Where do I find my website's error log?

In cPanel, open Metrics → Errors to see the latest web server errors. PHP errors are written to a file called error_log in the folder where the error happened, usually public_html, which you can open with File Manager.

Web server errors

In cPanel, open Metrics → Errors. It lists the most recent errors the web server recorded for your account, such as missing files and refused requests, with the time and the address involved.

PHP errors

1. Open Files → File Manager and go to public_html, or the folder of the site with the problem.
2. Look for a file called error_log. There may be more than one: WordPress often has another in wp-admin.
3. Select it and click View or Edit, or download it.
4. Scroll to the bottom: the newest errors are at the end. Each line shows the date and time (server time), the type of error, the file and the line number.

A line starting PHP Fatal error is what breaks a page. Warning and Notice lines are usually harmless. The file path tells you which plugin or theme is involved, for example wp-content/plugins/plugin-name/.

WordPress debug log

For a white screen or a WordPress error with nothing in error_log, switch on WordPress’s own log. In wp-config.php, replace define('WP_DEBUG', false); with these three lines:

define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);

Reload the broken page, then open wp-content/debug.log. When you have finished, set WP_DEBUG back to false and delete debug.log: anyone who knows the address can read it.

Visitor logs

Metrics → Raw Access lets you download the full list of requests to your site. It helps when you need to see which pages, bots or IP addresses are hitting the site.

Tip: Error logs can grow to hundreds of megabytes and fill your disk. Once the problem is fixed, delete the old error_log file; a new one is created when the next error happens.

Opening a ticket? Paste the last few lines of the log into it. They usually save a round of questions. Never include passwords.

Still stuck? Open a support ticket with your domain and the last lines of the log, or message us on WhatsApp.

Updated 6 November 2026. Something here out of date? Tell us.