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In Bluehost Agency Hosting, change a site’s PHP or WordPress version from that website’s Settings in the Bluehost Portal. Open Websites, select Manage Site, choose the relevant version control, select an available version, and click Apply. Back up the site first and test the change on staging when available.
Before changing a version
- Back up the site. Bluehost’s Agency staging instructions recommend creating a backup before changing versions.
- Use staging when available. Bluehost describes staging as a private copy for testing changes before they affect the live website. After testing, its dashboard supports promoting a staging site. See Bluehost Agency dashboard navigation.
- Check compatibility. Bluehost recommends checking that themes and plugins are compatible when updating WordPress. Test essential pages and site functions after changing either version. See Bluehost’s WordPress update guidance.
These precautions reduce risk, but the version-change instructions do not document rollback mechanics; do not assume a change can be reversed automatically.
Change the PHP version
- Sign in to the Bluehost Portal.
- In the left navigation, select Websites.
- Find the target website and select Manage Site.
- On Overview, check the current PHP version if needed.
- Open Settings. In the PHP Version section, select Change PHP Version.
- Choose a version shown for the site, then select Apply.
Bluehost says the PHP change takes effect immediately. Check the site’s essential pages and functions after applying it. The available choices can change, so use the versions displayed in the portal as the current options. The Agency-specific guide says PHP 7.3, 7.4, 8.0, and 8.1 are deprecated and that Agency Hosting supports PHP 8.2 and above at the time described in that guide: Change PHP and WordPress Versions in Bluehost Agency Hosting.
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Change the WordPress version
- In the Bluehost Portal, open Websites and select Manage Site beside the target website.
- On Overview, check the current WordPress version if needed.
- Open Settings. In the WordPress Version section, select Change WordPress Version.
- Choose one of the displayed options and select Apply.
The Agency guide describes these options as follows:
#1 Best Overall
| Portal option | Meaning in Bluehost’s guide |
|---|---|
| Latest | Current stable release |
| Previous | One version behind |
| Beta | Release candidate for testing |
Bluehost says a notification appears after a successful WordPress version change. The exact choices depend on what the portal currently offers. Beta is identified as a testing release, not as the default choice for a live site; check compatibility and test before changing production.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.After applying the change
- Confirm the portal reflects the selected version or, for WordPress, shows the success notification.
- Test important pages, forms, logins, and other functions the site relies on.
- If you tested on staging, promote the tested staging site only after confirming it behaves as expected.
Bluehost’s Agency workflow is specific to the Portal’s website settings. Shared Hosting instructions that use cPanel or MultiPHP Manager describe a different product workflow and do not replace these steps.
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