Magento 2 Logging & Debugging

🛠️ Magento 2 Logging & Debugging– Trace Issues Like a Pro

Something went wrong? Don’t panic! Magento 2 comes with powerful logging and debugging tools to help you find and fix issues fast — like a real coding detective. 🕵️‍♂️ Let’s walk through the tools you need.

📝 Magento 2 Log Files

Magento logs are located in the var/log directory:

• system.log – General errors and warnings
• exception.log – Catches exceptions

You can log custom messages using Magento’s built-in logger.

// Inject logger in your constructor
public function __construct(
    \Psr\Log\LoggerInterface $logger
) {
    $this->logger = $logger;
}

// Log a custom message
$this->logger->info('Something happened!');
$this->logger->error('Something went wrong!');

🔍 Enable Developer Mode

To show full error messages and stack traces, enable developer mode:

php bin/magento deploy:mode:set developer

This mode makes debugging easier — especially during development.

⚠️ Display Errors in Browser

To show PHP errors directly in the browser, edit index.php:

error_reporting(E_ALL);
ini_set('display_errors', 1);

🐞 Xdebug for Step Debugging

For advanced debugging, set up Xdebug with your IDE (e.g., PhpStorm or VS Code).

1. Install Xdebug with PECL or manually
2. Configure php.ini:

   zend_extension="xdebug.so"
   xdebug.mode=debug
   xdebug.start_with_request=yes
   xdebug.client_port=9003
   xdebug.client_host=127.0.0.1
   

3. Enable breakpoints in your IDE and run the script

🪵 Add Custom Log File

Want your own log file?

use \Magento\Framework\Filesystem\DriverInterface;

$writer = new \Zend_Log_Writer_Stream(BP . '/var/log/custom.log');
$logger = new \Zend_Log();
$logger->addWriter($writer);
$logger->info('Logging to custom.log!');

🧹 Clear Logs

Clean up old logs to keep your system neat and fast:

php bin/magento log:clean

✅ Final Tips

• Use var/report for tracking specific errors by ID
• Monitor system.log and exception.log regularly
• Use proper try/catch blocks to avoid white screens

Now you’re ready to debug like a pro. Whether it’s a missing semicolon or a stubborn plugin, Magento’s logging tools will help you track it down and fix it!