You and millions of others are wondering “”Why is WordPress Telling Me to Upgrade PHP?” after seeing after logging into the Dashboard.
You may have noticed a message in your WordPress dashboard asking you to upgrade to PHP 8.3—and you’re probably wondering what that even means.
Here’s the simple version:
PHP is the underlying code that runs your WordPress website—kind of like the engine in a car. Just like a car engine, it needs regular updates to stay fast, secure, and compatible with the latest features.
So why upgrade to PHP 8.3?
- Faster site speed – Your website can load faster with the newer PHP version. Better for SEO and User Experience.
- Better security – Older versions may no longer be patched nor supported, meaning your site could be at risk. Running an outdated PHP version makes your site more vulnerable to: Exploits, Malware injection, Data breaches.
- Future-proofing – Many plugins and themes are starting to require PHP 8.1 or higher, and older versions may soon stop working altogether.
What if you don’t upgrade?
If you ignore the warning: Your site might still work for now, but…
- Over time, plugins or themes could start to glitch, break, or even cause your site to crash.
- You could become more vulnerable to hackers and malware.
- You may not get support from plugin/theme developers if issues arise.
Do you need a new theme or redesign?
Not always! But:
- If your current theme hasn’t been updated in a long time (say 2+ years), it might not play nicely with PHP 8.3.
- A checkup or compatibility test can help confirm whether your theme is safe to use with the upgrade.
- In some cases, a theme refresh or upgrade might be needed to avoid conflicts.
What to do next:
I might be able to take care of this for you—or let you know if your site needs special attention before we upgrade. If you’re DIY-ing your site, it’s a good time to take full backups and test before switching PHP versions. Take screenshots of everything, including the modules and PHP settings.
Read more about PHP upgrades on WordPress.org.
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A WordPress Developer based in Canberra
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