PHP has developed to version 8.0+, and WordPress officially recommends that the server use PHP 7.4 or higher to help make the website safe and efficient. Of course, because of the differences between the old and new versions of PHP, it is difficult to avoid the problem that WordPress themes or plug-ins are not compatible with the new PHP version. Therefore, it is necessary to check the compatibility of themes and plug-ins before upgrading to a newer version of PHP, The official recommendation of WordPress is to install the PHP Compatibility Checker plug-in to check the theme used by the website and possible problems with the plug-in. This tool plug-in can be used on any WordPress website on any server host.
The php compatibility checker plug-in can sort out the theme and plug-in code of the website, and provide a report of compatibility problems. The problems of the theme and plug-in can be divided into errors and warnings, and the file and line number (location) of the offending code and the reason why the code is incompatible with the selected PHP version are listed.
At the same time, it is also recommended to update the theme and plug-in, because the new version of the theme and plug-in will generally be compatible with the new version of PHP.
How to use the php compatibility checker:
1. Download the installation theme: Download from WordPress official website (Or search for "php compatibility checker" installation in the background).
2. After installing and enabling the plug-in, click "PHP Compatibility" under "Background - Tools" to enter the plug-in interface:
- Only scan active plugins and theme: Only scan active plugins and themes.
- Scan all plugins and themes: check all plugins and themes.
Select "Scan only active plug-ins and themes" or "Scan all plug-ins and themes". Generally speaking, the former is OK. Select Scan Results for PHP Compatibility to list the plug-ins and topics involved in this check.
3. Click [Scan site] to scan:
- Plugins tick 5.6, 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, and 8.0 to indicate compatible PHP versions.
- Themes is a response failure and needs to be rescanned.
Reminder: Although the plug-in is written to detect more problems as accurately as possible, the detection cannot guarantee 100% reliability. Before migrating to a new PHP version, the best practice is to conduct a comprehensive test. It is recommended to first set up a corresponding server environment on the computer to test if there is no problem before updating on the server.
