Last updated December 6th, 2023 00:26
The PHP version is critical for anyone who takes their website’s security and speed even remotely seriously. It’s essential for the proper functioning of the content management system, as well as for the version of WordPress you can run. For instance, if you want to run the latest version of WordPress, currently 6.2, you’ll need PHP version 7.xx. At the time of writing this article, it’s a good idea to start thinking about hosting that offers PHP version 8. In this article, you’ll learn how to check the PHP version in WordPress. This will be the information you can work with when upgrading your website.
How to Check PHP Version in WordPress
There are many ways to check the PHP version. You can do it through your web hosting provider’s administration, using the phpinfo() function, or simply through WordPress. If you already have WordPress installed, it can also natively tell you the PHP version. And it’s not complicated at all. Follow these steps:
- Click on the “Tools” menu in the left-hand panel.
- From the submenu, select “Site Health“.
- In the site health information tab, choose the “Info” tab.
- Expand the “Server” section.
The “Server” section will provide you with basic information about the web server running your content management system. Among the various pieces of information, you’ll also find the PHP version that your website is currently using.
What PHP version is optimal for the current version of WordPress
Simply put, the optimal version is 8.0 and higher. This means that for WordPress 6.2, which is the current version as of the time of writing this article, the server should have PHP version 8, 8.1, or 8.2. The same version should also be used for MySQL, such as version 8.0.26-16. There are many reasons why this is the case. Among the basic reasons for having newer versions of MySQL and PHP on the server are security, speed, and stability. So if you are struggling with slow system response, changing the PHP version to a higher one can significantly help.
Conclusion
Finding out the PHP version can be a starting point for troubleshooting speed issues. However, it is not automatic that the higher the PHP version, the faster WordPress will be. The PHP version can help with speed to a large extent. However, other factors will still play a role, such as server speed, allocated memory, and most importantly, optimizing your system.
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