How to Check and Update Your PHP Version on WordPress

Key takeaways

• Check the version in two minutes. Site Health lists it on the Info tab, in the Server block, and WordPress.org points owners to that same place.
• Match your branch to its fix. The 21 October 2026 releases are the matching fixed release, per php.net, and any lower number on the same branch is exposed.
• Which release to pick. WordPress.org's current advice is PHP 8.3 or newer, while Kinsta leans to 8.4 as the steadier default and treats 8.3 as fine for busy plugin stacks.
• Old PHP still runs WordPress, which is a trap. WordPress.org says it works as far back as 7.4, but the PHP project has stopped updating 8.1 and everything before it.
• Back up and test first. Update WordPress, themes and plugins, take a backup, and rehearse the new PHP on a test copy where your host allows it.
• The switch happens at your host. PHP sits on the server, so you change it in your host's panel or ask the host to do it.

Step 1: read your PHP version

In the WordPress dashboard:

1. Open Tools, then Site Health.
2. Click the Info tab.
3. Expand Server and find PHP version.

If your host's control panel shows it too, the two should match. WordPress.org's own note says that if the number is at or above 8.3 you do not need to update at this time, but the October 2026 flaws make the last part of the version matter too, such as the 36 in 8.3.36.

Step 2: compare it with the fixed releases

Two cautions. The PHP project no longer updates 8.1 and older, though some Linux distributions and long-term support vendors backport fixes, so your host is the one to ask. And a backported fix can keep the old version number, so a number alone does not prove you are safe or unsafe.

If you are on PHP 8.2, the branch's security support ends in December 2026 according to the Kinsta table, so 8.3 or 8.4 is the better target for this change.

Step 3: prepare before you switch

WordPress.org's guide lists four steps, and Kinsta adds a fifth.

1. Back up the whole site. A backup lets you roll back if anything goes wrong. To revert, you also need your host to put the old PHP version back.
2. Update WordPress, themes and plugins. In the dashboard, open Dashboard, then Updates, and update everything, then click around the site to check it still works.
3. Check compatibility. WordPress.org suggests the PHP Compatibility Checker plugin. It says the plugin is not perfect and can miss things or raise false alarms.
4. Fix what it finds. Ask the theme or plugin author, or replace the plugin with a maintained one that does the same job.
5. Use a staging site if you can. Kinsta recommends a staging copy so you can test the newer PHP away from the live site.

Plugins most likely to cause trouble, in Kinsta's words, are older commercial plugins with legacy code, niche add-ons from small teams, and anything not updated in the past year. Kinsta also says PHP 8.4 introduced a deprecation that currently affects some popular plugins and fills error logs with warnings, which it says will become fatal errors in a later PHP version.

Step 4: change the version at your host

How you do this depends on the host. WordPress.org says PHP is installed on the server, so you either use your host's settings or ask the host to do it, and it keeps a list of hosts that have published instructions.

As one example, on Kinsta you go to WordPress Sites, pick the environment, open Tools, and press Change on the PHP settings card. Kinsta says the change can take up to three minutes and restarts the PHP engine, with a couple of seconds of downtime for the WordPress admin only.

If your host has no switch, email them. This works on any host:

Hello, I want my WordPress site to run on a supported, fully patched PHP version after the 21 October 2026 security release. Which PHP version does my site use now, and can you move it to 8.3 or higher with the fixed patch level? Please tell me when it is done.

Step 5: test the site

• Load the home page, a blog post, a contact form and, if you sell, a test checkout.
• Log in to the admin and open the plugin and theme screens.
• If you see a white screen or a 500 error, Kinsta's advice is to deactivate plugins and switch them back on one at a time, and to check the error log to find the culprit.
• If one plugin will not run on the new version, update it, ask the author, replace it, or as a last resort go back one PHP version until it is fixed. Kinsta does not recommend staying on an older version.

Step 6: confirm the fix is in

Go back to Site Health, then Info, then Server, and read the PHP version again. You want the fixed patch number or newer for your branch, such as 8.3.36 or higher. Then ask your host in writing to confirm the security fix is applied, because some distributions backport fixes without changing the number. Our host questions guide lists what to ask.

If you cannot update right away, the full picture of risks and temporary settings is in our main guide to the PHP vulnerability of October 2026. Related reading: WordPress PHP requirements, checking PHP versions and who patches PHP.

How we help

At Amariq, we build and maintain WordPress sites, and we handle PHP, plugin and theme updates as part of a careful routine: backup first, a short plugin list, tests before and after. Our WordPress development and Webflow maintenance pages describe the work. If you are tired of server updates, Webflow migration moves a WordPress site to a platform with no PHP to manage, keeping the URLs. Our guide to website maintenance costs shows where this work sits in a yearly budget.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the PHP version shown in WordPress?

The dashboard lists it in Site Health, on the Info tab, in the Server block. A host's panel is the second place to look.

What PHP version should WordPress use in 2026?

WordPress.org currently recommends PHP 8.3 or higher. Kinsta recommends 8.4 as the safer default, with 8.5 a good option if your stack supports it. For the October 2026 flaws, use at least the fixed release on your branch.

Will updating PHP break my site?

It can, because themes and plugins may use code that newer PHP no longer accepts. WordPress.org says reputable plugins almost certainly work, but should be tested. Back up first and test on staging if you can.

Can I update PHP without my host?

Usually not. PHP is installed on the server, so the change is made in your host's settings or by the host. If you manage your own server, you update the PHP packages yourself.

What if my host is slow to update?

Ask in writing for a date. If the reply is vague and your PHP is below the fixed releases, weigh a move to another host or a managed plan. WordPress.org suggests that self-managed hosting on anything older than PHP 8.2 should consider going offline during the update.

Do I need to update WordPress too?

Not for these flaws, since WordPress.org says none is required or planned. Updating WordPress, themes and plugins first is still sensible, because it is the opening step before any PHP change.

Can I roll back if it fails?

Yes, if you have a backup and your host can put the old PHP version back. WordPress.org says to contact the host to move PHP back, then restore the backup.