There are two main methods to change the PHP version in cPanel: “Select PHP Version” using CloudLinux’s PHP Selector and “MultiPHP Manager” in cPanel. At Sered, we provide both methods to ensure you can choose the option that best suits your needs. This guide will give you a detailed explanation for each of these methods. In addition, we will show you how to adjust PHP settings using the MultiPHP INI Editor. If your cPanel is in Spanish, keep in mind that the names of these items may vary depending on the language of your cPanel interface.
Table of Contents
How can I change the PHP version of my website?
- Change the PHP version via “Select PHP Version” or “PHP Selector” of CloudLinux from cPanel
- Change PHP version with MultiPHP Manager
How to Adjust and Modify PHP Parameters in cPanel with the MultiPHP INI Editor
How can I check the PHP version and configuration?
How can I change the PHP version of my website?
Change the PHP version via “Select PHP Version” or “PHP Selector” of CloudLinux from cPanel
CloudLinux is a platform that provides advanced tools for PHP management, including the PHP Selector. This selector not only allows you to change the PHP version but also enables you to enable or disable specific extensions for each PHP version.
Unlike MultiPHP Manager, which allows you to assign PHP versions individually to each domain and subdomain in your cPanel, the PHP Selector applies the same PHP version globally to all selected websites. This means that with PHP Selector, it is not possible to configure different PHP versions for different domains or subdomains independently, while MultiPHP Manager provides that flexibility.
After logging into cPanel, go to “Select PHP Version” or “PHP Selector”.
Select the PHP version you want to configure for your websites.
At the bottom of the page, you will see a list of your domains and subdomains in cPanel. If any of these domains or subdomains are not yet using PHP Selector, click the “Use PHP Selector” button next to the corresponding domain or subdomain. By doing this, the domain or subdomain will stop using the PHP version set by MultiPHP Manager (represented by the orange cPanel EasyApache icon) and will switch to the PHP version selected in CloudLinux’s PHP Selector (represented by the blue gear-shaped icon).
That’s it! Your website is now using the PHP version you selected through PHP Selector.
Important: If your website was configured to use a PHP version set by MultiPHP Manager, and that version was the default (as shown in Step 4 of using MultiPHP Manager), you will not be able to use PHP Selector directly. In this case, you must first change the PHP version in MultiPHP Manager to a version other than the default. Once you’ve done this, you can then use PHP Selector to manage your site’s PHP version.
Change PHP Version with MultiPHP Manager
From cPanel, you can adjust the PHP version specifically for each domain or subdomain within your cPanel account. Here are the detailed steps:
Log in to your cPanel account.
Go to MultiPHP Manager from the Software section.
Select the domains whose PHP version you want to change by checking the box.
Select your PHP version from the dropdown menu on the right-hand side.
Note: In the PHP version selection menu, you may see several options such as
php 8.1,alt-php81, andea-php81.
php 8.1 represents the standard PHP 8.1 version available on your hosting.
alt-php81 corresponds to an alternative PHP 8.1 version that provides additional features or configurations offered by us. It is generally considered a superior option due to its improvements and advanced settings.
ea-php81 is PHP 8.1 managed by EasyApache, a default tool in cPanel for configuring PHP and Apache.
Although you can use bothalt-php81andea-php81, thealt-php81version usually offers better features and performance. The choice between these versions will depend on your specific needs and the features required for your website.
Click the Apply button to save the changes.
That’s how you can change PHP versions for your individual domains and subdomains.
Optional: How to Adjust and Modify PHP Parameters in cPanel with the MultiPHP INI Editor
Log in to your cPanel account.
Access MultiPHP INI Editor from the Software section.
In the MultiPHP INI Editor, you have two options for modifying PHP configuration:
Basic Mode: Allows you to make general adjustments to the PHP configuration in a simplified way.
Editor Mode: Lets you edit the php.ini file in text mode.
Select the full home directory or a specific domain from the dropdown menu under “Configure PHP INI Basic.”
Modify the PHP settings according to your needs. Some parameters you can adjust include:
display_errors: Enable this if you want error messages to be displayed to the end user. Disabled by default.
max_execution_time: Maximum time in seconds that a script is allowed to run before it is terminated.
max_input_time: Maximum time allowed for a script to process input data such as POST, GET, and file uploads.
max_input_vars: Limits the number of input variables allowed per request to prevent DDoS attacks.
memory_limit: Maximum amount of memory a script can use. Must be larger than
post_max_size.post_max_size: Maximum size of POST data allowed. Affects file uploads and must be larger than
upload_max_filesize.session.gc_maxlifetime: Maximum lifetime of session data before it is removed.
upload_max_filesize: Maximum file size allowed for uploads.
zlib.output_compression: Compresses web pages when the server receives the “Accept-Encoding: gzip” or “deflate” header.
Save the changes by clicking the Apply button.
If you selected Editor Mode, you can also choose the domain you want to work with and enter the PHP configuration directly for that domain.
Note: If you are using CloudLinux’s PHP Selector to manage PHP versions on your domains, it is recommended that you also verify and adjust the configuration parameters within PHP Selector. While MultiPHP INI Editor provides more detailed control at the php.ini file level, PHP Selector allows you to make version-specific adjustments directly from its interface. Ensuring that the settings are correctly configured in both tools guarantees optimal and consistent configuration for your websites.
How to Check the PHP Version and Configuration?
You can easily check the PHP version your site is currently using and its PHP configuration by using a PHP information file. Here are the detailed steps:
Log in to your cPanel account.
Access File Manager from the main cPanel dashboard.
Navigate to the public_html folder if you want to check the configuration of your main domain. For addon domains and subdomains, go to the specific folder or directory for each one. You can find the exact location of these directories in the Domains section of cPanel, where you can check the Document Root of each domain or subdomain in the corresponding column.
Create a new file named
phpinfo.phpand click “Create New File.”
Right-click on the newly created
phpinfo.phpfile and select “Edit.”
If an encoding check notification appears, click “Edit” to continue. You can also choose Disable Encoding Check for future edits.
Insert the following code into the file:
<?php phpinfo(); ?>
Save the changes by clicking “Save Changes.”
Visit the URL
http://your-website.com/phpinfo.phpto view your site’s PHP configuration.
On this page, you will find detailed information about the PHP version and the enabled extensions on your server.
Delete the
phpinfo.phpfile after checking the configuration to maintain server security and prevent others from accessing this sensitive information.
That’s it! You have now successfully checked your website’s PHP version and configuration.
If you encounter any difficulties or have questions, don’t hesitate to contact our technical support team via email at [email protected] or through live chat from your client area for further assistance.