If your website started showing a 500 Internal Server Error on or after 21st December 2025, this is most likely related to the removal of PHP 8.1, which has now reached end of support.
As advised in the email sent at the end of November, all websites previously running on PHP 8.1 have been automatically upgraded to PHP 8.2.
If your site was not tested prior to this change, please follow the steps below.
Step 1: Check for – and remove – the ini_set workaround
Under PHP 8.2 and above, this workaround is no longer required as we now provide a server-side solution.
Please check your site’s configuration file, for example:
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WordPress:
wp-config.php
Look for the following code:
If this code is present, it should be removed.
Leaving this workaround in place may cause unexpected behaviour or contribute to a 500 error.
After removing the code, save the file and test your website again.
Step 2: Check the error logs
If the issue persists after removing the workaround (or if the workaround is not in the config file), the next step is to review the website’s error logs to identify the cause.
How to access error logs in cPanel:
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Log in to your client area
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Go to Services > My Services
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Click the green Active button next to the relevant service
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Click Login to cPanel from the left-hand menu
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Open File Manager
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Click on the logs directory
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Locate the file ending in
.error.log
The error log will usually indicate:
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Plugin or theme compatibility issues
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Deprecated or removed PHP functions
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Code that requires updating for PHP 8.2
This information can be used to resolve the issue or passed to your developer.
Step 3: Need further assistance?
If you do not have a developer or would like help resolving the errors, our Design Team may be able to assist.
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Design work is chargeable
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Please raise a support ticket and include:
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The affected domain name
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Confirmation that the issue began after 21st December 2025
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Any relevant error messages from the
.error.logfile
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Providing as much detail as possible will help the team investigate more quickly.
