My host upgraded PHP and now parts of my site are broken what should I do?
My hosting company upgraded PHP automatically (I think from 7.4 to 8.1), and now parts of my site have stopped working.
The homepage loads, but:
- some pages show a blank screen
- one plugin throws a fatal error
- admin area is partially broken
I didnt change anything myself, so Im guessing its related to the PHP version.
Ive seen errors mentioning things like deprecated functions and undefined array key.
Whats the safest way to fix this without taking the whole site offline?
Should I downgrade PHP again or start updating everything first?
The homepage loads, but:
- some pages show a blank screen
- one plugin throws a fatal error
- admin area is partially broken
I didnt change anything myself, so Im guessing its related to the PHP version.
Ive seen errors mentioning things like deprecated functions and undefined array key.
Whats the safest way to fix this without taking the whole site offline?
Should I downgrade PHP again or start updating everything first?
Question by Alan Jones
|
Posted 4:12pm, Apr 15, 2026
There is 1 response to this question
Fred Clarke responded : 10:46pm, Apr 19, 2026 (6 months ago)
This happens because PHP 8 is stricter than 7.4, so code that previously worked with warnings now causes fatal errors. Nothing new broke the upgrade just exposed outdated code.
First, switch back to PHP 7.4 if possible to get the site stable. Then check the server error logs to see which plugin or theme is causing the issue.
Update all plugins, the theme, and WordPress. If something hasnt been maintained in a long time, its usually the problem and may need replacing.
Once everything is updated, switch back to PHP 8 and test again. Rolling back PHP is only temporary since older versions arent supported long term.
First, switch back to PHP 7.4 if possible to get the site stable. Then check the server error logs to see which plugin or theme is causing the issue.
Update all plugins, the theme, and WordPress. If something hasnt been maintained in a long time, its usually the problem and may need replacing.
Once everything is updated, switch back to PHP 8 and test again. Rolling back PHP is only temporary since older versions arent supported long term.
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