{"id":6487,"date":"2020-03-17T11:33:10","date_gmt":"2020-03-17T09:33:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xneelo.co.za\/insights\/?p=6487"},"modified":"2026-04-13T12:04:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T10:04:12","slug":"understanding-php-web-hosting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xneelo.co.za\/insights\/understanding-php-web-hosting\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding PHP and web hosting"},"content":{"rendered":"

Think of PHP as a digital language. PHP, which stands for Hypertext Preprocessor, is an open-source, server-side scripting language used to build websites. In fact, it\u2019s the most popular scripting language on the internet, powering 78% of all websites* (including Facebook, Wikipedia and WordPress).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is PHP?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Chances are if you have a website, or visit one frequently, you\u2019ve already encountered PHP. But what does it do exactly? PHP is the engine that drives dynamic content on your website. What that means is that e-commerce sites, blogs, online galleries and community forums are all possible thanks to PHP.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When you visit a website written in PHP, your browser requests a page from the webserver. PHP interprets this code and renders the relevant web page. This may sound simple enough, but bear in mind each web page could involve multiple database calls, number crunching and loading media. All of this is happening in the background, without you even noticing.<\/span><\/p>\n

PHP is always changing<\/span><\/h2>\n

PHP is constantly improving with newer versions that boast better security and performance enhancements. Given its popularity and widespread use, it is often a target for hackers. That means it\u2019s vital that your website\u2019s version of PHP is always kept up to date. It\u2019s a good habit to upgrade as newer versions become available, to ensure the latest security and performance features are active on your site.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As newer PHP versions are released, older versions of PHP reach end-of-life: this means they no longer receive active support. If you continue to use these older versions of PHP, you\u2019re putting your website at risk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s good practice for hosting companies to phase out older versions from their hosting platform and encourage customers to upgrade their hosting accounts accordingly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

PHP and WordPress<\/span><\/h2>\n

PHP drives WordPress via a customised framework: everything from its core codebase to the plugins and themes. Naturally, as a result, PHP plays a huge role in the WordPress community.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a WordPress user, you don\u2019t need to learn how to write in PHP, but it\u2019s important to understand its role. Using the most recent version of PHP ensures your website is faster and more secure.\u00a0 A faster site also has SEO benefits and encourages customer retention, so it\u2019s a win-win.<\/span><\/p>\n

Upgrading your PHP version<\/span><\/h2>\n

Before you upgrade, it\u2019s important to note that if your site isn\u2019t compatible with the version you\u2019re upgrading to, it could break (resulting in website downtime). There are a few steps you can take beforehand:<\/span><\/p>\n