How can you update PHP on a WordPress website?

update PHP version on WordPress

Making a website is very easy nowadays as we are provided with tools like wordpress; this tool allows you to have a website in a few easy steps. Residual information on programming will enable us to make a great website with minimal efforts. WordPress is an open-source tool that allows you to make a CMS (Content Management System). This tool is written in PHP and has been paired with MySql and MariaDB database software. Tools like this have a plug-in architecture system which provides template systems. Templates like this are called as themes in wordpress. Presently this tool has been used extensively to make websites.

Your websites are comprised of many elements that are working under the hood, but PHP is the main element in all of these. PHP language is used to manage the website; you need to upgrade the version of the language to enhance the performance of the website.  Your website is modernized and safe when websites have updated structures. Let’s discuss why the PHP language matters to your wordpress website in depth.

Importance of PHP language in your wordpress website

PHP on a WordPress

As we know, PHP is a coding language, and the version of the website is based on the version of the server-level by hosting organizations. There are many benefits of updating the PHP, but mainly it is done for the following reasons:

  • Optimized to be Fast: If we update our PHP version to the latest, our website will respond at a very high speed. The user experience of the website will be highly expanded as you update the version. The current version of the websites is 7.4; this version has the ability to deliver 3x or 4x faster’s performances than previous versions. Fast website attracts more.
  • More Secured Website: PHP is managed by a great community; we know there is a great community that is responsible for good performance delivery of the language. Due to the high popularity of the language, hackers are targeting the websites made from the websites. New version is immune to most of the attacks, as they have new security features. This is the main reason why everyone should update the website to have the latest version.

PHP – Troubleshooting

There is a number of steps you should do before you update the PHP to be on the safe side. We discussed how important it is to update your website, but updating the version may result in running into a problem. A small mistake can crash your website; here are some steps you can take to protect yourself from running into a problem:

  • Make a Backup of Website: A backup allows you to revert if anything goes wrong while you are updating from the website. Backup plug-ins are available in wordpress so that you can secure your website.
  • Update WordPress and Plugins: This should be done regularly whether you are updating the PHP or not. All you have to do is go to the dashboard and click on update all. Check if the website is working as expected.
  • Check the PHP compatibility: Install the PHP Compatibility Checker plug-in to see if your other themes and plug-in are running into any problem. This is not an apt tool and may provide faulty results, but it would work in most cases.
  • Fix the Issues: As we discussed that you would mostly have the perfect result from the compatibility checker. So always check for the issues, and if there is any, contact the developer of themes and ask them to investigate.

PHP updates

If you have done all these steps, then you can update the PHP of the website. Let’s discuss how you can update PHP in wordpress:

  • Now we are ready to update the website’s PHP version as we got all the backups and prior arrangements. We have discussed that the PHP version of the website is in the hands of the server level of our hosting company. You can change it from the Host settings, or you can ask the hosting company to do that.
  • WordPress has listed some steps for different hosting services; you can find these instructions on your hosting company’s official website. If the list does not mention your hosting service, then you can email the hosting services. There is a good chance that you will not run into any problem while upgrade, but if you do, you should contact the hosting service.

Conclusive Words

There is a number of ways you can optimize your website, but the most effective way is to upgrade the PHP version. We have discussed some of the measures and precautions you can take to upgrade the PHP version.

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