Learn how to install and configure GoAccess on Ubuntu for real-time Nginx or Apache web log analysis.
Introduction
GoAccess is an open-source, real-time web log analyzer and interactive viewer that helps us monitor and understand our server traffic through a visual dashboard. Designed to be fast and minimal, GoAccess processes web server log files (like those from Nginx or Apache) and turns raw data into meaningful insights — all from the command line or via a live HTML report.
Whether we’re running a personal blog, managing multiple client sites, or administering enterprise infrastructure, GoAccess gives us instant visibility into key metrics such as:
- Top visitors (by IP)
- Requested URLs and status codes
- Bandwidth usage
- Referrers and user agents
- Geographic distribution
- Real-time request activity
In this guide, we walk through the entire process of installing, configuring, and running GoAccess on an Ubuntu server.
Prerequisites
Before we begin, let’s ensure we have the following in place:
- A Ubuntu 24.05 dedicated server or KVM VPS.
- A basic programming knowledge.
How to Install and Configure GoAccess on Ubuntu for Real-Time Nginx/Apache Log Analysis
Step 1: Update System Packages
Before installing any software, it's good practice to update the system:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
This ensures we have the latest security patches and package versions.
Step 2: Install GoAccess
GoAccess is available in Ubuntu’s default repository, but it’s usually an outdated version. To get the latest stable release with real-time HTML reporting support, we’ll add the official GoAccess repository.
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:goaccess-maintainers/goaccess
sudo apt update
sudo apt install goaccess -y
Once installed, verify the version:
goaccess --version
Step 3: Identify Web Server Log File
Depending on the web server we’re using:
Nginx log path (default):
/var/log/nginx/access.log
Apache log path (default):
/var/log/apache2/access.log
Make sure logs are being actively written to these files. Use:
sudo tail -f /var/log/nginx/access.log
Or:
sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/access.log
Step 4: Analyze Logs in Terminal (Quick View)
To instantly view logs in the terminal with GoAccess:
For Nginx:
sudo goaccess /var/log/nginx/access.log --log-format=COMBINED
For Apache:
sudo goaccess /var/log/apache2/access.log --log-format=COMBINED
Use arrow keys to navigate the TUI dashboard.
Step 5: Generate a Static HTML Report
If we want a shareable report in browser format:
sudo goaccess /var/log/nginx/access.log --log-format=COMBINED -o /var/www/html/report.html
Then visit:
http://<server-ip>/report.html
Make sure Nginx or Apache is serving the /var/www/html directory.
Step 6: Set Up Real-Time HTML Dashboard
To get a live updating dashboard via WebSocket, we can use the following:
sudo goaccess /var/log/nginx/access.log --log-format=COMBINED -o /var/www/html/report.html --real-time-html --ws-url=<server-ip>
Now we can monitor logs in real time by visiting:
http://<server-ip>/report.html
Make sure port 7890 is open, as GoAccess uses it for WebSocket updates.
We can also reverse proxy WebSocket traffic with Nginx:
location /goaccessws {
proxy_pass http://localhost:7890;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
}
- Update --ws-url to:
- --ws-url=ws://<server-ip>/goaccessws
Step 7: Create a Systemd Service for GoAccess
Let’s run GoAccess in the background as a systemd service so it starts on boot:
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/goaccess.service
Paste the following:
[Unit]
Description=GoAccess Real-Time Log Analyzer
After=network.target
[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/bin/goaccess /var/log/nginx/access.log --log-format=COMBINED -o /var/www/html/report.html --real-time-html --ws-url=ws://yourdomain.com/goaccessws
Restart=always
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
Enable and start:
sudo systemctl daemon-reexec
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable goaccess
sudo systemctl start goaccess
Now GoAccess will continuously analyze logs in real time.
Step 8: Secure the Report with Basic Auth (Optional)
To prevent public access to sensitive data:
sudo apt install apache2-utils
sudo htpasswd -c /etc/nginx/.htpasswd admin
Update Nginx config:
location /report.html {
auth_basic "Restricted Access";
auth_basic_user_file /etc/nginx/.htpasswd;
}
Restart Nginx:
sudo systemctl restart nginx
Final Thoughts
With GoAccess installed and configured, we now have a real-time monitoring dashboard that gives valuable insights into visitor behavior, traffic trends, bandwidth usage, response times, and potential attacks.
It’s a lightweight yet powerful tool every server admin and DevOps engineer should include in their toolbox.
For best performance, integrate GoAccess with log rotation (logrotate) and ensure log formats are consistently structured.
If you're managing multiple sites or high-traffic platforms, this visibility can directly help in performance tuning and troubleshooting server issues before they escalate.
