Those who want to adopt PHP 8.5 can make the move within the MyKinsta dashboard or via the Kinsta API. We’ve already put the release through its paces across several CMS platforms in our annual PHP benchmarking tests.

Here’s what you need to know about making the switch here at Kinsta.

Think twice (or more) before adopting a new PHP release

Changing the PHP version on your WordPress website is simple with Kinsta. But incompatibilities between a new PHP engine and old PHP code can have serious ramifications for a site, including knocking it offline altogether.

That’s why we recommend testing your website and any new PHP release in a staging environment. Make the switch on your live site only after confirming that the staged environment performs without errors.

We also recommend backups. As you should before any major change to your WordPress site, create a backup in case something goes wrong. The solution to a broken website after moving to a new PHP engine is usually reverting to the release you were using before the change.

PHP and WordPress release matchups

Many website owners would describe the relationship between their WordPress installations and PHP releases as “complicated.” We provide long-term support for PHP releases (as old as 7.4) that the PHP Group deems past end-of-life. We do this because so many WordPress users have significant applications (usually found in the code of themes or plugins) that break on more recent releases of PHP.

Life is easier for site owners who stay up to date. WordPress 6.9 is scheduled for release and has already been tested successfully with PHP 8.5. However, this compatibility with new PHP releases is always considered “Beta” by WordPress developers until at least 10% of all known instances of the CMS are running on that PHP engine or a newer version.

How to switch to PHP 8.5 in MyKinsta

To upgrade a WordPress environment to PHP 8.5, log in to MyKinsta and navigate to WordPress Sites > environment name > Tools, then click the Change button on the PHP settings card:

You can perform a PHP update in bulk for multiple environments from the WordPress sites page. In the example below, we’ve selected the checkboxes beside the names of staging environments for two sites and are choosing Change PHP settings from the Actions dropdown menu:

Whichever path you choose, the next step is to select the PHP version you want to adopt and click the Change PHP version button:

While updating the version of PHP behind your website, you have the option to enable Automatic PHP updates. This feature ensures that your website never runs on a release of PHP that has reached end of life. It will not automatically upgrade from a PHP release that is still supported by PHP’s developers.

Switching to a different PHP engine takes a few minutes. The change requires a PHP restart, which will make the admin dashboard in WordPress briefly unavailable. The MyKinsta dashboard will report when the process is complete.

How to switch to PHP 8.5 using the Kinsta API

The Kinsta API’s /tools endpoint can be used to update the version of PHP running on an environment and also enable or disable the automatic PHP updates feature.

Here’s an example using the cURL tool along with a Kinsta API access key (token) and an environment’s ID:

curl -i -X PUT 
  https://api.kinsta.com/v2/sites/tools/modify-php-version 
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_TOKEN_HERE>' 
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' 
  -d '{
    "environment_id": "{env_id}",
    "php_version": "8.5",
    "is_opt_out_from_automatic_php_update": false
  }

A successful request for a PHP version update will return a 202 status code.

And check this out: Austin Ginder of Anchor Hosting has a useful article on bulk updating PHP on Kinsta websites using the API.

The post PHP 8.5 is now available to Kinsta customers appeared first on Kinsta®.

These additions give you clearer visibility into consumption and more flexibility to automate routine WordPress tasks across your sites.

Check current-month visits, bandwidth, and CDN usage

You can now retrieve visits, server bandwidth, and CDN bandwidth usage metrics for the current billing month. These endpoints make it easy to monitor consumption, power internal dashboards, or trigger alerts when usage approaches plan limits.

Each endpoint returns a simple object containing the site ID and its usage totals for the month.

Here is an example request to get current-month visits:

curl -i -X GET \
  'https://api.kinsta.com/v2/sites/{site_id}/usage/visits/this-month' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_TOKEN_HERE>'

Example response:

{
  "site": {
    "id": "54fb80af-576c-4fdc-ba4f-b596c83f15a1",
    "this_month_usage": {
      "visits": 100
    }
  }
}

To retrieve server bandwidth or CDN bandwidth, replace visits with bandwidth or cdn-bandwidth in the endpoint URL.

You can learn more about each usage endpoint in the API documentation for visits, server bandwidth, and CDN bandwidth.

Run WP-CLI commands programmatically

We now also have a /run-wp-cli-command endpoint that lets you execute WP-CLI commands on any environment through the Kinsta API.

This opens the door to automating routine WordPress tasks such as checking the core version, clearing caches, inspecting plugins, or retrieving site details.

Example request:

curl -i -X POST \
  'https://api.kinsta.com/v2/sites/environments/{env_id}/run-wp-cli-command' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_TOKEN_HERE>' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "wp_command": "wp core version"
  }'

After sending the request, the API returns a 202 response, which confirms the command is queued. Any other status code reflects a validation, authentication, or execution issue.

You can test this directly in the API documentation using the Try it button.

Build on your workflows with the latest Kinsta API additions

These usage and WP-CLI endpoints continue our ongoing expansion of the Kinsta API, following earlier releases of detailed analytics and environment-level controls. Together, they make it easier to automate tasks, monitor resource consumption, and integrate Kinsta more deeply into your internal tools.

You can explore full request and response formats for each endpoint in the API documentation.

The post Track monthly usage and run WP-CLI commands with the Kinsta API appeared first on Kinsta®.

Accessing a database from MyKinsta no longer requires users to provide a username and password after reaching a phpMyAdmin welcome page.

The process is now faster and more secure.

How one-click access to phpMyAdmin works

What hasn’t changed is the way you reach phpMyAdmin from within MyKinsta. You’ll still find the Open phpMyAdmin button by navigating to WordPress sites > sitename > Info > Database access:

Now, clicking the button connects you to phpMyAdmin and logs in automatically using a temporary token generated securely at that moment. The token is not reusable.

A few things to keep in mind when taking advantage of this fast-access feature:

1. One-click login does not override the restrictions of any IP allowlist you may have created for phpMyAdmin access.
2. If you use a browser to access your phpMyAdmin instance outside of MyKinsta, you will usually require a database username and password to log in.
3. In an exception to No. 2 above, users of the Kinsta API can generate a phpMyAdmin login link with a temporary token

Reducing the friction in WordPress management

One-click access to phpMyAdmin eliminates a seemingly minor hurdle for those who manage WordPress sites. But avoiding the copying of usernames and passwords can be a big security gain.

For enterprises using Kinsta’s SAML single sign-on for secure login to MyKinsta for multiple users, one-click access to phpMyAdmin helps expand seamless, no-password access to WordPress management.

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