How to update PHP in Plesk, domain by domain

For website owners

Change the PHP version for one domain

Plesk keeps PHP settings per domain, so a change here touches one website. Note the current version and handler first; switching back is the same three clicks.

1. Step 1

   Find the domain

   Log in to Plesk and open Websites & Domains. The domain's card already shows its PHP version beside the PHP icon; no version there means PHP is not enabled for that domain.

2. Step 2

   Open its PHP settings

   Click PHP. In Plesk's newer site view it sits under Dev Tools on the site's Dashboard tab.

3. Step 3

   Make sure PHP support is on

   If the PHP support checkbox is clear, select it.

4. Step 4

   Choose the version

   Pick it from the drop-down menu. Prefer PHP 8.3 or later: 8.2 is supported only until 31 December 2026, and the PHP project no longer releases 8.1 or older. If the version you want is not offered, your hosting provider has to install it or make it available.

5. Step 5

   Choose the handler

   The handlers on offer depend on the PHP version and the server's operating system. The handler table below explains the options.

6. Step 6

   Click OK, then check

   The change takes effect shortly. Use View the phpinfo() page on the same screen to read the exact release, as described in confirm it worked.

For Plesk administrators

Install and update PHP versions on the server

Plesk installs PHP as components and sets up the CGI, FastCGI and PHP-FPM handlers for each version automatically. Patching means applying component updates, which Plesk does not do by default.

1. Install the component updates now

# Install every available update for this Plesk version, PHP included
plesk installer --select-release-latest --upgrade-installed-components

# Tell Plesk to re-read its PHP handlers after the binaries change
plesk bin php_handler --reread

# List the PHP handlers Plesk has registered
plesk bin php_handler --list

The first command installs all updates available for your current Plesk version, including PHP. Plesk's lighter plesk installer install-panel-updates updates Plesk alone and leaves PHP as it is unless Plesk needs the change. Run --reread after the PHP binaries change so Plesk's handler records match them.

2. Decide whether Plesk should do this for you

Open Tools & Settings > Update Settings and look for Automatically install updates for third-party components shipped by Plesk, an option on Plesk for Linux. It is off by default because a newer component can break existing sites. Plesk checks for updates once a day, so with it on, security releases such as these arrive without anyone logging in.

3. Add or remove a whole PHP version

Go to Tools & Settings > Updates and click Add/Remove Components. On Linux, expand Web hosting and then PHP interpreter versions; on Windows, expand Plesk hosting features. Installed versions show a green tick and missing ones a red cross: click the icon, choose Install or Remove, then click Continue.

4. Find the domains still on old branches

Tools & Settings > PHP Settings lists every PHP version and handler combination on the server, with the number of domains using each one beside its name. Click a combination's availability icon to stop customers choosing it; make every handler of a version unavailable and the version disappears from their menus.

5. Make each site load the new build

Check each site's phpinfo() page after the update. If one still reports the old release, restart its PHP: from its PHP page for Dedicated FPM, or by restarting the PHP-FPM service for that version on the server. Plesk's own interface runs on a separate PHP build, which Plesk updated to 8.4.27 on 21 October 2026 through its normal product updates.

On a different panel? Read the cPanel and WHM guide, the shared hosting guide if your host manages PHP, or every update route.