PHP extensions are powerful add-ons that extend the core functionality of PHP. They enable support for features like image processing, database integration, encryption, caching, and more. Depending on your website or application requirements (such as WordPress, Magento, Laravel, or custom scripts), certain PHP extensions must be enabled for everything to work correctly.

With Web Hosting from Domains.co.za, you can quickly enable or disable PHP extensions directly from cPanel using the Select PHP Version or MultiPHP INI Editor, depending on your hosting setup.

How to Manage PHP Extensions in cPanel

This article assumes that you have already logged into cPanel from your Domains.co.za Account.

Follow these steps to enable or disable PHP extensions through your cPanel dashboard in your Web Hosting account.

1. In the cPanel Dashboard, scroll to the Software section, click Select PHP Version.

5. At the top of the page, select your PHP version (if not already selected) from the drop-down menu.

6. You’ll see a list of available extensions with checkboxes:

• Tick a box to enable an extension.
• Untick a box to disable an extension.

7. Click Save or Apply to confirm your changes.

Note: If you’re using MultiPHP Manager instead, switch to the required PHP version first, then manage extensions via the Select PHP Version option.

Additional Information

What is PHP?

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely used open-source general-purpose scripting language used for website development. PHP runs on various platforms (Windows, Linux, macOS) and is compatible with almost all web servers (Apache, Nginx, IIS). It runs on the web server to generate dynamic web pages before they are sent to the visitor’s browser.

One of PHP’s most powerful features is its ability to be embedded directly within HTML code. This allows developers to seamlessly mix static HTML with dynamic content generated by PHP scripts.

Many popular Content Management Systems (CMSs) and frameworks, such as WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla, are built with PHP. It also supports various databases, including MySQL.

PHP Extensions Explained

PHP extensions are pre-compiled modules that add extra features to your PHP environment, such as interacting with MySQL (mysqli, pdo_mysql), handling graphics (gd, imagick), working with ZIP files, or using encryption (openssl).

• When to Enable Extensions: When your CMS or web application requests it (check installation instructions or system requirements), or when you view PHP errors related to an undefined function or a missing module.
• Security Tip: Only enable the extensions you need. Extra modules can expose vulnerabilities if they’re not being actively used or updated.
• Custom PHP Configuration: Some extensions may require additional settings in php.ini (e.g., max_execution_time, memory_limit) depending on the extension’s role.
• Incompatible Extensions: Some PHP versions don’t support all extensions. Ensure you select a PHP version compatible with the extensions you need, using MultiPHP Manager.

Login to Domains.co.za Account

1. Go to the Domains.co.za Login website page.

2. Enter your Email and Password and click the “Sign In” button.

3. You will see the Domains.co.za Dashboard, displaying the Manage Account menu on the left and your Account Information, Account Overview and Open Support Tickets on the right.

Login to cPanel from your Domains.co.za Dashboard

4. Click on Manage Services to view the sub-dropdown menu and select the hosting package for the domain you want to work with – in our example we are using Web Hosting.

5. Click the Manage button to the right of the domain name you want to access.

6. The display will now show Product Information, Quick Manage, Resource Usage and Site Statistics for that domain name.

7. Under Product Information, scroll down to Control Panel, which will display cPanel to the right, and click on the Login button.

8. The cPanel Dashboard will now be displayed.