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AWStats is a Perl-based server-log analyzer: it reads your web server’s access logs, builds a historical database, and presents visitor reports as dynamic CGI pages or static HTML. To install it, you need access to the logs, a working Perl interpreter, a correctly configured per-site profile, and either CGI execution or a way to generate static files. On Apache, the reliable workflow is to run awstats_configure.pl, verify the generated awstats.mysite.conf, process the first log with perl awstats.pl -config=mysite -update, and then protect the report endpoint with authentication.
What AWStats does—and what it needs
AWStats does not collect visitors directly from a browser and it is not a JavaScript tag. It analyzes records already written by the server, so its results depend on what your access log contains. The project documentation describes AWStats as working from the command line and as a CGI application; it also requires access to the server logs for the reporting you want to perform.
- Log access: The account running AWStats must be able to read the relevant access-log files, including rotated files if you intend to import history.
- Perl: A basic Perl interpreter is sufficient. You need command-line Perl for scheduled updates and may need CGI Perl support for browser-based reports.
- A supported log format: Apache/NCSA logs, IIS Extended W3C logs, WebStar and other formats are supported when the profile’s
LogFormatis correct. - Storage: AWStats writes its historical database to the directory named by
DirData. That directory needs to exist and be writable by the update process. - A protected presentation method: You can expose a CGI report or generate static HTML. Either way, treat visitor data as private operational information.
AWStats is a log analyzer, so it cannot recover requests that were never logged. Reverse proxies, CDNs, bots, cached responses, privacy filters, and incomplete log fields can all affect what appears in a report.
Choose how you will deploy it
| Decision | Option | When it fits | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Server format | Apache/NCSA combined or XLF/ELF | Most Apache installations; use LogFormat=1 when the records match the combined format. |
The profile must point to the actual file and format, not merely the web server name. |
| Server format | IIS Extended W3C | Windows servers exporting the documented W3C fields; use LogFormat=2. |
Missing or nonstandard W3C fields can produce incomplete parsing. |
| Updating | Command line | Preferred for cron, Task Scheduler, or another controlled scheduler. | The scheduler account needs log and database permissions. |
| Updating | Browser-triggered CGI | Useful for manually refreshing a small installation. | It exposes an execution endpoint and should not be left unrestricted. |
| Reports | Dynamic CGI | Reports are rendered from the AWStats database when requested. | Requires a correctly mapped CGI alias and web-server Perl execution. |
| Reports | Static HTML | Good when CGI is unavailable or you want a read-only document tree. | Regenerate files after each database update. |
Install AWStats on an Apache-compatible server
1. Download and unpack AWStats
Place the AWStats distribution in a location your administrator controls. The exact directory is a local policy choice; keep the program files separate from the public document root unless you deliberately need to serve its icons or static assets. After extraction, change into the distribution’s tools directory before running the configuration helper.
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cd /path/to/awstats/tools
perl awstats_configure.plRun the helper with an account that can read the Apache configuration and make the requested configuration changes. If your host does not permit automated edits, use the script’s output as a checklist and apply equivalent directives manually.
2. Let the configuration helper inspect Apache
awstats_configure.pl can inspect Apache’s configuration and offer to change an access-log directive from common to combined. It can also add the AWStats aliases and a ScriptAlias, then create a site profile such as awstats.mysite.conf. The combined format is usually the easiest starting point because it includes the fields AWStats expects for common visitor dimensions.
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Review every proposed change before accepting it. On a server with several virtual hosts, confirm that the helper is editing the intended Apache configuration and that the selected CustomLog belongs to the site you want to measure. Reload or restart Apache only after checking syntax with your platform’s normal configuration-test command.
3. Confirm the Apache log format
A typical combined log line includes the client address, authenticated identity, timestamp, request line, status, response size, referrer, and user-agent. Your profile must use the matching AWStats format. If the log still uses Apache’s common format, either switch it to combined or select and document an appropriate custom format. Do not label a common-format file as combined: AWStats may then shift fields and produce misleading pages, referrers, browsers, or operating-system data.
4. Check the generated site profile
Open the profile created for the site, normally named awstats.mysite.conf. The filename’s site token is used in the update and report commands, so keep it consistent with the value after -config=.
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| Directive | What to verify | Example |
|---|---|---|
LogFile |
Full path to the access log AWStats should read. Use the active file for routine updates and plan how rotated files will be handled. | LogFile="/var/log/httpd/mysite_access.log" |
LogType |
Set to web-log mode for an HTTP access log. | LogType="W" |
LogFormat |
Use the value matching the records. Apache combined/XLF/ELF is normally 1; IIS Extended W3C is 2. |
LogFormat=1 |
SiteDomain |
Main hostname visitors use for this site. | SiteDomain="mysite.example" |
HostAlias |
Alternate hostnames that should be counted as the same site, such as a www name. |
HostAlias="www.mysite.example" |
DirData |
Directory where AWStats stores its historical database. It must be writable by the updater and should not be publicly browsable. | DirData="/var/lib/awstats" |
Use the exact capitalization and quoting style already present in the generated file. If your host writes one log per virtual host, point each profile at its own file rather than trying to make one profile represent unrelated domains.
5. Configure aliases and icons
The helper may add an alias for the AWStats program and a ScriptAlias for CGI execution. It may also identify where the report icons must be made available. Confirm that the URL path you intend to use maps to the installed AWStats files, and that the web server permits CGI execution in that location. A successful Apache reload does not prove that the CGI mapping is usable; test the endpoint only after applying authentication.
6. Run the first database update
From the AWStats program directory, process the profile with:
perl awstats.pl -config=mysite -updateReplace mysite with the profile token, not the full filename. AWStats reads awstats.mysite.conf, parses the configured log, and writes or extends the historical database under DirData. The first run can take longer than later runs because it has no prior state. Watch the command output for file, permission, format, and date-range errors before attempting to view a report.
7. Test the dynamic report
After a successful update and a protected CGI mapping, the normal report URL has this form:
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http://www.myserver.mydomain/awstats/awstats.pl?config=mysiteUse HTTPS in production and substitute the hostname and path configured on your server. The config query value must match the profile token. If the page loads but contains no data, verify that the update wrote to the same DirData directory the CGI process reads.
8. Generate static HTML instead
If you do not want to execute Perl for every report request, generate a static page after updating the database:
perl awstats.pl -config=mysite -output -staticlinks > awstats.mysite.htmlPublish the resulting file and its required assets in a directory protected by the same access policy as the CGI report. Static output is not automatically refreshed; schedule the update and generation commands together, and replace the published files only after both commands complete successfully.
Configure IIS or another supported server
IIS Extended W3C logs
IIS setup differs from Apache because the log fields and deployment locations are controlled through IIS logging. Enable the documented Extended W3C fields, then copy the AWStats CGI files and icons to locations your web server can execute or serve. Create a site profile, set LogType="W", and use LogFormat=2 for the extended W3C format. Set LogFile to the actual IIS log path and verify that the account running Perl can read it.
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WebStar and other formats
AWStats supports WebStar and additional server formats when LogFormat is set correctly. For a nonstandard format, identify the server’s documented field order, choose the corresponding AWStats setting, and test against a small copy of the log. A format mismatch is more serious than a missing report: it can create plausible-looking but incorrect visitor totals.
Schedule safe, repeatable updates
Once the first update works, run the same command from a scheduler under a dedicated account. The account needs read permission on current and rotated logs, execute permission for Perl and AWStats, and write permission only to the AWStats data directory and any static-output directory. Keep the profile and data directories outside locations where untrusted users can modify them.
Run updates after the web server has flushed or rotated the relevant log, according to your rotation policy. If rotation renames the active file, make sure LogFile and the update strategy still expose all entries exactly once. Keep backups of the AWStats database when visitor history matters; deleting it forces AWStats to rebuild history from logs that may no longer exist.
Protect visitor reports and database files
AWStats reports can reveal URLs, referrers, hostnames, user-agent strings, internal paths, and traffic patterns. The official security guidance recommends placing awstats.pl in a web-protected realm with authentication, restricting access to authenticated users or allowed IP ranges, and considering database-file permissions.
- Require HTTPS and server-level authentication before the CGI endpoint is reachable.
- Restrict access by account, group, VPN, or administrator IP range rather than publishing reports to the whole internet.
- Keep
DirDataoutside the public document root, or deny direct downloads if the platform requires it to be nearby. - Give the updater write access to the database but avoid granting broad write access to the web-server account.
- Protect static HTML and icons with the same policy; static files are still reports, not harmless images.
- Do not allow arbitrary configuration names or filesystem paths to be supplied through an unauthenticated CGI request.
Troubleshoot common installation failures
“Cannot open log file” or permission denied
Check the absolute LogFile path, parent-directory traversal permissions, and the user that actually runs Perl. A shell test as your administrator is not enough if cron, Apache CGI, or Task Scheduler uses another account. Grant the smallest read permission needed, including access to rotated files that must be imported.
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The report says the format is invalid or fields are missing
Inspect several raw log lines and compare them with the selected LogFormat. Apache combined logs normally use LogFormat=1; IIS Extended W3C uses LogFormat=2. If a proxy has rewritten the line, or if the server uses a custom field order, select a documented custom format rather than forcing one of those defaults.
The update succeeds but the report is empty
Confirm that the command used the intended profile token, that the profile’s SiteDomain matches the site, and that the CGI process reads the same DirData directory the shell update populated. Also check the log’s timestamps: a server clock difference or a file containing only a future date can leave the current view apparently blank.
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The CGI URL returns a download, server error, or source code
Apache or IIS is not executing Perl at that path. Recheck the ScriptAlias or equivalent CGI mapping, executable permissions, the Perl interpreter path, and the web server’s error log. Keep the endpoint behind authentication while correcting it; never make it public just to test whether execution works.
Static pages have broken images or stale numbers
The -staticlinks option creates links suitable for a static document tree, but the icons still need to be copied or served at the paths expected by the generated HTML. Regenerate the page after each successful database update and publish the complete asset set together rather than replacing only the HTML file.
Totals change after log rotation
Review which file each update reads and whether the rotation process truncates, renames, or compresses it. A profile pointing only at the new empty active file will not automatically include yesterday’s renamed file. Build a rotation-aware schedule that makes each period available once, and retain the source logs long enough to rebuild a damaged database.
A practical installation checklist
- Verify server-log access and a working Perl command-line interpreter.
- Extract AWStats and run
perl awstats_configure.plfrom itstoolsdirectory. - Review Apache aliases,
ScriptAlias, and any proposedCustomLogchange. - Open the generated profile and correct
LogFile,LogType,LogFormat,SiteDomain,HostAlias, andDirData. - Ensure the data directory exists with controlled ownership and permissions.
- Run
perl awstats.pl -config=mysite -updateand resolve every warning that affects parsing or storage. - Choose a protected CGI report or generate static HTML with
-output -staticlinks. - Schedule updates under a least-privilege account and test behavior after log rotation.
- Restrict the CGI endpoint, report files, icons, and database directory to authorized users.
When AWStats is the right fit
AWStats is a sensible choice when you control the server, can read its logs, and want reports without adding tracking code to every page. It is especially useful for installations that need command-line processing, static output, or support for several established server-log formats. It is not a substitute for a client-side analytics system when you need events that never reach the server log, and it cannot analyze data you cannot legally or technically access.
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