How to change PHP version and PHP interpreter in Plesk

In Plesk 12.5, the PHP version and the PHP interpreter can be easily altered on the fly without any server or domain downtime. This setting can be particularly useful for improving site performance or for switching to your preferred PHP interpreter, if you have one! PHP will create new files and write to existing ones as the user that it runs as.

If you switch between PHP modes this may mean files that were previously writable by PHP are not longer, or vice-versa. Therefore you may need to adjust file permissions or contact support to adjust file ownership if switching PHP mode for an existing website.

The following instructions walk you through how to change the PHP handler from within the Plesk Control Panel.

NOTE: If the file permissions on the domain are incorrect, altering this setting may cause unexpected behaviour. Please contact our support team if you’d like further guidance.

To change the PHP version and handler, follow the steps outlined below:

1. Select Websites & Domains from the left-hand pane.

2. Select ‘Hosting Settings’.

3. Scroll down to “Web Scripting and Statistics” to select the PHP version you prefer and change ‘run PHP as’ to your desired interpreter.

4. Click Ok to save the changes.