PHP 8.4 Becomes the Recommended Runtime for WordPress Hosts
Hosting teams are updating the handbook language. Sites still on 8.1 are not illegal. They are just on borrowed time.
by Riley Cho·July 6, 2026·0 Comments
The Hosting handbook now points at PHP 8.4 as the recommended runtime. That is a signal more than a hard cut. Hosts that still default to 8.1 will look dated on comparison tables.
Plugin authors who have been avoiding typed properties need a weekend. Sites with abandoned must-use plugins need a project plan.
The performance win is real. The security win is realer. “It still loads” remains a weak argument.
