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FeaturesPHP versions

Choose the PHP version for each site.

A server can have several PHP versions installed at once, and every site says which one it uses. That lets you move one site to a newer version without moving the rest.

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Changing the PHP version for a site.

How it works

  1. Step 1

    Install the versions you need

    A server can hold more than one PHP version at a time. Adding one leaves the sites already running on the others untouched.

  2. Step 2

    Set the version per site

    Each site runs in its own PHP process, so the version is a setting on the site rather than on the server.

  3. Step 3

    Change it back if you need to

    Switching versions changes the PHP runtime only. Your files and database content are not modified either way.

Sites can move one at a time

Upgrading every site on a server together means waiting for whichever theme or plugin is slowest to catch up. Per-site versions let you move the sites that are ready and leave the others where they are until their code is updated.

The PHP versions installed on a server.
The PHP versions installed on a server.

Each site runs its own PHP process

Sites do not share a PHP process, so two sites on the same server can run different versions. Changing one site's version restarts that site's process; the others carry on serving requests.

The PHP version each site on a server is using.
The PHP version each site on a server is using.

Test the upgrade on a copy

Clone the site, set the copy to the newer version and work through the pages and functions your visitors use: forms, checkout, member areas. A compatibility problem found on the copy costs you an afternoon; the same problem found on the live site costs more.

Edit PHP settings from the dashboard

Memory limit, upload size, execution time and OPcache settings are editable from WPShift's PHP controls, without opening a terminal.

Common questions

Can one server run more than one PHP version?

Yes. Several versions can be installed on the same server at the same time, and each site chooses which one it uses.

Which PHP versions are available?

The dashboard lists the versions available for your server. Choose one that is still maintained and that your theme and plugins support.

Does switching a site's PHP version take it offline?

Changing the version restarts that site's PHP process, so there is a brief interruption to that site. Other sites on the server keep serving requests.

How do I know a site is ready for a newer version?

Copy the site, run the copy on the new version and use it the way an editor and a visitor would. The copy has the same plugins, theme and content, so most compatibility problems appear there first.

Can I switch back?

Yes, as long as the older version is still installed. Switching back changes the runtime. It does not undo changes a plugin or theme made to your content while the site was on the newer version.

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