But it\u2019s important-and updating it can be easier than you think. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With that in mind, let\u2019s explore why-and how-you should update your PHP to keep your WordPress site up to date.<\/p>\n\n\n
You might like…<\/h4>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/shared-150x150.png\")
<\/a><\/span>Shared Hosting<\/a><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/wp-hosting-150x150.png\")
<\/a><\/span>WordPress Hosting<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\nWhat is the WordPress PHP (and why bother updating it)?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
PHP is a slightly-confusing acronym for hypertext preprocessor<\/strong>. In short, it\u2019s an open-source scripting language forming the core of what makes WordPress work. It encrypts data for better security. It also forms the infrastructure for posting your dynamic blog content through the WordPress CMS<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThink of it as the tracks that keep your WordPress site\u2019s train gliding smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like WordPress itself, PHP has versions<\/em>. These versions evolve with the web, adding features to keep your site secure.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy bother updating it? For starters, newer PHP versions make your site faster and boost performance. According to Kinsta, for example, the leap from PHP version 5.6 to 7.0 doubled website performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But you also have to keep up with your hosting plan. Here at HostGator<\/a>, we removed versions 5.2 and 5.3 from the Shared and Reseller hosting plans back in August. <\/p>\n\n\n\nPHP versions go up to 8 now, although versions 7.3 and 7.4 are still popular. Which version should you use? Well, if you\u2019re reading this, there\u2019s a decent chance you already need an upgrade. At the very least, version 7.3 will keep your site in line with the current requirements at HostGator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The good news is that updating your PHP is much easier than it might sound. Here are the specific steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to diagnose your PHP within WordPress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There are multiple options for updating your PHP, and you\u2019ll see them below. But we\u2019ll start with running directly through WordPress because it has one key advantage: you can check your PHP version at a glance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To diagnose<\/strong> your PHP version first, do the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n- Within WordPress, go to Tools > Site Health<\/strong>. <\/li>
- When you click Server, <\/strong>you should see a row that lists the current status of your server\u2019s PHP version. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
If you don\u2019t see the version you want yet, you know it\u2019s time to move to the next step. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to update your WordPress PHP in HostGator<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re using HostGator, you can navigate to your cPanel and use the MultiPHP Manager to modify your PHP version. Previously, HostGator included PHP Selector as one method. But since we\u2019re slowly phasing that out, we\u2019ll focus on the MultiPHP Manager method below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Log in to your cPanel.<\/li>
- Go to the Quick Functions<\/strong> search bar and type in multi<\/strong>. This will bring up MultiPHP Manager<\/strong> easily. Click on it.<\/li>
- Scroll down and select the relevant domain.<\/li>
- Scroll up to the PHP version<\/strong>, click the version you want to use, and click Apply<\/strong>. <\/li>
- Look for a 'Successfully applied PHP version'\u00a6'\u009d notification. <\/li>
- If you created a phpinfo<\/strong> file in the steps below, refresh that page to see if the changes have taken effect.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
If you think you\u2019ll update your PHP version as often as you can, you might also consider creating a phpinfo<\/strong> file within HostGator to double-check that your conversion is successful-or simply to remind yourself which version you\u2019re using. <\/p>\n\n\n\nNote: <\/strong>If you already know your PHP version, skip to How to update your WordPress PHP <\/strong>below. Otherwise, you\u2019re just going to get frustrated with a lot of meaningless steps. <\/p>\n\n\n\nHowever, if you\u2019re unsure about your PHP version, having a phpinfo.php file in place can help you diagnose it at any future date with just a glance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Log in to your cPanel.<\/li>
- Go to Software<\/strong>. <\/li>
- You\u2019ll see selections like WordPress Manager<\/em> and Perl Modules<\/em>. You\u2019ll want to scroll down until you see MultiPHP Manager<\/strong> and select it. From there, you can follow along with this handy video<\/a>: <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/span>Shared Hosting<\/a><\/li><\/a><\/span>WordPress Hosting<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\nWhat is the WordPress PHP (and why bother updating it)?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
PHP is a slightly-confusing acronym for hypertext preprocessor<\/strong>. In short, it\u2019s an open-source scripting language forming the core of what makes WordPress work. It encrypts data for better security. It also forms the infrastructure for posting your dynamic blog content through the WordPress CMS<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Think of it as the tracks that keep your WordPress site\u2019s train gliding smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like WordPress itself, PHP has versions<\/em>. These versions evolve with the web, adding features to keep your site secure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why bother updating it? For starters, newer PHP versions make your site faster and boost performance. According to Kinsta, for example, the leap from PHP version 5.6 to 7.0 doubled website performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But you also have to keep up with your hosting plan. Here at HostGator<\/a>, we removed versions 5.2 and 5.3 from the Shared and Reseller hosting plans back in August. <\/p>\n\n\n\n PHP versions go up to 8 now, although versions 7.3 and 7.4 are still popular. Which version should you use? Well, if you\u2019re reading this, there\u2019s a decent chance you already need an upgrade. At the very least, version 7.3 will keep your site in line with the current requirements at HostGator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The good news is that updating your PHP is much easier than it might sound. Here are the specific steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are multiple options for updating your PHP, and you\u2019ll see them below. But we\u2019ll start with running directly through WordPress because it has one key advantage: you can check your PHP version at a glance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To diagnose<\/strong> your PHP version first, do the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don\u2019t see the version you want yet, you know it\u2019s time to move to the next step. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re using HostGator, you can navigate to your cPanel and use the MultiPHP Manager to modify your PHP version. Previously, HostGator included PHP Selector as one method. But since we\u2019re slowly phasing that out, we\u2019ll focus on the MultiPHP Manager method below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you think you\u2019ll update your PHP version as often as you can, you might also consider creating a phpinfo<\/strong> file within HostGator to double-check that your conversion is successful-or simply to remind yourself which version you\u2019re using. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Note: <\/strong>If you already know your PHP version, skip to How to update your WordPress PHP <\/strong>below. Otherwise, you\u2019re just going to get frustrated with a lot of meaningless steps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, if you\u2019re unsure about your PHP version, having a phpinfo.php file in place can help you diagnose it at any future date with just a glance.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow to diagnose your PHP within WordPress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to update your WordPress PHP in HostGator<\/h2>\n\n\n\n