An access log is a text file containing a thorough list of all of the files accessed by your Internet site visitors. All the files which were requested in one way or another shall be included, so if you have a PHP script application and a site visitor opens just the home page, for instance, you might find plenty of files inside the log. This is because there are resources on the home page which are embedded - parts of other Internet pages, pictures, etc. These files will be listed in the access log, so you're able to get a full picture of the way your site performs. The info is in plain text format, so the logs are often described as "raw data" too. An access log provides the name of every requested file, the path to it, the date it was accessed, plus the user’s IP address, web browser and OS. More info, such as the referrer website, is oftentimes provided too. A log file could be processed by various desktop apps for statistical purposes as an addition to the web stats generated by your server.