Change PHP options with the selector or .htaccess

To adjust PHP, start with Select PHP Version > Options in cPanel. Choose the version the website uses and change only the value the application needs. A rule in .htaccess can be an alternative when the PHP handler and the directive support that method.

Before changing a value

Note the current value, the PHP version and the application's folder. Keep a copy of .htaccess outside the public root. If several websites use the same version, check whether a selector option could affect all of them.

The value should meet a specific need. For example, for a form that sends more fields than allowed, you might need to raise max_input_vars. Do not raise it to an outsized number to fix any saving error.

Example with php_value

If the server supports this directive in .htaccess, an example would be:

php_value max_input_vars 3000

The number is only a guide: use the one your application requires and check the effective value. Boolean options can use php_flag, but not every PHP directive can be changed from a directory.

php_value is not supported by every handler. If the website returns a 500 error, remove the line you added and check that it recovers; do not keep adding rules. Then use the selector or ask support for the method supported for that domain. Do not mix php.ini, .user.ini and .htaccess instructions: they have different syntax and scope.

Check the result

Check the value from the application or with a protected temporary test in the same folder, and delete it when you finish. A check from the terminal does not show the effective value in a web request.

Then test the operation that was failing. If the problem continues, check its logs and the server's response: a form, web server or memory limit is not necessarily solved by changing that directive.

The plan's resource limits still apply. Raising a PHP value does not on its own increase the RAM, CPU or execution capacity allocated to the hosting.