding. Many themes display a clean page on the front end while quietly logging deprecation notices.
- Sanity-checking after a deploy. Push, hit the site, check the log. If new errors appear, roll back.
What it’s not
- Not the access log. Successful requests don’t appear here. For traffic, use Visitors.
- Not the mail log. SMTP failures live in Track Delivery.
- Not exhaustive. Past the 300th line, older errors fall off. For longer history, configure log archiving in Raw Access or open a ticket.
Common issues
The error log is empty but the site shows 500
The error log is empty but the site shows 500
Check that
display_errors and log_errors are both on in PHP. If a custom error_log path is set in your .htaccess or .user.ini, errors are going there instead. Also check for a wp-content/debug.log if you’re on WordPress with WP_DEBUG_LOG = true.I see thousands of 'File does not exist' lines for /favicon.ico
I see thousands of 'File does not exist' lines for /favicon.ico
Browsers automatically request
/favicon.ico on every page. Add a 1×1 transparent PNG at that path or set a 404-pass rule in .htaccess. The errors are noise but they crowd out the ones you care about.Errors mention a path I don't recognise (mod_security)
Errors mention a path I don't recognise (mod_security)
Our ModSecurity WAF logs blocked requests here. If a legitimate request is being denied, the message includes a rule ID. Quote that ID to support and we can whitelist it.