PHP Configuration and Versions
Switch PHP versions, edit php.ini settings, and troubleshoot PHP issues in cPanel.
3 min read
Your GoZen Host shared hosting account can run multiple PHP versions. This guide covers switching versions, adjusting settings, and fixing common PHP issues.
Checking Your Current PHP Version
Two quick ways:
- cPanel → Software → MultiPHP Manager - shows the version assigned to each domain
- Create a phpinfo file:
<?php phpinfo(); ?>
Upload this as info.php to public_html/, visit yourdomain.com/info.php, and check the version at the top.
Delete info.php after checking. It exposes your full server configuration to anyone who finds it.
Changing PHP Version
- Go to Software → MultiPHP Manager
- Find your domain in the list
- Select the PHP version from the dropdown
- Click Apply
GoZen shared hosting also has CloudLinux’s PHP Selector (Software → Select PHP Version), which is where you enable extensions and change options for the selected version.
| Version | Status | Use When |
|---|---|---|
| PHP 7.4 | End of life | Legacy apps that can’t upgrade (update them) |
| PHP 8.0 | End of life | Older WordPress/plugins that haven’t updated |
| PHP 8.1 | End of life | Apps not yet tested on newer versions (plan an upgrade) |
| PHP 8.2 | Security fixes only (until Dec 2026) | Existing sites while you test 8.4 |
| PHP 8.3 | Security fixes only | Minimum for new sites |
| PHP 8.4 | Active (recommended) | New projects and updated apps |
| PHP 8.5 | Active (newest) | Sites whose plugins and themes support it |
Editing PHP Settings (php.ini)
Go to Software → MultiPHP INI Editor to adjust settings per domain.
Common Settings
| Setting | Default | Common Change | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
upload_max_filesize | 2M | 64M or 128M | Upload larger files in WordPress or other apps |
post_max_size | 8M | 128M | Must be ≥ upload_max_filesize |
max_execution_time | 30 | 120 or 300 | Prevent timeouts on slow imports or backups |
memory_limit | 128M | 256M or 512M | More memory for complex pages/plugins |
max_input_vars | 1000 | 3000 or 5000 | WordPress sites with many fields (WooCommerce, page builders) |
Using the INI Editor
- Go to Software → MultiPHP INI Editor
- Select Basic Mode or Editor Mode
- Pick your domain from the dropdown
- Adjust the settings
- Click Apply
Basic Mode gives you dropdowns and sliders for common settings. Editor Mode lets you edit the raw php.ini - use this if the setting you need isn’t in Basic Mode.
Via .htaccess
You can also set PHP values in your .htaccess file:
php_value upload_max_filesize 128M
php_value post_max_size 128M
php_value max_execution_time 300
php_value memory_limit 256M
This method works per directory, so you can have different settings for different parts of your site. It works because GoZen shared hosting runs LiteSpeed. Where PHP runs as PHP-FPM (on some VPS setups, for example), php_value lines cause a 500 Internal Server Error: remove them and use the MultiPHP INI Editor or Select PHP Version → Options instead.
PHP Extensions
Go to Software → Select PHP Version → Extensions tab and tick the modules you want enabled. Changes apply to the PHP version shown at the top of that page.
Common extensions that applications need:
| Extension | Required By |
|---|---|
mysqli / pdo_mysql | WordPress, Laravel, any MySQL-based app |
gd / imagick | Image processing (thumbnails, uploads) |
curl | API calls, payment gateways |
mbstring | Multi-byte string handling (non-English content) |
zip | Plugin/theme uploads in WordPress |
intl | Internationalization (Laravel, Symfony) |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| “Your PHP version does not meet requirements” | Switch to a newer version in MultiPHP Manager |
| White screen / blank page | Enable error display: add ini_set('display_errors', 1); to your script or check error logs |
| File upload fails silently | Increase upload_max_filesize and post_max_size |
| Script times out | Increase max_execution_time |
| “Allowed memory size exhausted” | Increase memory_limit |
| Extension missing error | Enable it in Select PHP Version → Extensions |
What to Do Next
- Installing WordPress - WordPress runs on PHP and benefits from these optimizations
- Managing Files with cPanel - edit
.htaccessand PHP files
Last updated 21 Oct 2026, 00:00 +0300.