Category: Getting Started • Est. reading time: 2 minutes
System requirements sound like the boring part, but they matter more than people think. They matter when you first build your site, and they keep mattering every time an update comes along. A lot of us set a website up and then forget about it, updating content here and there while quietly dreading the “update” button, worried one click will break everything we have built. The good news is that when your foundation is current, those updates are routine instead of scary.
The Three Things That Matter
WordPress keeps its official requirements on one page, wordpress.org/about/requirements, and they keep it current. Rather than memorize version numbers that shift with every release, bookmark that page for the exact figures. Here is what actually matters, and why.
PHP. Think of PHP as the engine that runs WordPress. WordPress itself is written in the PHP language, and your server needs the matching PHP engine installed to run it, the same way a car needs an engine to turn the key into motion. Every page a visitor sees on your site gets built on the spot by that engine. Because it does so much of the work, its version matters. Newer versions are faster and more secure, while older ones eventually reach “end of life,” the point where they stop getting security fixes. Running your site on an end-of-life version is a bit like driving on an engine the maker no longer sells parts for. It may run fine today, but you are exposed the moment something breaks. WordPress lists the version it recommends on the requirements page.
A database. WordPress stores your content in a database, either MySQL or MariaDB. Same rule applies: a current, supported version, with the exact minimums listed on that same page. The database is where your posts, pages, settings, and comments actually live, so keeping it on a modern version keeps your site quick and secure.
A capable server. Apache and Nginx are the two most common and well-supported choices, though any server that properly handles PHP and a database will do the job. WordPress also lists HTTPS, the secure padlock in the browser, as a requirement for every install.
The part that never changes: run currently supported versions, steer clear of anything past end of life, and serve your site over HTTPS. The specific numbers move over time. Those principles do not.
Why This Is Really About Your Host
Here is the part we care about most. You should not have to babysit PHP versions and database updates. That is your hosting company’s job. Find a host that keeps these pieces current for you, and you get the peace of mind to roll out WordPress updates knowing the ground underneath them is solid and secure.
How we handle it: on our managed hosting, we keep PHP, the database, and the server patched and current, so your only job is your website. That is the whole point of managed hosting.
Want Us to Handle the Technical Side?
If keeping up with server requirements is not how you want to spend your time, let it be ours. Learn about our managed hosting at allydrez.com, or reach us at support@allydrez.com or 1-321-209-2004. Prefer to learn the ropes yourself? Our live, one-on-one Learn How to Use WordPress classes are at allydrez.com/learn-how-to-use-wordpress.