How to read Exim mail logs on the server?

LitaR · Nov 20, 2025

Hello everyone!
Could you please tell me if I'm understanding the analysis of mail logs on Exim-based servers correctly?
I use two main log files:

/var/log/exim_mainlog — incoming and outgoing messages
/var/log/maillog — IMAP/POP3 mailbox connections (handled by dovecot)

I see that Exim marks log entries with flags (<=, =>, **, ==, etc.) that indicate the delivery status. To view the full trace of a message, I first search for the mailbox I'm interested in, get the message ID (for example, 1kPNom-0007xj-FA), and then search by that ID to see its full path.
I've put together two examples — one successful and one unsuccessful — but I want to make sure I'm interpreting them correctly:

Successful: the message arrived, was placed in the queue, and saved to the virtual mailbox.
Unsuccessful: LMTP returns a defer due to quota or limit being exceeded.

Does this logic look correct? Are there any other nuances I should pay attention to when reviewing Exim logs?

ITivan80 · 2025-11-27T00:54:12+0000

Reading Exim mail logs on a Linux server (cPanel, WHM, or standard Exim installation) is straightforward once you know where the logs are stored and how to filter them.

How to read Exim mail logs on the server?

LitaR

New member

ITivan80

Well-known member

Latest posts New threads

Latest posts

New threads

Latest Hosting Offers New Reviews

Latest hosting offers

Popular Contributors - Past 30 Days

Sponsors

Tag Cloud