Retiring EOL PHP Versions Frequently Asked Questions

On this page

• Why is this happening?
• How will I know what PHP version I'm using?
• What happens if I do nothing?
• How do I change my PHP version?
• How do I update my plugins?

Note

Throughout July 2022 we will be retiring any End of Life (EOL) versions of PHP on our Reseller and Shared Hosting environments.

Why is this happening?

End of Life (EOL) versions are no longer supported for security updates, potentially making your shared hosting vulnerable.   Updating to the later PHP versions can also improve performance and stability in some applications.

To prepare for this, we are getting ready to retire the following PHP versions:

• 5.3, 5.4, 5.5

You will find more information about our PHP versions, as well as detailed information on changing them in the following article.

How will I know what PHP version I'm using?

You can create a PHP info file and place it in your websites public_html directory, this will tell you your PHP version when you load the file in your browser.

Note

Your PHP version is most often set in the eXtend control panel, however on our hosting platforms it is possible to set different PHP versions for different directories in the .htaccess file.

What happens if I do nothing?

If your website is currently using a legacy PHP version and you do not take action you may find some aspects of your website will not work if they depend on these older versions. You should consult your web developer or Content Management System (CMS) provider if you are unsure.

Anyone who does not change the PHP version and is currently on a legacy version will find that their site will start using a more recent stable version of PHP as the legacy version is removed.

How do I change my PHP version?

You can change to a different version of PHP by clicking on the 'Switch PHP Version' under 'Web Tools' in your eXtend Control Panel.

To change your version:

1. Click 'Switch PHP Version'
2. Select the version of PHP you want from the drop-down list
3. Click 'Update'
4. Your site will now run that version

If after making this change, you are still not seeing the updated PHP version, you may need to make the change in your websites .htaccess file.

1. Download or edit your .htaccess file (try to use the .htaccess file in your websites home directory)
2. Add one of the following lines depending on the version of PHP you want to use:

AddHandler application/x-httpd-php84 .php
AddHandler application/x-httpd-php83 .php
AddHandler application/x-httpd-php82 .php
AddHandler application/x-httpd-php81 .php
AddHandler application/x-httpd-php80 .php
AddHandler application/x-httpd-php74 .php
AddHandler application/x-httpd-php73 .php
AddHandler application/x-httpd-php72 .php
AddHandler application/x-httpd-php71 .php
AddHandler application/x-httpd-php7 .php
AddHandler application/x-httpd-php56 .php

3. Re-upload or save the .htaccess

Note

You can specify PHP versions for specific subdirectories by editing your .htaccess file. If you wish to ensure that you consistently use the same PHP version, you should only update the .htaccess file in either your packages home directory (~), or the public_html directory.

How do I update my plugins?

You will find information on updating WordPress plugins on WordPress.org.

If you are unsure, or are unable to update plugins which are not compatible with more recent versions of PHP, you will need to contact your web developer, the plugin developer, or source an alternative plugin.