Seamless Update for Millions of Sites to PHP 8.2

Back in May, we shared the news that PHP 8.2 is becoming the default version  for all new sites hosted on our servers. Now, as of this month, we’re thrilled to announce that PHP 8.2 is fully rolled out across our entire infrastructure for existing sites as well. This significant upgrade provides SiteGround clients with enhanced security improvements and superior performance, ensuring you get the best out of PHP 8.2 right from the start.

Implementing this change on such a large scale was a complex and extensive process, but we carefully planned and executed it. Our unique approach was guided by our commitment to providing clients with seamless, high-quality service and ensuring each of their websites is faster, safer, and better equipped for the future. Here’s more about the journey behind this upgrade.

Smooth Transition and Optimized PHP Experience for Faster and Safer Hosting

The scale of this project was immense, involving hundreds of hours of planning, testing, and implementation by our DevOps team. All this to ensure a smooth, free-of-charge transition to PHP 8.2 for customers who have switched on their Managed PHP service. Here’s a snapshot of the results:

✅ Our team spent 88 days on preparation and gradual upgrades across shared and cloud servers. 

📊 Millions of websites with managed PHP underwent comprehensive compatibility checks.

🎉 A massive 92.92% of sites passed the PHP 8.2 check with no issues and were classified as low-risk and directly upgraded to PHP 8.2.

⏰ Only about 7% of sites were identified as high-risk and were granted additional time to use PHP 7.4 to ensure stability and client peace of mind.

Why the PHP 8.2 Upgrade is Complex – and Necessary

PHP 8.2 brings powerful improvements to our customers’ websites in terms of speed, security, and efficiency. It is designed to handle PHP requests faster, which improves performance across all types of websites. PHP 8.2 is considered a mature release and is the primary version actively supported by PHP core developers, ensuring it remains well-patched.

It includes new functionalities such as read-only properties and deprecation of dynamic properties, allowing developers to produce safer code and leading to a more secure website overall. Plus, it is completely compatible with other software hosted on our platform, and all major apps, like WordPress and Joomla, already support PHP 8.2. 

With all this in mind, this was the right time for SiteGround to make PHP 8.2 the default and ensure our clients get the best from their hosting environment. However, moving to a major PHP version like this one is challenging because it affects almost every application and domain hosted on our servers.

Moreover, some website elements, like old plugins or custom code, may have compatibility issues when moving to a new PHP version. This is why the transition to PHP 8.2 was both important and complex. While new websites on our servers have been using PHP 8.2 by default since May 2024, updating all sites using our Managed PHP service required a meticulous approach.

Initial Testing, Compatibility Checks, and Risk Management

In July, we began a phased upgrade process for clients using our Managed PHP service. We started with the first shared server test and performed detailed checks with sites to verify if they would load correctly with PHP 8.2. These tests were performed in isolation, ensuring that live client sites were unaffected during the assessment process.

This test allowed us to understand whether the sites were ready for PHP 8.2. Our comprehensive compatibility checks helped us categorize websites into low-risk and high-risk groups to better manage the rollout and reduce potential risks for clients.

• Low-risk: websites that our tests detect as properly loading on PHP 8.2
• High-risk: websites that we have detected as having some compatibility issues

To all sites that loaded without a problem, we sent a notification a week before the actual upgrade, ensuring complete transparency and zero surprises for our clients. For sites that did not pass the compatibility check, we kept them on PHP 7.4. This allowed clients to update their site’s code for compatibility while remaining fully functional.

We also contacted such clients with a recommendation to switch back to managed PHP after they resolve the compatibility issues so that we could continue updating their sites automatically and save them time and effort.

Gradual Upgrade of Clients’ Sites with Managed PHP

To ensure stability and minimize risks, our PHP 8.2 upgrade process was gradual and carefully controlled. After the initial server test, we performed a phased upgrade, starting with a five-server batch, then scaling up to 50, 250, and finally 500 shared servers per week. This gradual approach ensured that we could quickly catch and resolve any issues that arose.

By mid-September, the PHP 8.2 upgrade was complete for all our shared hosting servers. At the end of August, we started the upgrade process to our cloud servers which was on track and successfully completed by the end of October.

We’re happy to have achieved the huge upgrade to PHP 8.2 successfully, maintaining our commitment to a secure and up-to-date hosting environment. As always, our team is here to help with any questions and guidance you may need to ensure you get the most out of PHP and beyond!