This post and WordPress PHP version minimum requirement is only for WordPress.org websites that have their own web hosting and not those located at WordPress.com.

At the end of April 2019 it is planned that WordPress 5.2 will be released and with this minimum requirements for WP PHP version will be raised to PHP version 5.6.20.

What will happen to the site if it no updated to the WordPress PHP version minimum requirement

All WordPress sites with an older PHP version will not get the latest update option in the dashboard. Even if you try to update WordPress manually, the update will not succeed.

This means that you will not be able to receive future WordPress and Plugin updates that contain both new features and security updates, which is a security risk for your company’s website.

WordPress suggests to update to the recommended PHP version which is 7.3. Read more in the original blog post on WordPress official blog here.

All the WordPress website benefits that you get just by updating to a newer PHP verion

  • Security. You will receive the latest security updates for WP, theme and plugins
  • Performance & Speed. Your website will perform better and load faster for both you and your users.
  • Environmentally friendly. Thanks to better performance, less energy is needed for web hosting hosting, which is better for the environment.

How to see in WordPress if you have an outdated PHP version and need to update

There are several ways to check if you have the latest version or if you need to update as soon as possible to newer PHP version. Here are some of the options to choose from.

  • Install a plugin that checks what PHP version you have. Go to the dashboard to add a new plugin and search for ‘Display PHP Version’.
  • Contact your developer or digital agency. Developer o digital agency should be able to easily check out which PHP version your website is using.
  • Contact your web hosting company. The web hosting company should of course be able to give you simple and quick answer about which PHP version your website is using.

Before you update your company’s website to PHP 7.3

Regardless of whether you have a smaller information site, a larger and more advanced website or an e-commerce website, we usually recommend one thing. Before doing major updates, you should first check try it out on a staging website and ensure that all WordPress themes and Plugins / Add-ons that you have installed work with 7.3. Sometimes it may happen that some of these stop working because these have not been updated by the developers in a while.

Do you need professional help updating to the latest PHP version

If you do not succeed in updating to the latest PHP version or if you receive a response from your web host that is not possible then you need professional help. We at Foomle design can help you update to the latest PHP version and much more with web. Click here to contact us today and get a quote.