If you were linked to this page from your WordPress dashboard, then it means that you’re running an outdated version of PHP.
PHP is the programming language that WordPress and MonsterInsights are built on. The version that is currently used for your site is either insecure or no longer supported.
Why Keep PHP Updated?
Newer versions of PHP are both faster and more secure. In fact, the version of PHP your website is using no longer receives security updates, which is why we sent you the notice.
WordPress Core is removing support for older versions of PHP, and that means your site will not be able to get new versions of WordPress, and in the future potentially even security fixes, making your site both unnecessarily slow and potentially vulnerable to hackers.
MonsterInsights, following WordPress’s lead, is adopting the same minimum requirements as WordPress is over a phased period.
We highly recommend upgrading to PHP 8.2 or newer (your website will be 400% faster if you do), but at the minimum you need to update to PHP 8.0.
WordPress has removed support for PHP versions below 7.0 and is working towards removing support for 7.0 to 7.4 in future versions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which version should I update to?
You should update your PHP version to 8.2 or greater (whatever the latest version is that is offered by your web host). Most sites can upgrade to PHP 8.0+ without issues, which is our recommendation.
How do I update PHP?
Prerequisites: Before making any major changes to your site, we recommend backing up your website first.
For most sites, we recommend the popular BackupBuddy plugin. For more options, please see WPBeginner’s post: 7 Best WordPress Backup Plugins Compared (Pros and Cons).
Web hosts have the ability to update your PHP version. In most cases, you can upgrade within your web hosting control panel or by submitting a support ticket to your host. Updating PHP should take no more than a few minutes, and in almost all hosting providers, requires no or only a few seconds of downtime. After the update, your website will run up to 400% faster.
What to do if Your Host Won’t Update PHP?
The easiest way to resolve this issue is to contact your web hosting provider and ask them to update the PHP version on your hosting account. This actually is quite easy, and something they should be doing proactively. However if your web hosting company is unwilling to do this, then it clearly shows that they DO NOT care about your website security. Updating a PHP version for them can be done in most cases in a single click, and takes only a minute to do. There simply is no excuse they can give you that is valid for keeping your website on insecure software that’s up to 10 years out of date.
In that case, we recommend that you switch to one of the recommended WordPress hosting companies listed on WPBeginner’s article.
At MonsterInsights, our favorites are Bluehost and SiteGround, both of them are officially recommended by WordPress as well. Our website is hosted with SiteGround. They both use servers with the latest PHP versions and keep them up to date, so you don’t have to.
What to Say to your web host?
Here’s a letter you can send to your host. Copy and paste!
Dear Hosting Provider, I would like to ensure my hosting account is running PHP 8.2 or newer, and the latest version of WordPress. If I am not already on the latest version of PHP or WP, please let me know what steps I need to take to update. Thanks!