Why Update PHP?

Updating PHP is important for several reasons:

1. Security: Older versions of PHP may contain known security vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers. PHP updates fix these vulnerabilities, ensuring a safer environment for your website.
2. Performance: Newer versions of PHP are generally faster and more efficient. By updating PHP, you can improve your website's performance, resulting in faster loading times and a better user experience.
3. Compatibility: PHP updates ensure compatibility with the latest versions of software, frameworks, and libraries. This allows your site to function properly with third-party applications and take advantage of the latest features.
4. Features: New PHP versions often introduce new features, enhancing your website's capabilities and enabling you to leverage new technologies.
5. Technical Support: Older PHP versions may no longer be supported by developers, meaning you won't receive security patches or technical assistance. By updating PHP, you stay up to date with ongoing technical support.
6. Compliance with Standards: Keeping PHP up to date ensures that your website complies with current standards and best practices, which can be essential for legal and compliance reasons.

It is essential to keep PHP up to date to ensure the security, performance, and stability of your website. However, be sure to thoroughly test updates in a development environment before applying them to your production site to avoid any unexpected negative impact.

Summary of supported Prestashop and PHP versions

The PHP version of your server can be configured directly via your host. It is recommended to use a recent and up-to-date version to not only make your site vulnerable to security vulnerabilities, but also to enjoy optimized performance.

Be careful, using a PHP version compatible with your CMS is not enough. The complete environment - theme and installed modules must be up to date.

PHP life cycles

Each PHP branch is officially supported for 2 years, plus an additional year for critical security breaches. After that, they are no longer updated and therefore exposed.