Yes, we sent an email on July 20, 2022, to inform all customers that PHP 7.4 will no longer be an available option for new sites, noting all sites will be upgraded to PHP 8.0 in November. That same day, we also posted a banner inside the MyPressable Control Panel announcing this.
We sent another email on August 9, 2022, to inform customers that the update was complete and customers could choose either PHP 8.0 or PHP 8.1 for new sites.
We will send additional emails notifying customers with sites running PHP 7.4 to ensure everyone has an abundance of time to test and complete the update on their sites before the required update deadline. Our plan is to send these once per month leading up to the update on November 2, 2022.
Any sites you have that are running PHP 7.4 will continue to use that version, and any clones (or staging sites) that you create of that site will carry over your use of PHP 7.4 as well.
All sites running PHP 7.4 will be automatically upgraded in November, so we recommend all customers begin testing and updating their sites as soon as possible.
We have published an article here that details the new features and enhancements that come with the update to PHP 8.0, as well as information on PHP 8.1. Beyond the technical details, it’s important to note the upgrade comes with performance improvements as well. For example, PHP 8.0 can handle 18.4% more requests per second than PHP 7.4. That can make a noticeable difference for a busy site or store!
We published a blog post here that discusses more about what PHP is and how to safely upgrade the version on your site. Don’t forget to take advantage of your free staging environment that comes with your plan!
If the PHP update triggered an error on your site, most likely an outdated plugin or theme is the cause. The error logs for your site might indicate where the problem is originating from.
We have a guide on how to access these logs here.
Additionally, you can reach out to our customer success team for assistance, either through live chat or via email at help@pressable.com. What we can help with is limited (more information here) but we would be more than happy to point you in the right direction for a fix!
PHP.net maintains a timeline showing the various PHP versions and their lifecycles. It’s a great resource for anyone wondering when the next version will reach EOL. That said, PHP 8.0 will no longer receive security updates as of November 2023 and we will stop supporting it around that time.