How to locate the PHP error log in XAMPP

Find the PHP error log file in XAMPP on Windows to diagnose PHP warnings, fatal errors, and deprecated function notices during local development.

Prerequisites

• XAMPP installed on Windows with Apache HTTP Server running. See How to install XAMPP on Windows.

Step-by-Step: Locate the PHP Error Log in XAMPP

Option 1: Open the PHP Error Log from the XAMPP Control Panel

1. Open the XAMPP Control Panel. Click the Logsbutton in the Apache row. The XAMPP Control Panel opens the Apache error log file, which includes PHP errors by default.

   

Option 2: Navigate to the Error Log in the File System

1. Open the XAMPP installation directory. The default path on Windows is C:\xampp.

2. Navigate to the Apache logs directory. The PHP error log is located at C:\xampp\apache\logs\error.log. PHP writes errors to the Apache error log file by default when the error_log directive in php.ini is not set to a custom path.

3. If the error log is not in the Apache logs directory, check the PHP-specific log location at C:\xampp\php\logs\php_error_log.

Option 3: Find the Error Log Path Using phpinfo()

1. Create a file named phpinfo.php in the XAMPP htdocs directory:

   <?php phpinfo(); ?>

2. Open http://localhost/phpinfo.php in a web browser. Search for the error_logdirective in the phpinfo() output. The value shows the file path where PHP writes error messages.

How to Verify the PHP Error Log Location in XAMPP

Create a PHP file with an intentional error to confirm the log location. Add the following code to a file in the htdocs directory:

<?php
error_log("XAMPP PHP error log test entry");
?>

Open the file in a web browser. Check the error log file for the test entry. The entry confirms that PHP writes errors to the expected log file.

Common Issues When Locating the PHP Error Log in XAMPP

Error log file does not exist.PHP creates the error log file when the first error occurs. Trigger a PHP error to generate the file. Confirm that the error_log directive in php.ini points to a writable directory.

Errors appear on screen but not in the log file.The log_errors directive in php.ini may be set to Off. Open php.ini at C:\xampp\php\php.ini and set log_errors = On. Restart Apache HTTP Server from the XAMPP Control Panel.