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Plesk logs

Find Plesk server logs: Apache, NGINX, email, DBs. Guide covers locations in /var/www/vhosts/, differing from cPanel, for easy troubleshooting.
Control Panel Plesk
3 min read

Overview

Plesk servers use a different directory structure than cPanel, which can be confusing if you’re switching between the two. One major difference is the document root:

  • cPanel: /home/USERNAME
  • Plesk: /var/www/vhosts/DOMAIN.EXT

Most log files you’ll need, such as web server logs, email logs, and control panel logs, are found under or near the domain-specific directory in Plesk.

Common log file locations

Apache Logs
  • Global Access Log
    /var/log/httpd/access_log
  • Global Error Log
    /var/log/httpd/error_log
  • Domain-Specific Access Log
    /var/www/vhosts/DOMAIN/logs/access_log
  • Domain-Specific Error Log
    /var/www/vhosts/DOMAIN/logs/error_log
  • SSL Access Log
    /var/www/vhosts/DOMAIN/logs/access_ssl_log
NGINX Logs
  • Global Access Log
    /var/log/nginx/access.log
  • Global Error Log
    /var/log/nginx/error.log
  • Domain-Specific Proxy Logs
    /var/www/vhosts/DOMAIN/logs/proxy_access*_log
Backup Manager Logs
  • Backup Session Logs
    /usr/local/psa/PMM/sessions/<session>/psadump.log
    /usr/local/psa/PMM/logs/pmmcli.log
  • Migration Logs
    /usr/local/psa/PMM/sessions/<session>/migration.log
    /usr/local/psa/PMM/logs/migration.log
  • Restore Conflict Logs
    /usr/local/psa/PMM/rsessions/<session>/conflicts.log
Control Panel Logs
  • Panel Error Logs
    /var/log/sw-cp-server/error_log
    /var/log/sw-cp-server/sw-engine.log
  • Panel Access Log
    /usr/local/psa/admin/logs/httpsd_access_log
  • Panel Operation Logs
    /usr/local/psa/admin/logs/panel.log
Email Logs
  • Courier IMAP & SMTP Log
    /usr/local/psa/var/log/maillog
  • PHP Mail Log
    /var/log/php_maillog
FTP Logs (ProFTPD)
  • Transfer Log
    /usr/local/psa/var/log/xferlog
Webmail Logs
  • Roundcube
    /var/log/plesk-roundcube/errors
  • Horde (Legacy)
    /var/log/psa-horde/psa-horde.log (Note: Horde has been removed in newer versions.)
MySQL / MariaDB Logs
  • General Log
    /var/log/mysqld.log
  • Error Log
    /var/lib/mysql/hostname.err
PostgreSQL Logs
  • Startup Log
    /var/lib/pgsql/pgstartup.log
DNS Logs (Named/BIND)
  • General DNS Log
    /var/log/messages
phpMyAdmin Errors
  • Error Log
    /var/log/sw-cp-server/error_log
Server-Level Logs
  • System Logs
    /var/log/messages
  • Security Logs
    /var/log/secure
  • Cron Job Logs
    /var/log/cron
Tomcat Logs
  • Access and Error Logs
    /var/log/tomcat5/
Quick tip

If you’re troubleshooting an issue with a specific domain, start here:

/var/www/vhosts/DOMAIN/logs/error_log

This log contains most PHP or Apache errors and is often the fastest way to identify site issues.

Summary

Plesk servers organize logs differently from cPanel, with domain-specific files stored under /var/www/vhosts/ instead of /home/USERNAME. This structure centralizes logs per domain, making it easier to troubleshoot site-specific issues. Unlike cPanel, where many logs are in shared global files, Plesk separates logs for Apache, NGINX, backups, email, databases, and control panel functions by domain. This allows for more targeted debugging but can be unfamiliar at first. Overall, while Plesk’s layout may seem complex initially, it’s highly organized once you’re familiar with it.

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