Servers energy the web by means of storing information recordsdata for internet sites, apps, and quite a lot of virtual belongings. That implies any self-hosted WordPress site calls for a server to retailer and use PHP recordsdata, media components, databases, and content material.

However do you know there are WordPress PHP and server necessities you must believe before you install a WordPress website?

WordPress PHP and server necessities are absolutely the minimum environmental settings to provide a well-working site. WordPress can technically serve as on out of date code and servers, but it surely’s now not ultimate; issues would possibly ruin, and your website will run slower. That’s why WordPress lists necessities for each the server and PHP code. Whilst this covers some liabilities on their finish, it additionally tells builders that those are the server-level prerequisites to attenuate issues when launching a hosted WordPress website.

On this information, we’ll element WordPress PHP and server necessities, at the side of not obligatory suggestions, to create a really perfect atmosphere. We’ll additionally supply data on easy methods to take a look at your present server and PHP variations, and replace them in response to WordPress PHP necessities.

Stay studying to test it out!

Does WordPress At all times Require a Server?

Sure, all WordPress internet sites want servers to serve as. It doesn’t subject whether or not you’re the usage of WordPress.org or WordPress.com.

WordPress.org is self-hosted, providing you with essentially the most keep watch over over the server. Despite the fact that WordPress.com doesn’t require you to self-host, WordPress.com nonetheless makes use of a bodily server, and internet server device, to host site recordsdata.

It’s usually really useful that builders keep on with WordPress.org with a bunch like Kinsta. That method, you achieve the advantages of a controlled WordPress host (with options like computerized backups, functionality tracking, and a content material supply community) whilst nonetheless keeping up keep watch over over the server on your control dashboard. It’s really helpful to have a dashboard like this to create/transfer internet sites, configure velocity and safety settings, and analyze metrics for visits, PHP, and the site database.

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WordPress PHP and Server Necessities

PHP is a programming language, and all mainstream programming languages get up to date for enhancements. On this case, we’re taking a look at which model of the PHP programming language is most fitted to run a WordPress website.

A internet server, then again, is a work of device saved on a bodily {hardware} server. Fashionable server device like Apache and Nginx require common updates as properly; so does the {hardware} on which the device will get positioned. Due to this fact, builders should perceive which variations of each and every carry out highest for WordPress.

We’ll get started with the PHP necessities under, then transfer directly to server necessities.

WordPress PHP Necessities

WordPress helps and runs on many variations of the PHP programming language. But for the most efficient functionality, we advise working PHP model 7.4 or upper.

That comes with:

  • PHP Model 7.4
  • PHP Model 8.0
  • PHP Model 8.1

WordPress recommends PHP variations in response to whether or not the ones releases nonetheless obtain give a boost to from the builders of PHP. All PHP releases obtain give a boost to for 2 years, and then they get moved into what’s referred to as the “Finish of Lifestyles” level.

PHP variations have 3 levels for give a boost to:

  • Energetic Give a boost to
  • Safety Fixes Best
  • Finish of Lifestyles

Right through the “Energetic Give a boost to” section, insects and safety studies get addressed and stuck. In addition they unencumber sub-versions to refine the principle model all the way through this time. Releases pop out all the way through the “Safety Fixes Best” level when it’s completely important to get to the bottom of an excessive safety factor. The “Finish of Lifestyles” level is when the PHP construction workforce not supplies safety and insect fixes, which means your site is open to vulnerabilities if it makes use of an “Finish of Lifestyles” model of PHP.

As a result of those levels, it’s really useful that you simply right away improve any site with a PHP model within the “Finish of Lifestyles” section. Our suggestions from above have two PHP variations within the “Energetic Give a boost to” level. PHP Model 7.4 is within the “Safety Fixes Best” level, making it the naked minimal you’d need for working a WordPress website.

A table and mosaic chart showing the life cycles of different PHP versions from 2019 through 2025.
Supported PHP releases and their stages.

The historical past of PHP variations dates again to October 2000 with PHP 3.0. Since then, we’ve noticed common updates going all of the method to 8.1. The 7.3 model of PHP is the newest to move within the “Finish of Lifestyles” level, marking it unsupported for long run fixes.

WordPress technically works with many PHP variations, a few of them antiquated. In reality, it’s solely imaginable to release a WordPress website with PHP 3.0, however that’s sure to provide serious capability and safety problems. And despite the fact that you’re nice with any “Safety Fixes Best” model, it’s at all times highest to replace your WordPress website’s PHP to the newest “Energetic Give a boost to” model.

The best way to To find and Replace Your WordPress PHP Model

We advise bookmarking the Supported Versions page from PHP.net to peer model unencumber dates, at the side of when “Energetic Give a boost to” and “Safety Fixes Best” levels finish for each and every model. Kinsta also has a PHP versions page to watch supported releases.

An important a part of that is to grasp the present PHP model utilized by your site (and to update its PHP when necessary). Our highest tips come with taking a look on the Admin phase of WordPress, checking the frontend, analyzing the model.php report, or the usage of WP-CLI.

WordPress Server Necessities

Server necessities contain a number of components: RAM, database model, processing energy, disk house, and the internet server used.

Right here’s a handy guide a rough glance into the usual suggestions for a server when working WordPress:

  • Internet server: Nginx or Apache with mod-rewrite module
  • Disk house: No less than 1 GB
  • PHP: Model 7.4 or upper
  • Database: MySQL 5.015 or upper (An alternate is MariaDB, model 10.1 or upper)
  • RAM (Random Get entry to Reminiscence): No less than 512 MB
  • CPU (Central Processing Unit): No less than 1.0 GHz
  • Give a boost to for HTTPS

Now let’s take a deeper glance into the reasoning at the back of those {hardware} and internet server suggestions.

1. Internet Server

There are quite a lot of server varieties, however a internet server regularly both refers to a work of device, {hardware}, or each operating in combination. In maximum internet internet hosting circumstances, the time period “internet server” blurs the definition, seeing as how your website recordsdata regularly get saved on a formidable, bodily, computer-based internet server, and the ones website recordsdata get accessed and delivered with a device internet server.

Are there {hardware} and device internet server necessities for WordPress?

{Hardware} Internet Server Necessities and Suggestions

It doesn’t subject which logo of system your host makes use of for internet hosting WordPress websites. Some hosts choose Home windows, whilst others go for macOS or Linux computer systems. In reality, you’ll learn how to install PHP on any Windows, macOS, or Linux server.

What’s extra necessary is the {hardware}’s processing energy, disk house, and RAM, which we’ll quilt within the following sections. You’ll additionally need to make sure your host upgrades its {hardware} regularly (like the entirety, previous machines ruin down), has cooling techniques in its information heart, and implements bodily security features to forestall intrusion into the knowledge heart.

You’ll in most cases in finding details about machines, server suppliers, and places to your host’s site. Kinsta makes use of Google Cloud Platform, which manages a global network of secure, efficient data centers.

Instrument Internet Server Necessities and Suggestions

The device aspect of a internet server takes the knowledge saved in a knowledge heart system and delivers it to customers who need to view or arrange it. It’s how your WordPress site content material will get introduced to guests, and the way you achieve get admission to to server information by yourself dashboard, like in MyKinsta.

WordPress recommends Nginx or Apache because the optimum internet server device choices for working WordPress. It’s now not completely required to make use of both, despite the fact that they each and every have their benefits. You’ll technically use any internet server for WordPress.

The Nginx website - WordPress PHP requirements
Nginx is without doubt one of the appropriate internet server device for WordPress.

On the other hand, WordPress recommends Apache as a result of its title popularity, customization attainable, and reliability. Nginx, in the meantime, provides robust benefits over possible choices as a result of its skill to optimize functionality thru remoted packing containers, privatize server assets, and be offering upper functionality thru stepped forward caching, useful resource dealing with, and firewall implementation.

Kinsta makes use of Nginx as a part of its internet server technique to package deal all performance-optimizing facets into particular person packing containers. That method, all of the assets like Nginx, Linux, and PHP are in a single position.

You’ll optimize your WordPress site all you want, however essentially the most important functionality spice up comes from the internet server and the {hardware} on which that internet server lives. It’s imaginable to regulate your individual on-location server, but it surely’s way more not unusual to go for a server supplier (a third-party corporate with information facilities full of the {hardware} had to host internet servers). Server suppliers come with Google Cloud Platform, AWS (Amazon Internet Products and services), and Rackspace.

Those suppliers be offering environment friendly, safe information facilities and remarkable server energy. On the other hand, server suppliers promote their servers as unmanaged internet hosting environments. That’s why it’s highest to make use of an choice like Kinsta to get admission to Google Cloud Platform’s server energy with the user-friendliness and added server control options of MyKinsta.

2. Disk House

Server {hardware} accommodates a certain quantity of house on a troublesome disk. The WordPress utility has a minimal disk house requirement of one GB. That’s extremely low, so that you shouldn’t have hassle discovering a server with sufficient disk house to give a boost to WordPress.

Disk space comes into question whilst you upload assets to the core WordPress utility. All information recordsdata (like topics, plugins, and media) take in disk house. The laborious disk then acts as a garage unit, but it surely additionally determines how briskly the processes and knowledge get loaded to the CPU.

It’s regularly assumed that processing velocity is crucial issue at the back of server functionality, however the processor dictates the rate and amount of calculations at the server. Despite the fact that processing is the most important in your website functionality, a top quality laborious disk is solely as necessary.

The kind of disk and its cupboard space necessities rely at the enlargement attainable of your WordPress website. A media-heavy site with a continuously rising number of weblog posts and product pages calls for extra disk house. A non-public weblog with some small pictures can get by means of with low disk house ranges. Due to this fact, you select disk house dimension in response to what you wish to have. Kinsta provides SSD garage beginning at 10 GB and going to 250 GB. Disk house overage choices lend a hand to stay your websites working even supposing you move over limits.

The kind of {hardware} used controls the laborious disk’s functionality. Hosts and server suppliers in most cases set up laborious disk drives (HDD) or solid-state drives (SSD) inside the bodily servers.

Right here’s how they fluctuate:

  • SSD: It is a trendy, high-speed laborious disk with out a shifting portions (solid-state), making it much less vulnerable to bodily damages. The cast-state construct of an SSD additionally ends up in sooner information transmission, since there’s no want to look ahead to mechanisms to transport round for the switch. As a result of those benefits, SSDs are dearer than HDDs.
  • HDD: That is an older, less expensive form of laborious disk with inner mechanical parts that transfer. It’s ultimate as a cheap answer for storing information that’s now not wanted often, or for information that calls for much less velocity.

Some internet hosting suppliers decide to retailer databases on SSDs whilst putting different, probably much less necessary belongings on HDDs. This makes for a compromise between worth and function.

Despite the fact that WordPress works nice on an HDD, it’s sensible to make use of servers with SSDs to verify dependable information supply, environment friendly processing, and open avenues for site enlargement.

3. Database

For database device, WordPress purposes highest with MySQL model 5.6+ or MariaDB model 10.1+.

MySQL website - WordPress PHP requirements
MySQL is without doubt one of the supported database device for WordPress.

It’s extremely really useful to make use of those database-related highest practices as properly:

  • Have your database saved on a solid-state pressure.
  • Go for a bunch with computerized database optimization.
  • Turn on computerized backups of your database (and for all your website, for that subject).
  • Make sure that your server lets in for a multi-user atmosphere.

Kinsta provides MariaDB on Google Cloud Platform, weekly MySQL optimization, computerized DB backups, and a multi-user atmosphere.

4. RAM (Random Get entry to Reminiscence)

Server functionality is based closely on random get admission to reminiscence. Located as a hyperlink between the CPU and difficult disk, RAM prepares no matter information comes from the laborious disk and sends it off to the CPU (processor).

Servers benefit from RAM as it’s a lot more straightforward to get admission to than the laborious disk. So, upper RAM ends up in extra information/processes being saved within the “ready space” for the CPU to get admission to when it’s completed with the former procedure. With this information “ready space,” all server processing is going a lot sooner.

The WordPress utility on its own calls for a minimum of 512 MB of RAM. Expanding RAM is smart for any rising WordPress website, whether or not that’s for better databases, media, or anything else that wishes processing.

Kinsta supplies 8 GB of RAM for each same old plans and staging environments, with choices to improve if you wish to have it.

5. PHP and PHP Reminiscence Restrict

As in the past discussed on this article, we at all times counsel the newest model of PHP when working a WordPress website. However what concerning the PHP reminiscence restrict?

PHP reminiscence limits contain the quantity of reminiscence reserved for the internet server to run PHP-based processes. The purpose with the PHP reminiscence restrict is to take away the probabilities of RAM-hogging assets crashing your website. Internet hosting corporations and server suppliers come to a decision upon the PHP reminiscence restrict to your server, so you could want to discuss with them to both build up or lower the restrict.

A regular WordPress set up operates properly with 64 MB of PHP reminiscence restrict, but it surely’s now not unusual for hosts to supply as much as 256 MB if wanted.

WordPress is understood for its skill to combine with plugins, topics, and different apps, and every so often, the ones extras want a bit further energy. That is not unusual with WordPress plugins that depend closely on PHP reminiscence.

Thankfully, you’ll touch your host every time you wish to have to increase this limit.

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6. CPU

The CPU, or central processing unit, is the processing chip inside a {hardware} server. Incessantly regarded as the command heart of any server, the CPU makes a decision what number of processes can happen at the server, and how briskly.

WordPress works simply nice on a measly 1.0 GHz of CPU processing energy. On the other hand, that’s assuming you’ve gotten added not anything to the website. Maximum hosts don’t concern about processing energy anymore, however they focal point on how many processing cores are to be had, making it more straightforward to determine what’s wanted (pronouncing 5 cores is extra comprehensible than pronouncing 50 GHz).

Moreover, CPUs from hosts at the moment are so robust that there’s now not as a lot fear about RAM, particularly when working a light-weight utility like WordPress.

Having stated that, RAM necessities range in response to the kind of website constructed on WordPress. Processing refers back to the server’s skill to multitask, so it ties into all the functionality equation. The laborious disk passes information to the CPU, and the RAM makes having access to that information from the CPU sooner and more straightforward.

On the other hand, the CPU is what if truth be told processes the knowledge. So, extra CPUs make for stepped forward functionality. Two cores procedure two times as many movements as one core. And 6 cores procedure two times as many movements as 3 cores.

Due to this fact, a WordPress website with tens of hundreds of customers having access to more than one recordsdata directly will have to glance into expanding the choice of CPUs on its server.

Maximum internet hosting corporations build up the choice of CPUs as you progress up of their pricing plans. As an example, Kinsta starts its standard plans with 12 CPUs, however you’ll improve if wanted.

7. Bonus Advice: Server Location

It kind of feels like server location shouldn’t subject with the upward thrust of cloud internet hosting and digital personal servers. However with the ones internet hosting varieties, a server remains to be sitting someplace on the earth protecting the contents of your WordPress website. The server has a bodily location, due to this fact making it additional clear of some customers, and nearer to others. This bodily distance impacts the loading velocity of your WordPress website.

WordPress doesn’t require or counsel any specific server location to run its utility, however we advise going with a bunch that has get admission to to an international server community. With an international community, your site recordsdata get positioned at the bodily server of your selection, in all probability the person who’s closest in your customers. You could select a server in the US if maximum of your customers are in the United States. Or possibly you’d go for a particular area, just like the West or East Coast of the United States, making for nearer content material supply choices to customers.

As well as, we advise discovering a server with CDN (content material supply community) features, permitting you not to simplest select your server however benefit from more than one servers at the community, rushing up WordPress website supply instances in every single place the arena.

With Google Cloud Platform, Kinsta can offer 32 data center locations, together with choices in Australia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the United States, Japan, Singapore, and lots of extra; you’re loose to select which information heart works highest on your WordPress website. Moreover, Kinsta supplies a loose CDN thru Cloudflare to hurry up content material supply and take away geographical obstacles between your server and customers.

Kinsta's server locations.
Kinsta’s server places.

8. Bonus Advice: A Distinctive Server Account Username

Maximum servers have a default username that will get shared with all customers of that server. Due to this fact, it’s really useful that you simply run a PHP utility like WordPress with your individual account username as an alternative of sticking with the default username equipped by means of your server. Touch your site host to make this transformation.

The best way to Test if a Internet Host Helps WordPress PHP and Server Necessities

Infrequently a bunch lists details about its give a boost to of PHP and server necessities in its pricing plan main points. The Kinsta Pricing web page, for instance, lists its give a boost to for the newest model of PHP, at the side of details about its SSD garage, WordPress databases, functionality, or even server places from its use of the Google Cloud Platform. Kinsta additionally stocks the way it makes use of MariaDB at the Google Cloud Platform, LXD packing containers, and Nginx to supply a high-speed infrastructure of up-to-date servers, databases, and processing parts.

In the event you’re growing a WordPress website the usage of a unique host, it’s highest to touch buyer give a boost to to determine if the host (and the plan you’re paying for) helps WordPress PHP and server necessities.

You’ll ask with a easy message like this:

 

I would love to host the open-source model of WordPress with (insert host corporate title). I am writing to determine if my internet hosting plan helps the next necessities:
    • MariaDB 10.1 or upper, or MySQL 5.6 or upper

 

    • PHP model 7.4 or upper

 

    • Internet server: Apache or Nginx with mod_rewrite module

 

    • Give a boost to for HTTPS

 

Thank you.

 

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Abstract

WordPress PHP and server necessities are in position to offer protection to your internet sites and to stay them functioning correctly. That’s why it’s so necessary to discover a host that helps a lot of these necessities whilst additionally offering computerized updates and dashboard gear to provide you with get admission to to the server and PHP variations.

In the event you’re opting for a bunch, use the corporate’s pricing web page to grasp which programs give a boost to what your site wishes. You’ll additionally e mail the host and ask them questions.

At Kinsta, we stay alongside of new server necessities so that you don’t have to fret about them. For recently working internet sites, you’ll track PHP variations within the WordPress and MyKinsta dashboards and take motion to replace to the newest PHP every time to be had.

What else will have to be regarded as when reviewing a bunch’s PHP and server choices for a WordPress website? Tell us within the feedback phase.

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