An access log is a text file that contains an extensive list of all of the files accessed by your site visitors. All the files that were requested in one way or another shall be included, so if you have a PHP script application and a website visitor opens only the home page, for example, you might find a lot of files inside the log. It is because there are elements on the home page that are embedded - parts of other pages, graphics, and so on. All these files shall be listed in the access log, allowing you to get a complete picture of the way your website functions. The data is in plain text format, so the logs are frequently referred to as "raw data" too. An access log shows the name of each and every requested file, the path to it, the date it was accessed, plus the user’s IP address, Internet browser and Operating System. More info, like the referrer Internet site, is oftentimes included too. A log file could be processed by various desktop applications for statistical purposes as an addition to the web stats supplied by your server.