Update your Server

You'll need access to your server's system to be able to update it.

PHP

Updating your PHP version makes Saturn faster, more secure, and more reliable.

Check System Requirements and Support for information on which PHP versions Saturn currently supports.

Why update PHP?

Security

PHP is constantly releasing security updates due to its popularity making it a target for hackers. You should ensure that you have an updated version of PHP because it will include security updates that older versions do not.

Performance and Reliability

PHP is releasing updates to its interpreter and JIT compiler to make it faster with each release, PHP 8.x is much faster than 7.x, and so on. This won't only benefit you, but your visitors as well.

Bug fixes come out with every PHP version as well, so having these bugs fixed can be a massive benefit. This will make your website more reliable and less likely to bug out in ways we can't resolve ourselves.

Where possible, we'll avoid using functions that include bugs in previous versions of PHP, but if we don't support that PHP version we quite likely will use a buggy function if it's been fixed in versions that we do support.

SEO and visitor retention

Visitors are more likely to stay on websites that load quickly and without issues, and search engines like this too! Faster loading websites are ranked higher in search engines like Google.

How to check your PHP version.

You'll be alerted on your dashboard if your version of PHP is not supported, and you'll no longer be able to update to verisons of Saturn that don't support your version of PHP.

You can check compatability in the Control Panel.

As always, backup!

You should always backup your website before you update your server, this goes for Saturn updates as well! It's extremely important just incase something goes wrong.

You should also update Saturn first if it's possible to do so. We'll always support more than one PHP version, so don't worry about getting stuck.

I can't update my PHP version, what do I do?

Get in touch with your hosting provider, they should be able to help you do this.