Overview
PHP is the programming language that powers WordPress. Keeping it up to date helps maintain website security, performance, and compatibility with plugins and themes.
On Levamo, PHP versions are managed at the environment level. All sites within an environment, including staging sites, share the same PHP version. Changing it requires redeploying the environment, during which all sites will be offline for up to 15 minutes.
How PHP Versions Work on Levamo
Each Levamo environment has its own PHP version, which applies to every site hosted within it, including staging sites.
Current version: You can view the PHP version running on your environment under Environment → Overview → Environment details or Environment → Manage → PHP. Both locations display the currently installed version.
Security patches: Levamo manages the deployment of critical PHP security patches within your existing PHP series. These updates do not require you to manually select a newer version.
PHP series upgrades: Moving between PHP series, such as PHP 8.4 to PHP 8.5, is normally managed through your dashboard. This functionality is temporarily unavailable while we improve the workflow.
Supported versions: Older PHP versions eventually stop receiving security updates. Refer to the official PHP supported versions for current information.
Important:
A security patch does not necessarily require upgrading to a different PHP series. For example, a security update may change your installed PHP version from 8.5.3 to 8.5.12 without requiring any action from you.
For more information about environments and sites, see Understanding the structure of your Levamo account.
Prerequisites
Before changing your PHP version:
Create backups. Back up every site in the environment. See Creating and managing backups.
Update your software. Ensure WordPress core, plugins, and themes are up to date.
Check compatibility. Verify that your plugins, themes, and custom code support the PHP version you intend to use.
Schedule the change. Choose a low-traffic period, as all sites in the environment will be offline for up to 15 minutes.
Important:
Staging sites share the environment's PHP version with production sites. You cannot independently test a different PHP version on staging within the same environment.
How to Change Your PHP Version
Step 1: Open your environment
Sign in to your Levamo Dashboard.
Click Environments in the top navigation.
Find the environment you want to update and click Manage Environment.
The environment's Overview tab opens.
Step 2: Select your PHP version
Scroll down to Environment details.
Find the PHP version row and click Change.
In the Change PHP version window, select your preferred PHP version from the dropdown.
You can upgrade to a newer version or select an older version if needed for compatibility.
Step 3: Confirm the change
Review the confirmation window, which displays your current PHP version and the version you selected.
Click Confirm to proceed.
Warning:
All sites in the environment, including staging sites, will go offline for up to 15 minutes while the new PHP version is deployed.
Step 4: Verify your websites
Once the deployment completes, check every site in the environment to confirm it is functioning correctly.
Pay particular attention to:
Website pages and WordPress admin access.
Forms, checkout, logins, and other important functionality.
PHP errors or warnings in your site logs.
Troubleshooting PHP Compatibility Issues
If a website stops working correctly after changing PHP versions, an incompatible plugin, theme, or custom code may be responsible.
Common symptoms include critical errors, blank pages, or features that stop functioning.
To investigate:
Check for PHP errors. See Activating WP Debug in the Levamo dashboard.
Identify incompatible components. See Troubleshooting WordPress plugins using Levamo dashboard.
Update or replace affected components where possible.
Revert to a Previous PHP Version
If you cannot resolve the compatibility issue, you can return to your previous PHP version, provided it is still available.
Open Environments → Manage Environment → Overview.
Find PHP version under Environment details and click Change.
Select your previous PHP version.
Review the confirmation window and click Confirm.
Reverting requires another environment redeployment and may cause up to 15 minutes of downtime.
Note: Changing PHP versions is not a website backup restoration. If files or database content have been modified, reverting the PHP version will not reverse those changes.
Important:
Changing PHP versions is not a website backup restoration. If files or database content have been modified, reverting the PHP version will not reverse those changes.
FAQ
Can different sites in the same environment use different PHP versions?
No. All sites in an environment, including staging sites, share the same PHP version. Sites requiring different PHP versions must be hosted in separate environments.
Can I change PHP settings such as upload limits and timeouts?
Yes. PHP configuration settings are managed at the site level, separately from PHP versions.
To access them, open your site and navigate to Manage → PHP. From there, you can access the php.ini configuration file.
These are advanced settings and do not change the PHP version used by the environment.
Can I use an older PHP version?
You can select any version available in your environment's PHP version dropdown.
However, older PHP versions may no longer receive upstream security updates. We recommend using a currently supported PHP version whenever possible.
Does Levamo update my PHP version automatically?
Levamo manages critical PHP security patches within your environment's existing PHP series. These updates are deployed by our infrastructure team and do not require you to change your PHP version manually.
However, Levamo does not automatically upgrade your environment to a different PHP series. For example, moving from PHP 8.4 to PHP 8.5 must be done manually through the dashboard.
This means you remain in control of PHP compatibility upgrades, while Levamo handles critical security patch deployment within your selected series.
How do I know whether a PHP security patch has been applied?
Levamo deploys critical PHP security patches across affected environments as part of our managed hosting service.
The PHP version options shown in your dashboard should not be used as the sole indicator of whether a security patch has been applied. A security update may have been deployed to your environment without requiring you to select a different PHP version.
If you have received a security advisory or want to confirm whether your environment is protected against a specific PHP vulnerability, contact our support team. We can verify the PHP build running on your environment and confirm its patch status.
You do not need to manually change your PHP version unless our team specifically instructs you to do so.
Conclusion
Keeping your environment on a supported PHP version helps maintain the security, performance, and compatibility of your WordPress sites. Before making changes, verify compatibility and plan for the required downtime.
If you encounter issues when changing your PHP version, you can revert to a previous version or contact our 24/7 support team for assistance.