How to check which PHP version your website is running

Quick answer: The fastest way to find your website’s PHP version depends on how it’s built. On WordPress, go to Tools → Site Health → Info → Server and read the PHP version there. On other sites, check your hosting control panel (such as cPanel), or ask your developer. Once you have the number, compare it to the 2026 support timeline: 8.1 and older are end of life, 8.2 ends on 31 December 2026, and 8.3 or 8.4 are the safe targets.

Knowing your PHP version is the first step in almost every “is my site safe / up to date / about to break” question. Fortunately it takes about two minutes to find, and you don’t need to be technical. Here are the three places to look.

1. In WordPress: Site Health

If your site runs WordPress, this is the most reliable method, because it reports the version the web server is actually using — which is the one that matters.

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to Tools → Site Health.
3. Open the Info tab (next to “Status”).
4. Expand the Server section.
5. Read the line labelled PHP version.

That number is your answer. While you’re there, WordPress’s Site Health will often flag an outdated PHP version itself — it recommends PHP 8.3 or greater and warns that older versions “may expose your site to security vulnerabilities.”

2. In your hosting control panel

If the site isn’t WordPress, or you can’t log in to it, your hosting panel is the next place to look.

• In cPanel, look for a tool called Select PHP Version or MultiPHP Manager. It shows the version currently set for your domain — and, usefully, lets you change it (carefully — see below).
• Other panels (Plesk, a managed host’s custom dashboard, etc.) have an equivalent, usually under a “PHP” or “hosting settings” heading.

If you can’t find it, your host’s support team can tell you in one reply — and it’s a reasonable thing to ask them.

3. For custom apps: ask the person who maintains it

A custom application — a Laravel app, for instance, or a bespoke PHP system — may not have any admin screen that shows the PHP version. The reliable answer here is to ask your developer or whoever manages the server. It’s a quick question for them, and worth getting in writing.

A note on php -v

If someone technical runs the command php -v on the server, they might see a different version than your website actually uses. That’s because servers often have a command-line PHP that’s separate from the one serving web requests (the FPM or web-server PHP). For a website, the web-server version — the one WordPress Site Health reports — is the one that counts. It’s a common source of confusion, so it’s worth knowing.

Now compare it to what’s supported

Once you have your number, the quick read for 2026:

• 8.3 or 8.4 — you’re in good shape.
• 8.5 — newest; fine.
• 8.2 — still patched, but support ends on 31 December 2026, so plan the move.
• 8.1 or older — already end of life; this needs attention.

If the number is below 8.2, or you’re on 8.2 and want to get ahead of the deadline, the next read is upgrading PHP without breaking your site. And if you’d rather someone just checked it for you and told you where you stand, get in touch — it’s a quick thing for us to look at.

Common questions

Where do I find the PHP version in WordPress? Go to Tools → Site Health → Info tab → Server section, and read the “PHP version” line. This reflects the version your web server actually uses to run the site.

Why does php -v show a different version than my website? Because the command-line PHP on a server is often separate from the PHP that serves web pages. For your website, the web-server (or PHP-FPM) version is the one that matters — which is what WordPress Site Health reports.

What PHP version should my site be on? For most sites in 2026, PHP 8.3 or 8.4. Avoid anything at end of life (8.1 and older), and move off 8.2 before its 31 December 2026 cut-off.