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PHP 10 min read

How to Update PHP with Major Hosting Companies

Change PHP versions in cPanel, Plesk, GoDaddy, SiteGround, Bluehost, WP Engine, and Kinsta without SSH access.

Shared and managed hosting usually exposes PHP version selection in a control panel rather than SSH. Switching versions correctly updates the handler for your domain without breaking extensions WordPress needs. This guide covers cPanel, Plesk, and general best practices.

Before You Change Version

  • Back up the site and database.
  • Note the current PHP version and enabled extensions.
  • Test plugin and theme compatibility on staging if available.

WordPress recommends modern PHP; see WordPress requirements and PHP supported versions.

cPanel: MultiPHP

Domain-Level Version

  1. Log in to cPanel.
  2. Open MultiPHP Manager (or Select PHP Version on older themes).
  3. Select the domain or document root.
  4. Choose PHP 8.1, 8.2, or 8.3 as offered by your host.
  5. Apply and wait for the change to propagate (usually seconds).

Extensions and Options

In MultiPHP INI Editor or Select PHP Version → Extensions, enable at minimum: curl, mbstring, xml, zip, gd or imagick, intl, mysqli or pdo_mysql.

Tip: cPanel’s PHP Version screen may list a different default for subdomains—set each vhost explicitly if you run multiple sites.

Plesk: PHP Settings

  1. Log in to Plesk.
  2. Go to Websites & Domains → your domain.
  3. Open PHP Settings (or PHP Version depending on view).
  4. Select the desired PHP version from the dropdown.
  5. Adjust memory limit, max execution time, and upload size as needed.
  6. Click OK or Apply.

Plesk can run PHP as FPM application served by Apache or NGINX; the panel applies handler wiring automatically. Reference: Plesk PHP management.

Verify in WordPress

In wp-admin, open Tools → Site Health → Info → Server and confirm the PHP version matches your selection. Alternatively use a health plugin or a one-line check in a staging environment.

Warning: Switching from PHP 7.x to 8.x may surface deprecated function errors in old themes or plugins. Update or replace incompatible software before upgrading production.

When SSH Is Still Required

Some custom handlers, IonCube-encoded apps, or CLI-only cron jobs may still use system PHP. If cron emails show errors after a panel change, set cron to the panel’s PHP binary path (cPanel often provides /usr/local/bin/php or versioned paths in MultiPHP documentation).

Summary

Use cPanel MultiPHP Manager or Plesk PHP Settings to select a supported version per domain, enable required extensions, verify in Site Health, and test thoroughly after major version jumps. SerVee IT hosting plans document the available PHP versions in your welcome packet—contact support if a required extension is missing from the panel list.