Always keep WordPress core as well as your plugins and themes updated. It is an important part of website maintenance. Doing so can help you avoid security vulnerabilities and protect your data. But we often don't pay attention to this when it comes to updating your PHP version. WordPress runs on PHP, so it is very important to update your PHP version to the latest version.
Although WordPress is technically compatible with some older versions of PHP, you may sacrifice security, performance, and compatibility. That's why you need to learn how to update PHP in WordPress. The good news is that updating your PHP version is not difficult. There are a variety of methods you can use to do this.
In this article, we’ll briefly discuss why updating to the latest PHP version is important, and how to check which PHP version your website is using. Finally, we’ll show you some options for upgrading your PHP version.
Why should you update PHP version in WordPress?
There are three main reasons to update to the latest PHP version:
Safety:
To protect your website from hacker attacks, it is essential to upgrade to the latest version of PHP. Hackers use outdated PHP versions to break into websites, and updated PHP versions reduce the chances of hackers gaining access to your website. In addition, new versions are always rolled out to eliminate shortcomings and flaws in earlier versions. They introduce patches, bug fixes, and security features that can help protect your website from viruses, malware, hackers, and many other digital threats.
Speed and execution:
Updating to a new version of PHP can make your website run up to 4 times faster. Each PHP version improves performance by running processes more efficiently and using less memory. Not only do they reduce latency, but they also increase the speed at which requests are loaded and processed per second. We all know that a faster website means higher rankings in search results, better user experience, and more sales!
compatibility:
Using an older PHP version may cause errors and hurt your site's performance. If you are running an older PHP version, then you will see plugins and themes become incompatible. Therefore, in order for your plugins and themes to run smoothly, the latest versions are required.
How do I check the PHP version I'm using?
Whether you need to update your PHP version depends on the PHP version you are currently using. Usually, WordPress hosts will automatically update your PHP version in the background. These updates will not affect most websites, and you may not notice any changes at all. This is why it is important to check your current PHP version before updating.
There are many ways to check your current PHP version, you can check it from the WordPress admin area, cPanel, hosting account or using a plugin. We will discuss the easiest way, which is to check it from your WordPress admin area. To check, first navigate to Tools > Site Health and then switch to the Info tab.
Here you will find a ton of information about WordPress, directories and sizes, servers, databases, etc. Expand the Server tab and it will show you all the server information including the current PHP version you are using.
Steps to take before updating your PHP version:
While there are many benefits to updating your PHP version, there are also some risks involved. One of the most common risks is that the code used in the core, scripts, themes, and plugins may not be compatible with the latest version. This can cause your WordPress site to break. But the good news is that these risks can be prevented by following a few steps. This will reduce the chances of running into any trouble.
1. Create a backup of your WordPress site:
Before you update your PHP version, create a complete backup of your WordPress site. Creating a backup ensures that you have something to restore in case something goes wrong.
2. Update WordPress core, themes, and plugins:
If you are running an older version of WordPress and you update to the latest PHP version, it may cause incompatibility issues and render your website unusable. The same goes for themes and plugins, if you use third-party WordPress themes and plugins, there is no guarantee that they will be compatible with every version of PHP. Therefore, we recommend that you visit your WordPress Admin Dashboard > Updates before updating your PHP version. You can view all available updates there. If there are any updates available, make sure to update all of them first.
3. Check PHP compatibility:
Even if you update the WordPress core and all your themes and plugins, there is no guarantee that your WordPress site will run smoothly. You should test your themes and plugins against various versions of PHP using a free PHP compatibility checker . But how do you do that?
There is a free WordPress plugin called PHP Compatibility Checker. Please install and activate the plugin first.
Once activated, navigate to Tools > PHP Compatibility, select the PHP version you plan to upgrade to, and choose either the Scan only active plugins and themes or Scan all plugins and themes option, then press the Scan Site button.
If you discover compatibility issues with any theme or plugin, contact the developer and ask them to investigate the issue.
Now, you have completed all the necessary steps that you should take before updating the PHP version in WordPress. So, let’s move on to the main part of this article, which is updating the PHP version.
Update the PHP version on your WordPress site:
However, there is no option to update the PHP version on the WordPress dashboard. But you have several ways to update it as all the top WordPress hosting companies allow you to do so. cPanel is a universal dashboard for managing your website but some hosts offer their custom dashboards to update PHP in WordPress. So, in this section, we will show you how to update your PHP version using cPanel and custom dashboards of two different hosting providers namely Bluehost and Kinsta.
If you are using another hosting service, there is nothing to worry about. Depending on the hosting service you use, it may be slightly different, but they will be more similar, relatively fast, and straightforward.
control Panel:
If your hosting provider uses cPanel, updating your PHP version should be a quick and easy process. Here you should find a section called "Software" with an option to "Select PHP version".
On the next screen, you will see the current PHP version of your website. Click the drop-down menu next to Current PHP version and select the latest version from the list of all available PHP versions.
In this case, the list will go up to 8.0. Once you are done, click on “Set as Current” and cPanel will perform the necessary actions.
Therefore, you can switch PHP versions with just a few clicks.
Bluehost：
First, log in to your Bluehost account dashboard and click on the Advanced tab in the left navigation menu. This will redirect you to the Advanced Tools page. Scroll down and search for the MultiPHP Manager option.
On the next page, check the domain name for which you want to change the PHP version and select the PHP version you want to use.
Click Apply to complete the update, and you’re done!
Kinsta：
With Kinsta , you can update PHP in WordPress in just three clicks. First, log in to your MyKinsta dashboard, select your site, and go to the Tools tab. On the Tools tab, there are a number of ways to change certain aspects of your server.
Now, scroll to the PHP Engine icon and you will see the current PHP version. Here, click on the Edit drop-down menu and select the desired PHP version.
After making the new selection, a dialog box will pop up asking for confirmation. Click Modify PHP Version to continue.
Once confirmed, Kinsta will take a few minutes for your hosting provider to complete the PHP update process. Make sure not to exit the screen before it is finished to avoid causing errors. This will take up to 3 minutes, and then you’re done!
Here are some more tutorials to help you get started with Bluehost hosting:
- How to Fix Database Errors
- How to Install WordPress on Bluehost Shared Hosting
- Buy web hosting with a free domain for your WordPress blog
Let me know how you feel about upgrading to PHP 7 on Bluehost. Share your experience in the comments below!
Also, if you found this guide useful, please share it with others on Facebook and Twitter!
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you click through to visit us, at no extra cost to you. See how SidelinePlay is funded, why it’s important, and how you can support us.
Was this helpful?