Accessing Webalizer

Introduction to Webalizer

To access Webalizer, you will need backend access (which can be granted by emailing support@creativus-design.com) if your hosting is with us.

Step 1: Login to the Backend

Note: You are entering the danger zone. Do not use any other features unless you are confident in their function. Changes to settings can break your site and are not covered under web maintenance. Please consult Creativus Design before making changes you are unsure about.

  1. Visit yourdomain.com:2222 (replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain. Add ‘:’ after your domain name and then the numbers 2222)
  2. The DirectAdmin – Web Control Panel login screen will appear.
  3. Enter the username and password provided by support.

DirectAdmin Login

Step 2: Locate Site Summary / Statistics / Logs

There are two ways to access site statistics:

  • Using the sidebar menu
  • Browsing through the icon menu

The Site Statistics option is available under the System Info & Files header.

Webalizer Menu

Step 3: Select Your Domain

Choose your domain under Domain Statistics.

Step 4: Click on the Month

The report will show an overview of stats for the selected period. Click on a specific month for more detailed information.

Webalizer Stats

Statistic Definitions

Webalizer statistics are designed for system administrators and can be quite technical. However, these key statistics are useful for business owners:

Hits

A hit is any request made to the server. This includes HTML pages, images, scripts, and files. Every request logged by the server is counted as a hit, meaning this number will always be very high.

Visits

A visit is counted when a request comes from a unique IP address and is not within the visit timeout window of a previous request. Unlike hits, visits represent actual users accessing the site, but they still include bots and non-human traffic.

View the full Webalizer glossary here.

Webalizer’s Accuracy

Ironically, Webalizer is too accurate. It logs every request, including those from bots and scripts, making its numbers much higher than reality. If you’re unfamiliar with websites, the number of bots crawling your site can be surprising.

Keep in mind, these statistics include not just human visitors, but also hundreds of legitimate bots such as search engines and AI crawlers. Learn more about prominent web crawlers here.

Marketing Web Analytics Services

Since Webalizer provides extensive server log data, an alternative software exists to extract meaningful statistics from real website visitors. These tools are called web analytics software, and the most widely used one is Google Analytics.

Web Analytics Metrics, Webmaster Tools, and Meaningful Insights

Google Analytics provides insights into actual user behavior, such as session duration, bounce rates, and goal conversions. Additionally, Google Search Console helps with search performance and site indexing.

Different Metrics

Webalizer Term Google Analytics Equivalent Explanation
Hits Event Count (All Events) Webalizer counts all file requests, including scripts and images. GA tracks meaningful interactions.
Pages Pageviews GA only counts actual page loads, making it more reliable for business insights.
Visits Sessions Webalizer may count multiple visits from the same user incorrectly. GA4 uses session-based tracking.

Setting Up Analytics

Setting up Google Analytics or other tools requires adding tracking code to your website. Unlike Webalizer, which starts tracking immediately from the server, analytics tools only collect data from the point of installation.

Wrap Up

One of the benefits of Webalizer is that it tracks your website from day one. Analytics tools like Google Analytics need to be installed before they start collecting data.

Need help with web analytics setup? Contact us at support@creativus-design.com.