Thread Starter
iain2c
(@iain2c)
I deactivated the plugin for 6 days and the Webalizer stats returned to normal. Upon reactivating WP Super Cache, the stats again plummeted.
I accept that this is more likely to be a Webalizer/Server issue than a problem with the plugin itself, but I’m still puzzled by what’s actually causing the discrepancy!
Have you looked at your access logs? They’re what Webalizer analyses so any clues to what’s happening will be there.
Thread Starter
iain2c
(@iain2c)
Thanks Donncha – I’ll do that !
I’ve actually just been ‘googling’ to try to find out if Webalizer is just not including cached pages when it calcuates ‘visits’ (which would account for the decreased visit totals when WP Super Cache is active) but haven’t been able to find anything on the subject as yet !
It shouldn’t matter. The webserver serves files, regardless of what caching software is used. This shouldn’t happen at all!
Thread Starter
iain2c
(@iain2c)
I agree !
I’ve spent all day again trying to see if there was any way that a cached page would look different in the access logs compared to a non-cached page but that could only be if there was a difference in the response code.
My understanding of Super Cache is that all pages successfully sent would have 200 as the code regardless of whether cached or non-cached so I can discount that little theory !!
Bottom line – I still have no idea why Webalizer is ‘counting’ pages and visits differently when Super Cache is activated.
Interestingly, when I look at the WordPress (Jetpack) stats I note that the pageviews have actually increased on those days when Webalizer shows a decrease in visits so I’m now more confused than ever !!
The only conclusion I can come to is that Webalizer does crazy things !
Thread Starter
iain2c
(@iain2c)
Upon reflection – here’s my new theory (which I hope makes sense):
1. When using WP Super Cache, Webalizer is showing a decrease of, say, 10% in the number of visits.
2. Super Cache is working well and cannot cause a decrease in visits.
3. Webalizer is analyzing server stats normally and the 10% decrease is real and not a change in the way Webalizer calculates visits when Super Cache is active.
4. Without Super Cache running, my server is prone to high loads which affect page loading times and can sometimes cause database connection errors. The actual extent of this is difficult to assess as the peak period for traffic to my blogs is the time that I’m asleep here in the Southern Hemisphere !
5. If we assume that 10% of ‘visitors’ have problems with page loading (without Super Cache running), it is quite likely that they will abandon their current slow page-loading session (but hopefully try again later)!
6. Webalizer will still record each aborted viewing session as 1 visit (as per server logs) so it is quite possible that 10% of the total recorded visits (without Super Cache running) are in fact aborted visits.
7. Along comes Super Cache to the rescue of the affected visitors and prevents page-loading problems from occurring. As a result, the total visits will now be reduced by 10% (being the aborted visits which no longer occur).
8. So instead of being alarmed by the decrease in total visits reported by Webalizer, I should actually be pleased as it shows that Super Cache is indeed doing its job !
I think I’m happy with this explanation, as I hope you are – in which case this topic should now be able to be marked as ‘resolved’ !
iain2c
