How to Change the PHP Version of a Website in Plesk

Changing PHP can fix an application’s compatibility warning, but it can also break older code or reveal missing extensions. In Plesk you change it under Websites & Domains > your domain > PHP, by choosing a new PHP version and clicking OK. This guide shows you how to change one website safely on Noiz Plesk hosting, check the result and roll back if something breaks.

Last reviewed: 13 October 2026, against the current Plesk Obsidian release. This guide is written for Noiz hosting and is kept current against Plesk. It complements, and does not replace, the official Plesk documentation linked below.

Official Documentation Reference

• PHP Settings (Plesk administrator guide): the controls on the PHP page.
• Choosing the PHP Handler (Plesk administrator guide): the vendor’s description of each handler.
• Running PHP Scripts from the Command Line (Plesk administrator guide): version-specific PHP binaries.
• Supported PHP versions (php.net): which branches still receive security fixes.

Prerequisites

• A Noiz hosting plan with Plesk, and access to the domain’s PHP settings.
• The application’s PHP requirements, including its plugins, theme and required PHP extensions. Choose a branch that the application supports and that still receives security fixes. Availability in Plesk alone does not establish this.
• A current backup of the files and database, with a known way to restore it. Take an on-demand backup just before the change. A working home page is not a substitute for a backup.
• A note of the current PHP version, the full PHP handler name and any custom PHP settings, so that you can put them back.
• Where possible, a staging copy to test on first. Disable outgoing mail, payments and scheduled jobs on that copy so testing does not affect customers.

Plan a quiet period for the live change. Avoid combining it with an application upgrade, handler change or performance tuning: separate changes make failures easier to isolate.

Change the PHP Version

1. Go to Websites & Domains and find the domain.
2. Click PHP. The link shows the version the site uses now.
3. Note the current PHP version and PHP handler exactly as shown.
4. Choose the new version from the PHP version list.
5. Check the PHP handler list. Changing version can reset the handler, so select the same handler type as before (for example, Dedicated FPM application served by Apache). The full handler name can include the PHP version, so the text changes even when the type is the same.
6. Click OK.

For what each handler means and which one we recommend, see PHP Handlers on Noiz Hosting, and Which to Choose. Changing from an Apache-served handler to an nginx-served one changes how .htaccess rewrite and access rules work, so keep that as a separate task.

If the version or handler you need is not in the list, ask us to check what is enabled for your subscription. Do not change Proxy mode to make an option appear: it changes which web server handles the site. The Recommended Web Server Configuration on Noiz Hosting explains that setting.

Check the Website, Not Just the Selector

Open View the phpinfo() page from the domain’s PHP page and check the version, required extensions and relevant settings. Use this panel view instead of leaving a public diagnostic file on the website.

Then test:

• An uncached page and a nested URL, not only the home page.
• Sign-in, search, forms and uploads that the site actually uses.
• A safe checkout test if applicable, without creating an unintended payment.
• The application’s logs for new errors at the time of the change.

A panel value does not prove every application request uses it. Local configuration or application code can override some settings; PHP documents where each directive may be changed.

For an upload-limit problem, identify the rejecting layer using the Plesk HTTP 413 guide. Raising PHP limits alone may not resolve it. Keep public error display off and use logs for diagnosis.

Check Scheduled Tasks Separately

Changing the website’s PHP version does not establish which PHP version a scheduled task or SSH command uses. Open each task and check its PHP version setting or command path, then verify its next run. See How to Edit or Delete Scheduled Tasks in Plesk.

If your plan includes SSH access, note that Plesk on Linux supplies version-specific binaries under /opt/plesk/php/<version>/bin/php; replace <version> with an installed branch. A bare php command uses whichever executable comes first in that session’s path.

If the Change Breaks the Site

1. Restore the recorded PHP version, handler and only the settings you changed.
2. Repeat the test that failed.
3. If the site recovers, use the error log and the application’s requirements to prepare the next attempt.

A 500 error alone does not prove incompatible code: missing extensions and configuration errors can also cause it. An unsupported old branch is a temporary recovery measure, not a finished upgrade. If an application upgrade also changed files or the database, switching PHP back may not be enough; restore a consistent backup only after accounting for new orders or other data written since it was taken.

Need a Hand?

If recovery fails, or you are on a managed Noiz plan and would prefer us to make the change, contact our support team with the domain, the time of the change, the old and new versions and handlers, and the relevant error. Do not send passwords or a full phpinfo dump.