> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://kb.stablepoint.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to change your PHP version in cPanel

You can change the PHP version for your account (or per domain) directly in cPanel. This is useful when an application requires a newer version, or occasionally when legacy software needs an older one.

## Changing the PHP version

1. Log in to cPanel.
2. In the **Software** section, click **Select PHP Version**.

![image](https://files.readme.io/8508266-select_php.png)

3. In the **Current PHP version** dropdown, choose the version you want.
4. Click **Apply** / **Set as current**.

The change takes effect immediately for your account.

## Per-domain PHP versions

If you have multiple domains and need different versions per domain:

1. In cPanel, open **MultiPHP Manager**.
2. Tick the domain(s) to change.
3. Choose the PHP version from the dropdown.
4. Click **Apply**.

<Note>
  Depending on the server configuration, either Select PHP Version (CloudLinux PHP Selector) or MultiPHP Manager may be the primary tool. If both are present, MultiPHP Manager controls the per-domain version and PHP Selector controls extensions/options for the CloudLinux version.
</Note>

## Managing PHP extensions

On the **Select PHP Version** page, after picking a version you can enable or disable extensions (e.g. imagick, intl, soap, opcache) with checkboxes. Most applications list their required extensions in their documentation.

## Which version should I use?

Use the newest version your application supports — newer PHP versions are significantly faster and receive security fixes. For WordPress, the current recommendation is PHP 8.1 or newer.

<Warning>
  Before switching a live site to a new major version, verify plugin/theme compatibility. If the site breaks after switching, you can switch back the same way — the change is instant and reversible.
</Warning>

See also [Changing PHP settings](/web-hosting/software-guides/how-to-increase-your-php-maximum-execution-time) for adjusting limits like max\_execution\_time and memory\_limit.