Knowledgebase

Understanding Error Logs & Debugging Issues (Firstserv Guide)

Displaying detailed error messages on a live website can pose a serious security risk, as it may expose sensitive information about your system or code.

For this reason, Firstserv servers are configured not to show errors publicly. If something goes wrong with your website, you may instead see:

• A blank page
• A partially loaded page
• Missing functionality

Where Are Errors Stored?

PHP Errors

• PHP errors are not shown to visitors
• Instead, they are logged in files called:

error_log

📁 These files are automatically created in the same directory as the script that generated the error.

Web Server Errors

Some errors are generated by the web server itself (e.g. configuration issues or access problems).

• These can often be viewed in cPanel under:
  • Metrics → Errors

⚠️ These logs are separate from PHP error logs and may not show all issues.

Checking Error Logs via cPanel

View Recent Server Errors

1. Log in to cPanel
2. Go to the Metrics section
3. Click Errors

✅ This will display a list of recent web server errors for your account.

Important Note

• This list only shows recent entries
• It may not include all historical or detailed PHP errors

Viewing PHP Error Logs (Full History)

To investigate deeper issues, you’ll need to check your error_log files.

Steps to Locate error_log Files

1. Log in to cPanel
2. Open File Manager
3. In the search box (top right), type:

error_log

1. Click Go

What You’ll See

• A list of all error_log files across your account
• Each file corresponds to a specific directory

How to View a Log File

1. Navigate to the folder containing the error_log file
2. Right-click the file
3. Select View

✅ This will show detailed error messages for that directory.

Why Error Logs Are Important

Error logs help identify issues such as:

• Plugin or theme errors (WordPress)
• Syntax errors in scripts
• Missing files or dependencies
• Permission problems
• Database connection issues

Common Use Cases

WordPress & CMS Platforms

Error logs are especially useful for diagnosing:

• Plugin conflicts
• Theme errors
• Broken functionality

Best Practices

• ✅ Check error logs when your site shows a blank page
• ✅ Review logs after making changes or updates
• ✅ Fix issues before enabling public error display
• ❌ Avoid exposing errors to visitors for security reasons

Summary

• Errors are hidden from public view for security
• PHP errors are logged in error_log files
• Server errors can be viewed via cPanel → Metrics → Errors
• Use File Manager to locate and review detailed logs

If you’re unable to identify the issue from your logs, the Firstserv support team is always available to help investigate further.