What are server log files?
Log files are simple text files that contain a record, or log, of every file that the webserver has served to a requesting user agent. Log files can tell you many things about your website but the information they provide is limited due to the nature of the http protocol.
Your log files can tell you:
- The total size of all files that have been served over a given time range
- Which files/pages are the most popular
- Which time of day the site is busiest
- Which sites that link to you provide the most referrals
- The keywords used on various search engines
- The type of browser your users are using
However, it is a common misconception that log files can be used to provide accurate reporting of much more than the basic movement of files between server and client. Many popular log analysis applications claim to be able to provide information about things that aren't possible using standard log files. The statistics many log reporting applications provide are based on assumptions.
Your log files can't tell you:
- How many visitors your site has had
- The paths users take through your site
- Which page they left from or where they went
- How long they spent on the site
There are numerous reasons why these facts are true but the basic principle lies in the limitations of the http protocol. For more reading on this subject visit Analog 5.32: How the web works
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