Most PHP projects only use error_log() or rely on server defaults. That works for small projects, but quickly breaks down as soon as you need structured error information, consistent handling, or integration with monitoring tools.
I design error logging solutions that go beyond the basics -- structured, searchable, and maintainable logs that fit into real-world production environments.
My Approach
- Structured logging -- Errors are stored with context: timestamp, severity, request or correlation ID (such as my UTID), stack trace, custom metadata.
- Readable formats -- JSON, JSONL, or other machine-friendly formats instead of raw text.
- Error categorization -- Separate PHP notices, warnings, and exceptions from application-level errors.
- Consistent HTTP integration -- Tie exceptions into HTTP response codes, ensuring users see the right error page while developers get full debug data.
- Rotation and retention -- Prevent unbounded growth with configurable rotation and archival.
- Security -- Sanitize sensitive data (passwords, tokens, user data) before logging.
- Clean architecture -- Dependency-injected loggers and interfaces make it easy to change formats, outputs, or integrations later.
In most cases, flat-file logs are the right choice: they are fast, simple, and reliable. But in some projects I have also designed SQL-based error logging systems, when structured queries, analytics, or long-term centralized storage justified the extra overhead.
Example Use Cases
- Capturing structured exception data in JSON instead of plain text.
- Linking errors to a request or correlation ID for distributed debugging.
- Logging both system-level errors and domain-specific application errors.
- Writing logs to flat files (fast, local) or forwarding them into databases or external systems.
- Integrating with monitoring dashboards and alerting pipelines.
What I Offer
Consulting and Setup
I can help you design and implement an error logging system tailored to your PHP stack. From format choice to rotation and retention strategy, you’ll get a logging solution that scales.
Custom Development
I can implement features such as:
- Structured loggers (JSON, JSONL, or custom).
- Exception handlers that capture stack traces and metadata.
- Request/correlation ID injection across logs.
- Error page templates (user-friendly output vs. developer diagnostics).
- Multi-output logging (write to files, databases, or remote systems).
- Injection-safe logging to prevent log injection attacks.
Migration and Integration
If you already have raw error logs, I can:
- Convert existing logs into structured formats.
- Write scripts to parse and reformat legacy logs.
- Integrate legacy logging with modern monitoring tools.
HTTP Error Classes and Pages
I can also help you with a full HTTP error handling solution that goes beyond logging, including common HTTP error classes and branded, user-friendly error pages.
Why Work With Me?
- Focused stack -- 15+ years PHP experience and following best practices.
- Production experience -- My error logging systems power live apps and services, including this site.
- Maintainable design -- Clean interfaces, dependency injection, and modular components keep codebases flexible.
- End-to-end coverage -- From low-level PHP errors to application exceptions to HTTP handling.
Get in Touch
If you would like to improve your PHP error logging or build a structured solution from scratch, contact me.