PHP
PHP is a server-side scripting language that generates web pages and powers applications such as WordPress.
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Definition
PHP is a server-side scripting language that generates web pages and powers applications such as WordPress.
How it works
PHP runs on the server: when a request arrives, the code executes, talks to a database if needed, and sends finished HTML back to the browser. It has been the workhorse of shared hosting for decades and still powers a huge share of the web — WordPress alone runs on it. For hosting, what matters most is a supported PHP version kept current, since old versions stop receiving security fixes.
Example: A WordPress page request runs PHP code that queries the database and assembles the HTML sent to the visitor.
Often confused: PHP executes on the server before the page is sent; JavaScript traditionally runs in the visitor's browser after it arrives.
Related terms
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Sources
Last reviewed 2026-07-19.