Upgrading to a newer PHP version improves your site’s speed, performance, and resource efficiency. Seravo always automatically takes care of critical security updates for the active PHP version in the background. However, upgrading to a newer major version (such as moving from 8.1 → 8.2) is the customer's responsibility so that theme and plugin compatibility can be verified beforehand. This guide explains how to test compatibility and change your PHP version both via the WordPress admin dashboard and the command line (SSH).
Prerequisites
In the WordPress Dashboard: Administrator access to your WordPress site and an active Seravo Plugin (installed by default on all sites).
On the Command Line: SSH/SFTP credentials for your site’s server.
Recommendation: For large websites and WooCommerce stores, we always recommend verifying compatibility in a staging environment before making changes on the production site.
Method 1: Changing the PHP Version in the WordPress Dashboard (Seravo Plugin)
This is the recommended and easiest method for most sites.
Go to the Upkeep menu: Log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Tools > Upkeep.
Run the compatibility check: Locate the PHP version section and click Check PHP compatibility. The tool checks your site’s code, themes, and plugins against the selected newer PHP version.
Review the results: If the test reports errors or warnings, update your plugins and themes to their latest versions first. If a plugin does not support the new PHP version, it should be updated or replaced with an alternative before proceeding.
Change the version: Once the test passes, select the desired PHP version from the dropdown menu and click Change version. The new version takes effect immediately.
Verify site functionality: Open your site in a browser and test key features (such as contact forms, shopping cart, and login flows).
Example of the Upkeep page view.
Method 2: Testing and Changing the PHP Version via Command Line (SSH)
Developers and advanced users can check compatibility and change the version directly over an SSH connection.
Connect to the server: Open a terminal and connect to your site via SSH:
Run the compatibility check from CLI: You can test code compatibility for a specific PHP version (for example, version 8.2) using the command:
wp-check-php-compatibility --php_version=8.2
Review the output and resolve any compatibility issues detected in your theme or plugin code.
Set the new PHP version: The PHP version is defined in the nginx configuration file located at
/data/wordpress/nginx/php.conf. You can update the configuration and automatically restart nginx (wp-restart-nginx) by running:wp-php-set-version 8.4
Verify the active version: Confirm that the change was successful by running:
wp-check-php-version
Tip: Even though you select version 8.2 in your settings, Seravo automatically keeps it patched with background security updates. You can check the exact installed PHP package version by running php -v in the terminal.
Troubleshooting / Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't Seravo update my site's major PHP version automatically? Seravo automatically installs security patches for your current PHP version in the background. However, moving to a new major version (like PHP 8.1 → 8.2) often deprecates older PHP functions, meaning an outdated theme or plugin could break your site. Major version updates therefore require testing by the site owner or developer.
My site encounters a critical error after changing the version, what should I do? You can revert to the previous version by updating the setting back in
/data/wordpress/nginx/php.conf. If you cannot access the dashboard or the terminal, contact our customer support ([email protected]) and we will restore the previous working version for you.
Tip for Developers:
If you maintain or develop the site's codebase yourself, refer to PHP's official migration documentation. You can review deprecated functions and breaking code changes for each version upgrade:
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Keeping your PHP version up-to-date ensures fast page load times and full compatibility with modern WordPress features. If your compatibility check reports errors or if you need professional developer assistance with code changes, Seravo's expert services and customer support are always here to help.