Software for organizing and examining server access logs to uncover how frequently search crawlers visit various pages.
A log file analyzer helps organize server or edge access records so that requests can be investigated. For SEO work, it can help examine which URLs were requested, when they were requested and what responses were recorded. A log entry is evidence of a recorded request, not proof that the page was indexed or ranked.
The available fields and coverage depend on the logging system. A site may have records at a CDN and at its origin server, with different retention and caching behavior. Establish which source you are analyzing and whether it covers the question being asked. Missing entries in one log are not conclusive proof that no relevant request happened anywhere.
Crawler identity also needs care. A user-agent string can claim to be a known bot without authenticating that claim. Use the provider’s documented verification method where attribution matters, and distinguish verified requests from unverified labels. Keep access logs protected because they can contain IP addresses and other sensitive operational information.
Takeaway: Use logs to answer a narrow technical question about actual recorded requests. State the time window, logging layer and identity checks before making conclusions about crawler activity.
Example
After changing a redirect, a team examines the relevant server records to see requests for the old path and their response codes. It checks the destination separately and does not claim the redirect has been processed in search merely because a crawler requested the old URL.
What to check
Confirm authorized access, retention and privacy handling before exporting logs. Compare like periods and verify suspected bot identities; a high request count alone does not establish useful indexing or customer traffic.
For more detail, see Screaming Frog Log File Analyser.