An access log contains a record of all the files which have been requested by the visitors while exploring your site. The list is thorough, so if you have a web page with two embedded images, for instance, all of the three files shall be in the log, not just the page. An access log typically includes the date, the Operating System, the web browser and the IP address for every file in human-readable form, so you can get a more complete picture about the hottest files on your Internet site. The log, which is also typically called "raw data", is an addition to the web stats you typically get with a hosting account, not an alternative. One example why you might need such a log is if you want to use some software on your computer system to prepare a report about the website’s overall performance, but you don't want to use the regular graphs and tables that come with the server-generated web statistics.