For a website owner, managing all your websites can be a daunting task, especially if you’re not familiar with the technicalities involved. However, it is a powerful tool that can help you manage your website and web hosting environment easily. cPanel includes many features including file manager,email management,log programs and more.one of these log programs is used to view your websites’ complete statistics.
In this article we’ll go over cPanel, its usage, features and viewing your website’s statistical report which is called Website’s log programs in cPanel available from different kinds of log programs such as Analog log program, AWstats log program and Webalizer log programs those can provide you with a quick general overview and statistics of the website traffic you’ve been receiving, this includes the amount of hits, file requests, page loads, and visits.
This blog is a part of our cPanel server management services where we make sure your cPanel server works efficiently with any issues.
Table of Contents
What is cPanel
cPanel is the most popular control panel among web developers and hosting service providers. It is paired with WHM (Web Host Manager). Each plays a separate role.WHM provides administrative control over the server and creates multiple accounts and manages more than one website.
“ cPanel is a Linux-based control panel which is used to manage your web hosting conveniently and operates similarly as desktop application.Using cPanel, anyone can perform actions from a user-friendly dashboard instead of running of complex commands”
Sections available in cPanel
cPanel organizes its various tools into these sections.
- Files: to manage your website’s files and disk space.
- Databases: to manage your databases.
- Domains: To manage your domains and DNS(Domain Name Server).
- Email: To manage email, email security, contacts, etc.
- Metrics: To view website’s data, such as number of visitors and usage of resources
- Security: To secure your site with the help of tools such as 2FA and SSL.
- Software: for managing PHP, web platforms and to install new third party applications.
- Advanced: To manage more complex tools for things like cron jobs, error pages, etc.
- Preferences: for cPanel management, such as user manager, passwords and interface personalisation.
- Softaculous App Installer: Softaculous app installer is a tool that is helpful for you to install hundreds of tools/apps directly from cPanel.
Important features of cPanel
1. Email
cPanel’s email tool manages your email from directly within the control panel. They enable you to add and remove email accounts, set up email forwarding, mailing lists and auto-responders, manage spam filters and global filters, encrypt emails, read and compose emails anywhere.
2. FTP Manager
The FTP manager in cPanel is used to manage FTP access to your server directories and files. FTP manager includes features such as set up FTP accounts, set up anonymous, FTP access, FTP session control and more.
3. File Manager
The File Manager helps to manage your files even easier than FTP manager. You can do it directly from an interface within cPanel. You don’t need to make an FTP connection, use an FTP program or create additional usernames and passwords.
3. Backup
Backups help you to recover lost data, corrupted files and hardware failure. cPanel has a built-in backup feature that helps you to create a backup of your website within a single click , download it, and store it from your server remotely.
4. Domains
cPanel provides you complete control over your domains. It enables you to manage your domains and DNS settings, add new domains and subdomains, publish domains once your website is completed, set up domain aliases and redirects.
5. Raw Log Manager
The Raw Log Manager helps you to choose “how raw logs are stored on your hosting account”.
6. Raw Access Log
cPanel gives you the function to download the raw access logs for any website in your account. This information is useful for tracking user movements.
7. Error Log
Error Log helps you get to the bottom of 404 errors. It helps you to discover which files are missing from your website and quickly replace them or remove broken links.
8. MySQL Databases
CMS(Content Management System) websites need a MySQL database and you may have multiple databases if you have more than one website domain. The MySQL Databases tool allows you to manage your databases, creating new ones, modifying existing ones and creating, managing and removing database users.
9. Two Factor Authentication (2FA)
The 2FA(Two Factor Authentication) tool increases the level of security. It is required for anyone trying to log into your cPanel account to use an additional method of verification, sent to the user’s phone. It adds an extra layer of security to your cPanel account. In addition to your username and password, you’ll need to verify that.
10. Softaculous
Softaculous allows you to install hundreds of useful apps and tools, quickly and easily, to improve your website’s functionality.
With the help of Softaculous from CMS, such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Magento, etc, popular eCommerce platforms, image galleries, social media tools, blogging tools, forums, ad managers, calendars, project management tools, customer support tools and many more all can be installed with one click.
Why do we use cPanel?
- cPanel is a control panel designed for web hosting easily.
- It is the most popular tool of its type globally and included on many of InMotion Hosting’s plans.
- cPanel allows you to use various tools by way of a Graphical User Interface (GUI). This makes account management much easier than working through a command-line interface.
cPanel Hosting
The cPanel dashboard provides various web files, MySQL, statistics, data tracking, and SEO features.When hosting providers manage a server with WHM and creates cPanel accounts for their users, this practice is known as cPanel hosting.
Pros of cPanel Hosting:
- cPanel has a user-friendly interface which comes with intuitive menus and graphics for smooth navigation.
- It is a highly compatible control panel which is compatible with several web browsers, including Google Chrome, Safari, and Mozilla Firefox.
- cPanel also supports many third-party applications such as site builders and SEO tools.
- No advanced technical knowledge is required to use cPanel. cPanel allows users to perform complicated tasks such as creating subdomains and FTP accounts, managing MySQL databases, and generating site backups.
- It is also well-integrated with the Automatic software installer “Softaculous Apps Installer”. It grants access to more than 400 applications and takes care of each application during its complete lifecycle from installation to updates.
- The cPanel forums and blogs, technical manuals for both cPanel and WHM are available to use and solve issues with cPanel products.
Cons of cPanel Hosting
- According to research, two-factor authentication (2FA) in cPanel is vulnerable to brute force attacks. To avoid this, always make sure that your cPanel version is up-to-date.
- cPanel has the highest license cost compared to other panels like this.
- Risk of data loss or corruption.
Log programs in cPanel
cPanel log programs combine comprehensive coverage of web server statistics for your website. By using cPanel log programs, you can capture your website’s activity, monitor your website, view usage statistics, and more.cPanel offers mainly three log programs in cPanel for viewing site statistics
- Analog
- AWStats
- Webalizer
Each of three cPanel log programs displays various statistics for your website in different ways. Which program you choose it’s just a matter of your personal preference.
Choosing log programs in cPanel
Before using cPanel log programs to view a website’s logs and statistics, make sure that the log programs in cPanel are enabled.When cPanel log programs are enabled for the first time, it takes approximately 48 hours for the server to complete initial log file processing. To enable a log program in the, kindly follow these steps:
1. Log in to your cPanel account with authentication details.
2. In the Metrics section, click on Metrics Editor to open Metrics Editor.
3. On the Metrics Editor page, choose the check box for the cPanel log programs that you want to use for your site (one or more than one)
4. Click Save.
Analog log program
To use Analog statistics for your website, follow these steps:
1. Log in to cPanel
2. Open Analog Stats from the Metrics section, click on Analog Stats.
3. Click the magnifying glass icon to view statistics for the domain that you want.
4. Click the month and year that you want to view then click OK.
AWstats log programs
To use Awstats statistics, follow these steps:
1. Log in to cPanel.
2. Open Awstats from the Metrics section, click on Awstats
3. Click the magnifying glass icon to view statistics for the domain of which you want to see statistics.
4. Select the month and year that you want to view, and then click OK.
Webalizer log programs
To use Webalizer statistics, follow these steps:
1. Log in to cPanel.
2. Open Webalizer from the Metrics section, click on Webalizer
3. Click the magnifying glass icon to view statistics for the domain of which you want to see statistics.
4. Select the month and year that you want to view, and then click OK.
Conclusion
We hope this article helped you to understand what cPanel is, what its features are, what cPanel log programs are and how to use log programs in cPanel. Overall we can say that a log file provides a detailed and easily accessible record of websites. It provides insights into the performance and compliance of your applications and systems. cPanel Log programs are crucial for cloud applications because of their dynamic and distributed features.
