PHP is the language most website software is written in. Which version your site runs on affects whether it works at all, how fast it is, and whether known security holes are patched.
Which version should I use?
The newest one your software supports. Older releases stop receiving security fixes entirely — PHP 7.4 reached end of life in 2022, and anything earlier long before that. Running one is a standing risk, not merely a missed optimisation.
We keep the current stable PHP release available, and new accounts are set to it by default. Older releases remain selectable so that existing sites are not broken by a change they did not ask for — but they are there for compatibility, not for new work.
Modern versions are also substantially faster. Moving a WordPress site from PHP 7.x to 8.x typically cuts page generation time noticeably, at no cost.
Changing it
In cPanel, open MultiPHP Manager. Select the domain you want to change, choose the version, and apply. Each domain on your account can run a different version, so you can move one site forward without touching the others.
The change takes effect immediately. There is no restart and no downtime.
Before you switch
- Take a backup. Files and database.
- Update your software first. Current WordPress, themes and plugins are far more likely to work on a current PHP. Upgrading PHP under old code is how sites break.
- Change one version at a time if you are several behind, and check the site between each.
If the site breaks after switching
Switch back. The setting is reversible and the site returns immediately — nothing is lost by trying.
Then find out why. A blank white page usually means a fatal error that is not being displayed; the error log will name the file and line. Almost always an abandoned plugin using syntax removed years ago. Updating or replacing that one component normally clears it.
Checking what you are running
WordPress shows it under Tools > Site Health > Info > Server. Otherwise create a file containing <?php phpinfo();, load it in a browser, and delete it immediately afterwards — it discloses a great deal about your server that should not be public.
