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Install AWStats by giving it read access to your web server’s access log, configuring a site profile, processing that log from the command line, and then opening either the CGI report or a generated static HTML report. On Apache, the supported setup script can create the profile and web aliases for you; you still need to verify the log path, format, hostname, and report permissions before exposing the results.
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The essential first update is perl awstats.pl -config=mysite -update. AWStats is a server-log analyzer, not a tracking script placed in your pages, so it cannot report anything that is absent from the log or inaccessible to the Perl process.
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What AWStats needs before you install it
AWStats works from the command line and as a CGI application. The project requires two practical capabilities: access to the server logs you want to analyze and the ability to run Perl scripts from the command line, as CGI, or both. It can generate dynamic reports or write static HTML files.
- Readable access logs: The account running AWStats must be able to read the relevant web-server log files.
- Perl execution: Perl must be available for the command-line scripts, and CGI execution is required if you want browser-generated reports.
- A supported log format: Apache/NCSA logs, IIS Extended W3C logs, WebStar logs, and other formats are supported when the profile’s
LogFormatvalue matches the log. - A data directory: AWStats stores its historical database in the directory set by
DirData. - A protected report location: CGI output and the data behind it can reveal visitor and referrer information, so plan authentication and access controls before making reports reachable over the network.
These requirements determine whether AWStats can work on a particular host. If your provider does not give you log access or Perl/CGI execution, installing the files alone will not produce reports.
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How the AWStats installation is organized
The official workflow has three stages. Keeping them separate makes failures easier to identify.
- Setup and configuration: Download and extract AWStats, run its configuration helper, and create or edit a per-site profile such as
awstats.mysite.conf. - Log processing: Run
awstats.plwith the profile name. AWStats reads the access log and updates its historical database inDirData. - Reporting: Open the CGI endpoint for a live report or redirect the static-output command into an HTML file.
A report cannot be useful until the processing stage has completed successfully. Conversely, processing can work even when the browser endpoint is not yet configured, which is useful for separating data and web-server problems.
Install AWStats on Apache
1. Download and extract AWStats
Place the AWStats distribution on the server and extract it in a location from which Perl can run the supplied scripts. The exact filesystem location is up to your server layout; what matters is that you can reach the distribution’s tools directory and the main awstats.pl script.
2. Run the Apache configuration helper
Change to the AWStats tools directory and run:
perl awstats_configure.plThe helper can inspect the Apache configuration and offer to perform several setup actions:
- Change Apache’s
CustomLogdirective from thecommonformat tocombined. - Add the AWStats URL aliases needed to reach its files.
- Add a
ScriptAliasso Apache can execute the AWStats CGI script. - Create a site profile such as
awstats.mysite.conf.
Review each proposed change rather than accepting a setting that does not match your virtual host. The helper is intended to reduce manual Apache editing, but it cannot know which access log, hostname, or security policy is correct for every installation.
3. Confirm Apache is writing a compatible log
Apache combined logging is the simplest starting point because AWStats identifies it as an Apache combined/XLF/ELF format. If the helper asks to change CustomLog from common to combined, make sure the resulting directive applies to the site whose visitors you want to measure.
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If you retain a different or customized access-log layout, do not label it as combined merely because it is an Apache log. Set the profile’s LogFormat to the documented value for that actual layout. A format mismatch usually produces empty, partial, or misleading statistics even though the Perl command itself runs.
Configure the per-site AWStats profile
Open the generated profile in a text editor. The filename normally follows the pattern awstats.mysite.conf, while the value after -config= is the site name without the awstats. prefix and .conf suffix.
| Setting | What to enter | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
LogFile |
The full path to the access log | AWStats must read the exact file that contains requests for the site. |
LogType |
"W" for web-server logs |
Identifies the profile as a web-log analysis configuration. |
LogFormat |
1 for Apache combined/XLF/ELF, or the appropriate custom value |
Tells AWStats how to parse each line. |
SiteDomain |
The site’s main hostname | Associates requests and report labels with the primary domain. |
HostAlias |
Alternate hostnames used for the same site | Prevents equivalent names from being treated as unrelated hosts. |
DirData |
A directory where the AWStats database can be written | Stores the historical data used by later updates and reports. |
A minimal Apache-oriented profile therefore needs values equivalent to:
LogFile="/full/path/to/access.log
tLogType="W"
LogFormat=1
SiteDomain="www.mysite.example"
HostAlias="mysite.example"
DirData="/path/where/awstats/data/is/stored"Replace every example path and hostname with values from your server. The profile must point to the active log, not an old archive or an error log. If the site has more alternate names, include them in HostAlias according to the profile syntax supplied with your AWStats installation.
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The account that runs the update needs read permission on LogFile and write permission on DirData. These are separate checks: a readable log does not help if AWStats cannot save its database, and a writable data directory does not compensate for a log that the process cannot open.
Run the first AWStats update
From the directory containing awstats.pl, run the update with the profile name:
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perl awstats.pl -config=mysite -updateUse the same name that appears in awstats.mysite.conf. During this operation AWStats reads the configured access log and writes or extends the historical database under DirData. The first run establishes the initial report data; subsequent runs process newly available log entries using the same profile.
If the command reports that it cannot open a file, check the path and account permissions first. If it completes but shows no meaningful activity, verify the selected log contains requests for this site and that LogFormat matches the actual line structure. A successful Perl process is not proof that the profile parsed the right traffic.
View reports through the Apache CGI endpoint
When the AWStats aliases and ScriptAlias are active, the dynamic report is available at:
http://www.myserver.mydomain/awstats/awstats.pl?config=mysiteSubstitute your server’s hostname and profile name. The browser report reads the database created by the update command; it does not replace that update. If the page loads but has stale figures, run the update again and confirm that the command is using the same -config value as the URL.
A CGI report is convenient when you want one endpoint that always reads the current AWStats database. It also means Apache is executing a reporting script and exposing visitor information through a web URL, so it should not be left publicly accessible by default.
Generate a static HTML report instead
For a report that can be served as an ordinary HTML file, run:
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perl awstats.pl -config=mysite -output -staticlinks > awstats.mysite.htmlThe command writes the generated report to awstats.mysite.html. The -staticlinks option changes links so the resulting document works as static output rather than relying on the CGI URL for navigation. Run the update first when you need new data, then regenerate the static file.
Static output separates report generation from CGI execution. That can simplify a tightly locked-down web server, but the HTML file itself still contains analytics information and needs appropriate filesystem and web-server permissions.
Apache deployment choices at a glance
| Choice | Advantages | Requirements and trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Apache combined log | Matches the straightforward LogFormat=1 profile used by the standard setup path. |
Apache must actually write combined/XLF/ELF-compatible lines for the selected site. |
| Custom Apache format | Allows AWStats to analyze an existing layout without changing logging. | The profile must use the appropriate custom format definition; labeling it as combined can distort results. |
| Command-line update | Explicit, easy to test, and independent of browser access. | Requires shell access, Perl, readable logs, and a writable DirData. |
| Dynamic CGI report | One URL reads the current AWStats database. | Requires CGI configuration and must be protected with authentication or network restrictions. |
| Static HTML report | Can be served without executing AWStats for every page request. | Must be regenerated after updates and protected like any other visitor report. |
Configure AWStats for IIS and other log formats
AWStats is not limited to Apache. It supports IIS Extended W3C logs, WebStar, and other server formats when LogFormat is set correctly.
IIS Extended W3C logs
IIS setup has an additional logging prerequisite: select the W3C fields documented for AWStats so the generated lines contain the data the parser expects. Then copy the AWStats CGI files and icons into the IIS web structure, create a site profile, and set:
LogFormat=2That value identifies the extended W3C format. The remaining profile work is the same in principle: point LogFile at the correct IIS log, set the site domain and aliases, choose a writable DirData, run the update, and expose either a protected CGI report or static output.
Other servers
For WebStar or another supported format, use the format value documented for that server and ensure the profile describes the actual log syntax. Do not reuse the Apache value simply because the AWStats installation itself is running on the same machine.
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Protect AWStats reports and data
The official security guidance recommends placing awstats.pl in a web-protected realm with authentication. It also recommends using AWStats parameters that restrict access to authenticated users or approved IP ranges and considering permissions on the database files.
- Require authentication: Put the CGI endpoint behind the web server’s protected area rather than publishing it as an anonymous report.
- Restrict by network where appropriate: Limit access to approved IP ranges when reports are for administrators or a private team.
- Protect the data directory: Ensure the directory containing AWStats database files is not directly downloadable as static web content.
- Separate execution and storage permissions: Give the update process only the read access it needs for logs and write access it needs for
DirData. - Secure static files: A generated HTML report can disclose the same visitor information as CGI output, so apply authentication or restrictive placement to those files too.
Security is part of installation, not a later cosmetic step: the report URL, generated files, and database all represent the same potentially sensitive traffic history.
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Troubleshoot common installation failures
The update cannot find the log
Reopen the profile and check that LogFile is an absolute path to the active access log. Confirm the update account can read it. A relative path, a typo, or a path copied from a different virtual host will prevent useful processing.
The report is empty or incomplete
Check that the log contains requests for the configured site and that SiteDomain and HostAlias reflect the hostnames in those requests. Then verify LogFormat: Apache combined/XLF/ELF logs use 1, while IIS Extended W3C uses 2. A custom layout needs its corresponding format setting.
The update runs but cannot save history
Inspect DirData and grant the update account write permission there. The log can be perfectly readable while the database remains unchanged if AWStats cannot create or modify its historical files.
The CGI URL returns an error or downloads the script
Check that the Apache aliases and ScriptAlias created by the configuration helper are enabled for the intended virtual host and that CGI execution is permitted. If command-line updates work but the browser does not, the problem is in the web-server mapping or permissions rather than log parsing.
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Run perl awstats.pl -config=mysite -update again, then reload the URL using the identical config=mysite value. The browser endpoint reads stored data; it does not automatically process a newly written log.
Static HTML has broken navigation
Regenerate the file with -staticlinks and keep the generated document with the related AWStats static assets in the location expected by your installation. The option is specifically intended to make links suitable for static output.
Quick Recap
A practical installation checklist
- Perl runs from the command line on the server.
- The update account can read the selected access log.
- The Apache log uses combined/XLF/ELF syntax, or the profile names the correct alternative format.
awstats_configure.plhas been run from the AWStatstoolsdirectory.- The generated
awstats.mysite.confhas the correctLogFile,LogType,LogFormat,SiteDomain,HostAlias, andDirData. DirDatais writable by the process that runs the update.- The first update has completed with
perl awstats.pl -config=mysite -update. - You have chosen either the protected CGI URL or static HTML output.
- Authentication, IP restrictions, and database-file permissions prevent unauthorized access.
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