How to Access Awstats without cPanel
If you'd prefer not to log into cPanel every time you want to check your site's traffic, this guide walks you through setting up Awstats manually. Once configured, you’ll be able to access traffic reports directly via a URL, making it easier to track visitor activity and make data-driven decisions.
Steps to Install and Configure Awstats
- Download Awstats. Visit the official Awstats site at https://awstats.sourceforge.io/#DOWNLOAD.
- Extract Files Locally - Unzip the downloaded package to your computer.
- Upload Required Directories - First, open your FTP application. Then, navigate to the wwwroot folder and upload everything inside the /cgi-bin and /icon directories to the root folder of your website.
- Set File Permissions - Access the /cgi-bin folder and locate the awredir.pl and awstats.pl files, and set their permissions to 755 to make sure they’re executable.
- Retrieve and Modify Configuration File - Download the Awstats configuration file created by cPanel:
/tmp/awstats/awstats.yourdomain.ext.conf. - Open this file with a text editor, search for the "DirIcons" line, and change it to show: DirIcons="/icon/"
- Upload the Updated Config File - Place the modified configuration file into your /cgi-bin directory.
- Access Your Analytics - You may now access your statistics at http://www.yourdomain.ext/cgi-bin/awstats.pl?config=yourdomain.ext
Important: Ensure to replace yourdomain.ext with your actual domain name.
Note: Within cPanel, use the Password Protect feature under the Directory Privacy section to secure the /cgi-bin directory. Enable protection and configure user credentials to limit access.
Bluehost suggests creating a subdomain such as stats.yourdomain.ext and redirecting it to the above URL to make it easy to access. You’re free to rename the folder where your icons are stored, just don’t forget to update the path in the .conf file—otherwise, the icons won’t show up correctly.
Summary
This guide walks you through manually setting up Awstats outside of cPanel, allowing for quicker and more flexible access to your website analytics. It also includes tips for securing your data and improving usability through subdomain redirection and proper configuration.
If you need further assistance, feel free to contact us via Chat or Phone:
- Chat Support - While on our website, you should see a CHAT bubble in the bottom right-hand corner of the page. Click anywhere on the bubble to begin a chat session.
- Phone Support -
- US: 888-401-4678
- International: +1 801-765-9400
You may also refer to our Knowledge Base articles to help answer common questions and guide you through various setup, configuration, and troubleshooting steps.