How to View Error Logs in cPanel

Error logs record PHP errors, server warnings, and other issues that occur on your website. They're an essential tool for diagnosing problems - if your site shows a blank page, a 500 error, or a plugin isn't working correctly, the error log is the first place to look.

Viewing Error Logs in cPanel

1. Log in to cPanel at yourdomain.com/cpanel.
2. Go to the Metrics section and click Errors.
3. You'll see the most recent errors logged for your account.

This view shows the last 300 error log entries by default, making it easy to spot recent issues.

Accessing Raw Log Files

For more detailed or historical logs, you can access the raw log files directly on the server. Using the File Manager or an FTP client, navigate to:

• /home/yourusername/logs/ - contains access and error logs for your domains
• Look for files like yourdomain.com.error.log

Understanding Log Entries

A typical PHP error entry looks like this:

[PHP Fatal error] Call to undefined function in /home/user/public_html/wp-content/plugins/example/file.php on line 42

This tells you the error type, the file where it occurred, and the line number - making it much easier to pinpoint the issue.

Tips for Using Error Logs

• Check the timestamp on errors to confirm they're related to the issue you're experiencing.
• Search for your domain name in the logs if you host multiple sites.
• Disable display_errors in PHP settings on live sites - log errors instead of showing them to visitors.

If you need help interpreting error logs on your dotCanada account, please contact our support team.