How to view PHP error logs (Maintenance & Logs)
Find PHP error logs in my.swiftpress.io, understand what they show, and use them to debug WordPress issues faster.
When something goes wrong in WordPress—white screen, 500 errors, plugin fatals, or warnings—PHP error logs often show what broke and where (file and line). SwiftPress exposes these logs in the client area so you don’t need SSH to get started.
Where to find PHP / error logs
- Sign in to my.swiftpress.io.
- Open your site.
- Go to Maintenance → Logs (or Logs under a Maintenance / Diagnostics section—exact labels may vary slightly).
You should see log output from PHP (and related runtime) for your site. Retention and line limits depend on the platform—very old lines may rotate away.
What you’re looking at
PHP logs typically include lines like:
- Timestamp — when the event occurred.
- Severity — e.g. Warning, Notice, Fatal error, Parse error.
- Message — what the engine reported (undefined function, memory limit, syntax error, etc.).
- Paths — often a file path and line number inside your theme, plugin, or core.
Fatal errors are the ones that usually stop the page from loading. Warnings and notices may still let the page load but can explain odd behaviour.
Why this is useful
| Benefit | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Faster debugging | You see concrete errors instead of guessing “it’s the cache” or “it’s the host”. |
| Plugin/theme conflicts | Logs often name the plugin file that crashed—good first hint for deactivation tests. |
| After updates | Compare before/after by opening logs right after a WordPress or plugin update. |
| Support | Pasteing relevant lines (redact secrets) speeds up tickets with SwiftPress or plugin authors. |
Logs don’t fix the issue by themselves—they point you to the next step (disable a plugin, fix a theme, raise memory, correct a typo).
How to use logs to track issues
- Reproduce the problem (load the failing URL, submit the form, etc.).
- Open Logs again and scroll to the latest entries at the bottom (or top—depending on viewer).
- Read the newest error tied to the same time you reproduced.
- Note the file path—if it starts with
wp-content/plugins/..., that plugin is a prime suspect. - Test by deactivating that plugin (see remote plugins) or reverting a theme change.
- Clear or retry after a fix and confirm no new fatals for the same action.
Tips
- Don’t paste full logs publicly—they can contain paths or nonces. For support, share only the few lines around the error.
- Not every message is urgent—Notices can be noisy; focus on fatal and error first.
- If logs are empty but the site still fails, the problem might be outside PHP (DNS, CDN, .htaccess, browser)—use edge analytics or live chat next.
Need help?
Use — same as the Support link in the site footer (opens the chat widget). You can also sign in at my.swiftpress.io. We don’t offer email support — see How to contact customer support. If something in this article doesn’t match your dashboard, and we’ll point you to the right screen.