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Antihost offers managed WordPress hosting with free migration, one-click staging and a 14-day free trial.
For a new WordPress installation in 2026, use PHP 8.3 or newer (PHP 8.4 is the production target) with json, hash, and mysqli available; pcre is built into supported PHP builds. Add the compatibility extensions—especially curl, mbstring, openssl, xml, zip, fileinfo, and imagick—to avoid update, integration, text, upload, and media problems.
WordPress can start with fewer modules, but missing extensions make it perform fallback work or disable features. Verify the PHP version, web-server SAPI, extensions, underlying libraries, database, HTTPS, and memory limit together before changing a production site.
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WordPress.org recommends PHP 8.3 or greater, MariaDB 10.11 or greater or MySQL 8.0 or greater, and HTTPS. WordPress still runs on PHP 7.4+, but that is a compatibility floor, not a sensible new-site target: the requirements page warns that legacy PHP releases are end-of-life and can expose sites to security vulnerabilities.
A May 22, 2026 clarification by WordPress Core contributor John Blackbourn states: “The minimum recommended version of PHP remains at 8.3. The minimum supported version is 7.4 since WordPress 7.0.” The Hosting Handbook recommends PHP 8.4 for production. It lists PHP 8.4 and 8.5 as being in active support, PHP 8.3 as security-only after December 31, 2025, and PHP 8.2 as reaching end of life on December 31, 2026. WordPress 7.0 and 7.1 require PHP 7.4 or later and are fully compatible with PHP 8.2 through 8.5.
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| Item | 2026 guidance | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| PHP version | 8.3 or newer recommended; 8.4 preferred for production | Receives current fixes and avoids relying on the 7.4 compatibility floor |
| Supported floor | 7.4 | Allows WordPress 7.x to run, but the release is legacy and risky for a new deployment |
| Database | MariaDB 10.11+ or MySQL 8.0+ | Meets the WordPress.org recommendation |
| Transport security | HTTPS | Protects logins, administration, API traffic, and updates |
Do not choose a PHP release solely because WordPress accepts it. Confirm your plugins and theme support the selected version, test on a staging copy, and ask the host how quickly it can move the site when the active-support window changes.
Extensions WordPress core requires
The Hosting Handbook identifies three extensions as required for core operation. A supported PHP build normally includes pcre as a built-in component, so it is not usually something a host enables separately.
| Extension | Role in WordPress | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
json |
Encodes and decodes JSON used for data processing and communication with other servers. | It should be loaded in the web SAPI, not only in the command-line PHP binary. |
hash |
Provides cryptographically secure hashing algorithms; WordPress also uses hashing for passwords and update packages. | Confirm it is enabled; it is standard in supported PHP builds. |
mysqli |
Connects WordPress to MySQL and MariaDB databases. | Check the actual database driver exposed to PHP. mysqlnd is a driver used by many builds, but it does not replace the mysqli extension. |
pcre |
Supplies regular-expression processing used throughout PHP and WordPress. | Supported PHP versions include it as a built-in component; there is normally no hosting-panel action. |
If mysqli is absent, WordPress cannot establish its normal database connection. A host advertising “MySQL support” is not enough; PHP must have the extension in the SAPI serving the site.
Recommended extensions for compatibility
WordPress core uses these modules when they are available. The Hosting Handbook explains that without a preferred extension, WordPress may have to do more work or remove functionality. Availability is therefore a compatibility safeguard, not a claim that every site will receive a measurable speed increase.
| Extension | What it enables | Typical symptom when missing |
|---|---|---|
curl |
Remote HTTP requests to APIs, update services, webhooks, and other hosts. The handbook specifies minimum libcurl levels that vary with the PHP version. | Failed API calls, update checks, or plugin/theme downloads. |
dom |
DOM parsing and validation, including Text Widget content and some IIS configuration tasks; it requires libxml. |
Markup validation or widget-related features fail or fall back. |
exif |
Reads image metadata such as orientation. | Images may lose metadata-aware handling, particularly after phone uploads. |
fileinfo |
Detects MIME types for uploaded files. | Uploads can be rejected or classified incorrectly. |
igbinary |
Provides a faster drop-in serializer replacement for compatible caching integrations. | Cache integrations that expect it cannot use that serializer; it is not a core requirement. |
imagick |
Connects PHP to ImageMagick for image editing, higher-quality resizing, and PDF thumbnails when Ghostscript is present. | WordPress falls back to GD, or PDF thumbnail generation is unavailable. |
intl |
Locale-aware formatting, transliteration, encoding, calendars, collation, text boundaries, time zones, and grapheme handling. | Internationalized formatting and text behavior can be incomplete or incorrect. |
mbstring |
Correct handling of multibyte text, including UTF-8. | Non-ASCII text can be truncated, counted incorrectly, or processed unsafely by extensions and plugins. |
openssl |
TLS/SSL connections to other hosts. | Secure API requests, remote downloads, or update operations fail even when networking itself works. |
xml |
Parses XML supplied by third-party data sources; it requires libxml. |
Feeds, imports, sitemaps, or integrations that exchange XML cannot parse their input. |
zip |
Decompresses plugins, themes, and WordPress update packages. | Dashboard installation and automatic updates report that a package cannot be unpacked. |
hash appears in both the core and compatibility discussions because it is required and also performs security-related work used by updates and passwords. Installing an extension does not guarantee its dependencies are usable; the web process must be able to load the linked system library as well.
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Imagick, ImageMagick, and the GD fallback
imagick is the PHP extension; ImageMagick is the system image-processing library it calls. The Handbook recommends ImageMagick 7.1 or newer. When Ghostscript 10.0 or newer is available, Imagick can also create thumbnails from PDF files. Hosts should confirm all three layers: the PHP extension, the ImageMagick library, and Ghostscript where PDF work is required.
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Image format support also depends on the system libraries behind the extension. Ask whether WebP and AVIF are compiled in and enabled, rather than assuming that an Imagick label alone guarantees those formats.
Caching and runtime modules
Enable OPcache for production
OPcache stores precompiled PHP bytecode so PHP does not repeatedly compile every script. The Hosting Handbook recommends enabling it for production. It is a runtime accelerator, separate from WordPress’s object cache, and should be checked after PHP upgrades because configuration can differ between command-line PHP and PHP-FPM or the web server.
Choose one persistent object-cache integration
APCu, Memcached, and Redis are alternative object-cache integrations. The Handbook says only one needs to be used. Select the option your host supports and your application stack can monitor; enabling several does not provide a cumulative benefit and can create confusing configuration. Object caching is optional for a small site, but useful when repeated database queries or expensive computations are a bottleneck.
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Use timezonedb only when needed
timezonedb is optional and supplies timezone data for PHP functionality. It is not part of the minimum WordPress module set. Confirm its availability if an application specifically depends on PHP’s timezone database rather than WordPress-managed timezone data.
Fallback and situational modules
The Handbook lists additional modules that may be used as fallbacks or for particular workloads: bc for arbitrary-precision calculations, filter for input filtering, iconv for character conversion, shmop for shared-memory operations, simplexml and xmlreader for XML processing, sodium for modern cryptography, and zlib for compression. Their necessity depends on the plugins, themes, integrations, and import/export jobs installed on your site.
File transfer has its own fallback chain when direct filesystem access is unavailable. WordPress tries direct I/O first, then SSH2, the FTP extension, FTP over sockets, and finally pure-PHP FTP. SSH2 and FTP-related modules therefore matter mainly on hosts where the PHP process cannot write files directly. A missing transfer module may not affect a site that has correct filesystem permissions, but it can prevent dashboard updates on a locked-down server.
How to check the modules before deployment
- Check the PHP version used by the shell. Run
php -v. This identifies the CLI binary, which may differ from the PHP-FPM or Apache module serving web requests. - List loaded extensions. Run
php -mand look forjson,hash,mysqli,curl,dom,exif,fileinfo,imagick,intl,mbstring,openssl,xml, andzip. The absence ofpcrefrom a list is not by itself a problem because it is built in. - Test exact extensions programmatically. This command prints a clear result for each name:
php -r '$r=["json","hash","mysqli","curl","dom","exif","fileinfo","imagick","intl","mbstring","openssl","xml","zip"]; foreach($r as $e) echo $e,": ",extension_loaded($e)?"yes":"NO",PHP_EOL;' - Inspect versioned modules and libraries. Run
php --ri imagickfor Imagick details. Ask the host to confirm ImageMagick 7.1+, Ghostscript 10.0+ for PDF thumbnails, OpenSSL 3.0+, and WebP/AVIF support at the system-library level. - Check the web SAPI. A temporary, access-controlled PHP information page or your hosting panel’s PHP-info view shows the extensions and configuration actually used by HTTP requests. Remove a public
phpinfo()page immediately after testing because it reveals server details. - Verify WordPress’s view. In the dashboard, open Tools → Site Health → Info → Server and compare the reported PHP version, PHP memory limit, and server details with the host’s settings. Test an update, media upload, and any external integration on staging before changing production.
On managed hosting, enable extensions through the PHP version/extension selector or have support apply them. On self-managed servers, package names vary by operating system and PHP repository; install the extension built for the exact PHP minor version, restart PHP-FPM or the web service when required, and repeat the web-SAPI check. Changing only CLI PHP is a common reason a command-line test passes while WordPress still reports a missing module.
Memory limits that match the workload
The WordPress Hosting Team’s 2026 starting guidance is 128M for a vanilla installation, 256M as a recommended default, and 512M or more for WooCommerce, page builders, multilingual plugins, or import/export workloads. These are starting points, not guarantees: peak memory depends on the active theme, plugin code, image size, request type, and concurrent work.
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| PHP memory limit | Use case described by the Hosting Team | How to apply the guidance |
|---|---|---|
| 128M | Minimum starting point for a vanilla WordPress install | Suitable only when the site has a modest theme and plugin set; watch for exhausted-memory errors. |
| 256M | Recommended default | A practical baseline for many standard sites, subject to testing. |
| 512M or more | WooCommerce, page builders, multilingual plugins, or import/export workloads | Raise the limit only with enough server RAM and after identifying which requests need it. |
Increasing memory cannot repair a missing extension, an incompatible plugin, or a PHP process limit imposed by the host. Compare the value reported to WordPress with the value configured for the web SAPI, not just the CLI.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A pre-launch checklist for hosts and site owners
- Select PHP 8.3 or newer; prefer 8.4 for production where your plugin and theme stack is compatible.
- Confirm MariaDB 10.11+ or MySQL 8.0+ and enforce HTTPS.
- Verify core modules:
json,hash, andmysqli; treatpcreas built in. - Request the recommended compatibility set:
curl,dom,exif,fileinfo,igbinary,imagick,intl,mbstring,openssl,xml, andzip. - For media-heavy sites, verify Imagick, ImageMagick 7.1+, Ghostscript 10.0+ when PDFs are involved, and WebP/AVIF support.
- Enable OPcache and choose at most one of APCu, Memcached, or Redis when persistent object caching is appropriate.
- Set memory according to workload: 128M minimum starting point, 256M typical default, or 512M+ for the listed heavy workloads.
- Check both CLI and web-SAPI results, then test login, uploads, plugin/theme installation, automatic updates, XML or API integrations, and image/PDF processing on staging.
- Ask the host for an upgrade policy and a way to test the complete stack before changing production defaults.
What to do when a module is reported missing
Updates or plugin installation cannot unpack a package
Check zip first, then confirm filesystem permissions and available disk space. If the package must be downloaded rather than read locally, verify curl and openssl as well.
Remote API or webhook calls fail
Verify curl, openssl, DNS, outbound firewall rules, and the remote certificate chain. A loaded curl extension still needs a usable libcurl build and TLS library.
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Uploads are rejected or images look wrong
Check fileinfo for MIME detection, exif for metadata handling, and the image stack. Prefer Imagick with the required system libraries; confirm GD is enabled if it is the intended fallback.
Non-English text or XML imports break
Check mbstring and intl for multibyte and locale operations. For feeds and third-party imports, verify xml, dom, simplexml, or xmlreader according to the plugin’s documented parser.
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The command line says “yes” but WordPress says “missing”
Compare the PHP minor version and SAPI. CLI PHP, PHP-FPM, and an Apache module can load different configuration files and extension directories. Enable the module for the SAPI serving web traffic, restart that service, and recheck Tools → Site Health.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can WordPress 7.x run on PHP 7.4?
Yes. PHP 7.4 is the minimum supported floor, but it is a legacy, end-of-life choice. For a new or renewed deployment, use PHP 8.3 or newer and test plugin compatibility before upgrading.
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Does mysqlnd replace mysqli?
No. mysqlnd is a database driver used by many PHP builds; WordPress still needs the mysqli extension for its normal MySQL/MariaDB connection.
Do I need Imagick if GD is installed?
No. GD can provide basic image processing as a limited fallback. Imagick is preferable when you need higher-quality resizing, broader format handling, or PDF thumbnails with Ghostscript.
Why can a module be enabled in CLI PHP but unavailable to WordPress?
The command line and web server may use different PHP versions, configuration files, or SAPIs. Check the web SAPI through hosting tools or WordPress Site Health and enable the extension there.
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