WordPress PHP Requirements Checker
Check whether a WordPress, plugin or theme PHP requirement is satisfied by a target PHP version, and understand the difference between minimum compatibility and the modern recommended baseline.
Runs locally in your browserVersion comparison only — passing declared requirements does not guarantee runtime compatibility. Test important workflows on staging before changing production PHP.
Check PHP requirements before you update, migrate or deploy
A WordPress site can meet WordPress core’s minimum PHP requirement while a particular plugin or theme still requires something newer. This checker compares a target PHP version with WordPress core and with a plugin or theme requirement you enter, so you can spot obvious version mismatches before a deployment.
What the checker evaluates
- Your target PHP version against WordPress 7.1’s PHP 7.4 minimum.
- The same target against WordPress.org’s current recommended PHP 8.3+ baseline.
- An optional plugin or theme
Requires PHPvalue. - An optional WordPress version against a plugin’s
Requires at leastvalue.
Everything runs locally in your browser. No server details or plugin files are uploaded.
Minimum does not mean recommended
WordPress 7.1 supports PHP 7.4 and newer for backward compatibility, but PHP 7.4, 8.0 and 8.1 are already end-of-life upstream. WordPress.org currently recommends PHP 8.3 or greater as the modern hosting baseline. Treat those as different questions: can WordPress run? and is this a sensible supported production environment?
Where plugin requirements come from
WordPress plugins can declare Requires PHP and Requires at least in the main plugin file. WordPress uses these headers when validating plugin requirements. Themes similarly declare their WordPress and PHP requirements in style.css.
How to use this tool
- Enter the PHP version available on the destination server.
- Optionally enter the WordPress version you plan to run.
- Copy the plugin or theme’s declared minimum PHP and WordPress versions when known.
- Review each result separately instead of treating one green result as proof of complete compatibility.
- Test the actual site on staging before changing production PHP.
What this tool cannot prove
A version number comparison cannot detect deprecated APIs, removed PHP behavior, extension dependencies, custom code problems, binary modules, database compatibility or runtime bugs. A plugin may declare a low minimum while still containing a code path that fails on a much newer PHP release. Conversely, missing requirement headers do not prove compatibility.
A safer PHP upgrade workflow
Take a current backup, update WordPress/plugins/themes where appropriate, clone or stage the site, switch PHP there first, inspect frontend and wp-admin, exercise checkout/forms/background jobs if relevant, and review PHP/debug logs. Only then schedule the production change with a rollback path.
Frequently asked questions
What PHP version does WordPress recommend now?
WordPress.org currently recommends PHP 8.3 or greater. WordPress 7.1 still has an absolute minimum of PHP 7.4 for backward compatibility.
Does passing this checker guarantee my plugin works?
No. It only checks declared version constraints. Real compatibility requires testing the code and its important workflows.
Where do I find a plugin’s minimum PHP version?
Look for the Requires PHP header in its main plugin PHP file or the requirement shown by its official distribution page. Modern WordPress reads the requirement from the main plugin file.
Can I paste a full plugin file here?
You do not need to. Enter only the version values. Keeping the tool version-based makes it fast, private and explicit about what it can and cannot validate.
Related tools: If an upgrade produces errors, inspect them with the WordPress Debug Log Analyzer. If PHP memory is the problem rather than the PHP version itself, use the WordPress Memory Limit Generator.