End of PHP 8.2 support: check your website before 31 December 2026

If your website or store runs on PHP 8.2, you have until the end of the year. According to the supported versions table on php.net, after 31 December 2026 this version stops receiving security patches. Version 8.1 already lost them on 31 December 2025.

This guide shows you how to check in 2 minutes which version your website runs on and how to change it safely. You also get a checklist with a backup and a test. The change usually takes a few dozen minutes, and skipping it can cost much more.

What the end of PHP 8.2 support actually means

PHP is the language that WordPress, WooCommerce and PrestaShop are written in, along with many forms and scripts on websites. The PHP developers support each version for four years: two years of full support and two years of security fixes only. PHP 8.2 has been in this second phase since the beginning of 2025. When that time runs out, newly found vulnerabilities in this version are no longer patched.

Your website will not stop working on 1 January 2027. The problem is that the server will be running software with known, unpatched holes. For a store where customers enter their details and pay, that is a real risk.

The consequences show from the other side too. Plugin developers are gradually stopping testing their add-ons on old versions. WooCommerce already lists PHP 8.3 or newer in its server requirements (tested up to 8.4). It still works on older versions, but the developer warns that versions that have lost support expose the store to vulnerabilities.

How to check your PHP version in 2 minutes

Start with the simplest method. Below are three ways; pick the one that suits your website.

Method 1: WordPress

1. Log in to the WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to Tools (Narzędzia), then Site Health (Stan witryny).
3. Open the Info (Informacja) tab and, in it, the Server (Serwer) section. Next to “PHP version” (Wersja PHP) you will see a number, for example 8.2.

Method 2: hosting panel

In your hosting panel (OVH, home.pl, nazwa.pl or another provider), look for an item such as “PHP version” (Wersja PHP), “PHP settings” (Ustawienia PHP) or “PHP configuration” (Konfiguracja PHP). The names differ between companies, so if you don’t see them right away, check the provider’s help.

Method 3: a small test file

If you deploy the website yourself, upload a file named version.php to the server with this content:

<?php
echo 'PHP: ' . PHP_VERSION;

Open it in the browser, write down the result and delete the file from the server right away. Don’t leave it public, because it is needless information for people looking for weak points.

If you don’t know how to go about it, use my free tool Check your website. It checks the website in several areas in 30 seconds and suggests what to improve. It does not replace checking the PHP version on the server side, though.

Which version to move to

The target is PHP 8.3 or 8.4. According to php.net, 8.3 receives security fixes until 31 December 2027 and 8.4 until 31 December 2028, so 8.4 gives you a year more in reserve. PHP 8.5 (support until 31 December 2029) is also out, but not all add-ons officially support it. The exact choice depends on what your CMS, theme and plugins support. There is no point in going for the highest version if the store then starts showing errors.

A note for stores on PrestaShop 8: according to the documentation, versions 8.0–8.2 officially run on PHP 8.1 at most, which no longer receives patches. A supported PHP therefore requires moving the store to PrestaShop 9 first. That is a separate, bigger project than just changing PHP, and it is worth planning ahead.

The rule is simple: first you check the requirements, then you test on a copy, and only at the end do you change the version on the website your customers see.

Checklist for changing the PHP version

This is the part worth printing out. Do it in this order.

1. Write down the current PHP version and the list of plugins with their version numbers.
2. Make a full backup: files and database. Download it off the server rather than just leaving it on the hosting.
3. Update the CMS, theme and plugins to the latest stable versions. Older ones often don’t work on newer PHP.
4. Remove plugins you don’t use. Each one is extra risk and a potential error after the change.
5. Create a test copy of the website (a so-called staging site). Some hosts have this in the panel; if not, you can set one up on a subdomain or with a plugin.
6. Change the PHP version on the copy and check the error log.
7. Test the key functions (list below).
8. Change the version on the live website, preferably outside peak traffic hours.
9. Repeat the tests and watch the website for a few days.
10. Have a rollback plan: you can usually undo a version change in the panel within a few minutes, and when that is not enough, the backup from step 2 will save you.

What to test after the change

It isn’t enough to open the home page. Errors often hide in places you visit rarely.

• Contact form: send a message and check that it reached your email.
• Service subpages and the blog, and the on-site search.
• Dashboard login and adding or editing a post.
• Store: adding a product to the cart, checkout, a test order with payment, emails to the customer, shipping.
• Galleries, calculators and booking plugins, if you use them.
• The server’s error log: it should be empty or contain only minor warnings.

Where to change the PHP version at popular hosts

Each provider has it in a different place, and panels sometimes change. Below are the paths according to the providers’ help pages as of October 2026.

• OVHcloud: in the Customer Panel (Panel klienta) go to Web Cloud → Hosting and select your hosting. On the “Informacje ogólne” (General information) tab, in the “Konfiguracja” (Configuration) box, click “...” next to “Ogólna wersja PHP” (General PHP version), then “Zmień konfigurację” (Change configuration), “Zmień bieżącą konfigurację” (Change the current configuration) and “Dalej” (Next), choose the version and click “Zatwierdź” (Confirm). In the same window there is the option “Przywróć poprzednią konfigurację” (Restore the previous configuration). The setting applies to the whole hosting, and a different version for one website is set with an .ovhconfig file.
• home.pl: in the Customer Panel (Panel klienta) choose Usługi WWW (Web services) and the name of your hosting, then, in the “Serwer WWW” (Web server) section, the menu “Ustawienia” → “Preferencje serwera” (Settings → Server preferences). You choose the version in the “Interpreter PHP” (PHP interpreter) field and click “Zapisz” (Save). The change covers all directories on the hosting. In the same menu there is the “Raport zgodności z wersją interpretera PHP” (PHP interpreter version compatibility report), which shows whether the applications on the server are ready for the selected version (preparing it can take a few hours).
• nazwa.pl (CloudHosting): in the CloudHosting Panel hover over the “WWW i FTP” (Web and FTP) tab, choose “PHP i Node.js” (PHP and Node.js), and in the “Ustawienia PHP” (PHP settings) section pick the version from the list and click “Zapisz” (Save). The change applies to the whole server, that is, to all websites on it. Versions from 8.2 upward are available at no extra charge.

If you can’t find the option, write to the provider’s support and give your domain. They usually reply with where to click.

What not to do

• Don’t change the version without a backup. It is the most common mistake and the most expensive one.
• Don’t test straight away on a live store in the middle of the day.
• Don’t ignore messages about incompatible plugins. If the author no longer develops them, look for a replacement.
• Don’t leave the PHP version file on the server after checking.
• Don’t wait until December. If something needs fixing, support is hard to get in the last days of the year.

When the website is old or the plugins don’t fit

Sometimes a website runs on an old theme and plugins whose authors stopped updating them long ago. Changing the PHP version then triggers an avalanche of errors. In such a case it is better to consider a website redesign: I move over the content and addresses without losing SEO, and the new code doesn’t depend on a set of outdated add-ons.

If you prefer someone else to make such changes for you, under technical maintenance I take care of updates, backups and a quick response when something stops working.

Summary

After 31 December 2026, PHP 8.2 will not receive security patches, so it is worth moving to 8.3 or 8.4 before the end of the year. First check the version, make a backup, test the change on a copy of the website, and only then change it on the live website.

If you don’t want to do this yourself, write to me. I will check the version, run a test on a copy and change the PHP version. I reply within 24 hours, and new clients get 20% off their first order.