PHP, a cornerstone of web development, quietly powers an impressive portion of the modern internet. From small personal blogs to massive e-commerce platforms, this server-side scripting language is the engine behind countless websites. Its simplicity, flexibility, and ease of integration have made it the go-to choice for developers around the world.

Yet, despite its prevalence, many developers and site owners are hesitant or slow to update their PHP versions. This oversight can lead to security vulnerabilities, performance issues, and missed opportunities in a fast-paced digital world.

The Role of PHP in Today’s Web

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is an open-source scripting language especially suited for web development. Major content management systems like WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla are built on PHP.
That means any website running these platforms relies heavily on PHP to function correctly. However, PHP, like any software, evolves over time. New versions are released with important improvements, security patches, and performance enhancements. Staying on outdated versions might keep things running for now, but it also introduces risks and limitations that can compromise a site’s effectiveness.

The Risks of Running Outdated PHP

Running your website on an outdated version of PHP may seem harmless at first — especially if everything appears to be working fine. But under the surface, it’s a ticking time bomb that could compromise your site’s security, performance, and reliability.

1. Security Vulnerabilities: Older PHP versions stop receiving security patches after they reach end-of-life (EOL) status. This means any newly discovered vulnerabilities remain unpatched, leaving your website exposed to attacks. Hackers actively scan for websites using outdated software because they know these systems are easier to exploit. Whether it’s injecting malicious code, stealing data, or defacing content, outdated PHP provides an easy gateway for cybercriminals. If you collect any user data — even just emails — this risk can have serious legal and reputational consequences.
2. Performance Issues: PHP is continuously optimized for performance. Each major version brings speed improvements and better memory usage. For example, PHP 8.x is up to 3x faster than PHP 5.6 in many real-world applications. Sites running older versions may load slower, especially under traffic spikes. This affects not only user experience but also your search engine ranking. Google prioritizes fast-loading websites, and outdated PHP can silently hurt your SEO performance.
   
3. Software Incompatibility: The WordPress ecosystem, along with other CMS platforms and plugins, evolves with PHP. Developers focus on building for current versions. If you’re stuck on an outdated version, you might find : 

• Themes and plugins breaking or not installing at all
• Missing out on new features and performance enhancements
• Errors that are hard to diagnose or fix.

The Benefits of Keeping PHP Updated

Now that we’ve covered the risks, let’s look at what you gain by updating PHP. Far from being just a routine maintenance task, PHP upgrades can deliver real value for your website.

1. Improved Site Speed: Speed is one of the most noticeable benefits of newer PHP versions. PHP 8.1 and 8.2 offer significant performance gains, thanks to features like Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation and improved memory handling. Faster execution means

• Quicker page load times for visitors
• Less server resource consumption
• Greater capacity to handle traffic spikes

2. Stronger security: Updating to the most recent PHP version, PHP 8.2, results in major security improvements. Each new PHP release contains patches for vulnerabilities found in earlier versions. This constant improvement in security methods helps to safeguard websites from rising cyber threats. Each new PHP release addresses known vulnerabilities. Regularly updating PHP is one of the best defenses against attacks like:

• Remote code execution
• SQL injection vulnerabilities
• Cross-site scripting (XSS)

3. Better Compatibility: Modern PHP ensures that your site is compatible with:

• The latest themes, plugins, and extensions
• Modern coding standards
• Third-party APIs and tools

Up-to-date compatibility reduces errors, improves performance, and ensures smooth integration with tools like payment gateways, email services, analytics platforms, and more.

Overcoming The Difficulties of Updating

Identifying the Current PHP Version

Knowing your PHP version helps you plan updates and avoid compatibility issues. Here’s how to find it in popular hosting control panels:

1. To check via cPanel:

• Log in to your cPanel dashboard
• Navigate to the section labeled ‘Software‘ and click on ‘Select PHP Version.

 

• Here, you will find the PHP version displayed along with options to change it.

2. Via WordPress Dashboard (if you’re using WordPress)

•  In your WordPress dashboard go to Tools > Site Health > Info

• Scroll to the Server section Look for the PHP version listed there

3. Using a PHP Info File

If you have access to your site’s files via FTP or File Manager:

• Create a new file named phpinfo.php
• Inside this file, write the following PHP code: <?php phpinfo(); ?>.
• Upload this file to the public_html directory of your website using an FTP client or file manager provided by your hosting service.
• Visit https://yourwebsite.com/phpinfo.php in your web browser (replace yourwebsite.com with your actual domain name).
• 5.This page will display a wealth of information about the PHP environment, including the current version.

4. Via the Command Line (for VPS/Dedicated Servers)

If you have shell access to your server (common in VPS or dedicated hosting environments), you can check the PHP version via command line.

• Connect to your server using SSH.
• Once connected, enter the command: php -v.
• This will display the PHP version installed on the server.

php -v
PHP 8.1.2-1ubuntu2.14 (cli) (built: Aug 18 2023 11:41:11) (NTS) 
Copyright (c) The PHP Group

How to Update PHP Version Using cPanel

Updating your PHP version through cPanel is usually quick and safe
Before making any server-side changes, always back up your site to avoid potential data loss or downtime.

You can easily change the PHP version on your account by following these steps:

• Log in to your cPanel account.
• Navigate to the Software section and click on Select PHP Version.
  

  cPanel

   

• Click on the PHP Version drop-down box and select your preferred PHP version
  

  Screenshot 86

   

• Click on apply or Set as current button to save your PHP version change.