The message Your PHP installation appears to be missing the MySQL extension which is required by WordPress means the PHP process serving your site cannot load the database connector WordPress expects. In current PHP releases, that connector is normally mysqli (often backed by mysqlnd), not the obsolete mysql extension. Confirm the web server’s PHP modules, enable mysqli and mysqlnd in your hosting panel or install the matching package on your VPS, then restart PHP-FPM or the web server. The steps below separate each hosting environment and show how to verify that you changed the PHP instance WordPress actually uses.
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What the error actually means
WordPress stores posts, settings, users and plugin data in MySQL or MariaDB. PHP needs a database extension to open that connection. The official WordPress requirements list mysqli as the required PHP extension. Many builds also include mysqlnd, the native driver used underneath several MySQL clients, but mysqlnd by itself is not a replacement for mysqli.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe wording is historical. PHP removed the old, procedural mysql extension in PHP 7.0. If an old configuration or guide says to install “mysql,” it is referring to a component that modern PHP cannot load. Installing a current mysqli package is the appropriate fix; downgrading PHP solely to restore the removed extension creates a security and compatibility problem.
Sometimes the extension is installed but not loaded by the PHP SAPI used for web requests. A command-line check can show one PHP build while Apache or PHP-FPM runs another. For that reason, diagnose both the command line and the web configuration before changing files.
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Prepare before changing PHP
- Record the PHP version selected for the affected domain and whether the site uses Apache, Nginx with PHP-FPM, or a hosting control panel.
- Take a current database and file backup before changing PHP packages or switching versions.
- Note whether the error began after a PHP-version change, migration, server rebuild or control-panel update. Those events commonly leave the new PHP build without the modules enabled in the old build.
- Keep an administrator login or hosting support contact available. Shared and managed plans may not permit editing
php.inior installing packages.
Confirm which PHP instance is missing the connector
Using SSH
Log in to the server that actually serves the WordPress site and run:
php -m | grep -i mysqlA working installation normally returns mysqli and often mysqlnd and/or pdo_mysql. The exact combination depends on the distribution, but the absence of mysqli is the important finding. If the command returns nothing, the command-line PHP build has no MySQL-related module loaded.
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Check the version and configuration file used by that command as well:
php -v
php --iniThese commands identify the CLI binary and its loaded configuration. They do not prove that the web server uses the same binary, version or php.ini.
Using a temporary phpinfo page
When shell access is unavailable, create a file such as phpinfo-check.php in the site’s document root containing:
<?php phpinfo(); ?>Open that file over HTTPS and look for a mysqli section, the Loaded Configuration File value and extension_dir. This view reflects the web SAPI that WordPress uses, so it is the authoritative check for a browser error. Delete the file immediately after checking it; a public phpinfo page exposes server paths, enabled modules and other configuration details that should not remain accessible.
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Fix the error on common hosting setups
cPanel
- Sign in to cPanel and open Software → Select PHP Version. Some accounts expose the same controls through MultiPHP Manager; use the screen that controls the affected domain.
- Verify the PHP version assigned to the domain. If you change versions, choose a version supported by your WordPress release and plugins rather than selecting an arbitrary latest option.
- In the extensions list, enable
mysqliandmysqlnd. Ifpdo_mysqlis available, enabling it is harmless for applications that use PDO, but it does not replace the documented WordPress requirement formysqli. - Save or apply the selection, wait for the panel to reload the PHP configuration, and reload the site in a private browser window.
- Use a fresh phpinfo check or the hosting panel’s module display to confirm that the web SAPI now reports
mysqli. Remove any temporary diagnostic file.
On hosts that separate PHP versions per domain, enabling an extension for one version does not enable it for another. Recheck the domain mapping in MultiPHP Manager if the module appears enabled but the error persists.
Plesk
- Open Tools & Settings → PHP Settings and select the PHP version assigned to the subscription or domain.
- Enable
mysqliandmysqlndin the available extensions or additional directives. - Apply the change, then reload WordPress and verify the web-facing PHP configuration with phpinfo.
Plesk can expose several handlers for the same version. Make sure the handler assigned to the domain is the one you edited; changing an unused handler will not affect requests reaching WordPress.
Managed WordPress hosting
Managed plans commonly hide package installation and extension switches. Open a support ticket and state the domain, the PHP version shown in the control panel, and the exact error. Ask the host to confirm that mysqli is loaded for the web SAPI and that the corresponding mysqlnd driver is present. Ask them to restart the relevant PHP service after enabling it and to tell you which PHP configuration file they changed.
Do not upload a custom shared object or copy an extension from another server. The module must be compiled for the exact PHP version, operating system and architecture used by the host; support staff can install the compatible package safely.
Debian or Ubuntu VPS
Install the package matching the PHP version used by PHP-FPM or Apache. For PHP 8.3, the commonly used package name is:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install php8.3-mysqlThe package supplies the MySQL-related PHP modules, including mysqli on standard builds. Substitute the actual version if the server runs another supported PHP release; installing php8.3-mysql while the site runs PHP 8.2 will not change the 8.2 SAPI.
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After installation, restart the PHP service or web server that handles requests. A PHP-FPM setup typically uses:
sudo systemctl restart php8.3-fpmIf Apache loads PHP directly, restart Apache instead:
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RHEL-family VPS
On distributions derived from Red Hat Enterprise Linux, the package is generally named php-mysqlnd. Install it through the distribution’s enabled repositories, then restart the PHP-FPM service or Apache service assigned to the site. Confirm the module with both the CLI command and a temporary phpinfo page. Exact package streams vary by distribution and enabled module repository, so use the package name associated with the PHP stream you selected rather than mixing streams.
Make sure the edited configuration is the one WordPress loads
PHP can read different configuration files for CLI, Apache and PHP-FPM. In phpinfo, compare Loaded Configuration File and extension_dir with the files and directories you edited. If they point somewhere else, your change was applied to an inactive configuration.
After every package or configuration change, restart the relevant PHP-FPM pool or web server. PHP-FPM workers retain the old module list until they are restarted. A browser refresh alone cannot load an extension into already-running workers.
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When more than one PHP version is installed, check all three mappings: the domain’s selected version in the hosting panel, the PHP-FPM pool or Apache handler for that domain, and the version returned by the CLI. Aligning those mappings prevents a successful CLI test from masking a failing web configuration.
Verify the repair without exposing credentials
- Run
php -m | grep -i mysqlon the server and confirm thatmysqliappears. - Use the temporary phpinfo page to confirm
mysqliunder the web SAPI, then delete the page. - Load
/wp-admin/and a normal front-end page. Confirm that pages can read existing content and that a harmless setting change saves successfully. - Check the PHP error log and web-server log for the original missing-extension message. Remove or rotate diagnostic files after testing.
If WordPress still reports the same message after both checks show mysqli, the request may be reaching a different server, container or PHP pool than the one you changed. Verify DNS, load-balancer targets and the virtual host before making further package changes.
Troubleshoot the common failure branches
The CLI shows mysqli, but the website does not
This is the classic SAPI mismatch. The shell’s php binary may be newer than the PHP-FPM pool, or Apache may load a separate module. Use phpinfo from the affected domain to identify the web version and configuration file, then install or enable the connector for that exact version and restart its service.
The panel checkbox is selected, but the error remains
Confirm that the checkbox belongs to the domain’s active PHP version, not a dormant version. Clear PHP-FPM workers by restarting the service if the host permits it, and test again with phpinfo. If the host controls restarts, ask support to verify the module in the web SAPI rather than relying on the panel state.
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A loaded extension proves only that PHP can speak the MySQL protocol; it does not validate database credentials or reachability. Check the database host, name, username and password in wp-config.php, then inspect firewall and database-server logs. Do not replace a connection-authentication error with extension changes.
Only a plugin or custom script fails
Some older code calls the removed mysql_* functions directly. That code is incompatible with PHP 7.0 and later even when WordPress core works with mysqli. Update the plugin or application to a maintained release, or have its developer replace the obsolete API. Installing a legacy PHP version to keep abandoned code running leaves the entire site exposed to known vulnerabilities.
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pdo_mysql is present but mysqli is absent
Several guides describe pdo_mysql as sufficient, while the official WordPress requirements specifically name mysqli. Enable mysqli and, where offered, mysqlnd. Treat pdo_mysql as an additional driver for software that uses PDO, not as the documented substitute for WordPress core.
The extension fails to load after a server upgrade
Reinstall the package for the new PHP version and inspect the package manager’s post-install messages. A PHP upgrade can change the module directory, configuration filename or FPM service name. Compare phpinfo’s extension_dir and Loaded Configuration File with the new installation, then restart the new service rather than the old one.
WordPress and database version requirements
Extension repair should not be separated from version planning. The following figures are the WordPress Hosting Team’s stated requirements and recommendations for WordPress 7.1 as surfaced on 14 October 2026. Verify the current requirements before a production upgrade because support windows change.
| Category | PHP | MySQL | MariaDB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute minimum for WordPress 7.1 | 7.4 or newer | 5.5.5 or newer | 5.5.5 or newer |
| Recommended for new WordPress 7.1 installs | 8.4.x or 8.5.x | 8.4.x | 10.11.x, 11.4.x or 11.8.x |
| Official requirements-page baseline | 8.3 or newer | 8.0 or newer | 10.11 or newer |
The minimum row is a compatibility floor, not a security recommendation. The official requirements page notes that PHP 7.4 and MySQL 5.5.5 can still work but are end-of-life and insecure. WordPress 7.0 already used the same PHP 7.4 floor; the change from the earlier PHP minimum of 7.2.24 occurred when that requirement was raised.
WordPress core also raised its MySQL minimum in version 6.5, in a core-team announcement dated 8 December 2023. A site that was upgraded across that boundary may expose an outdated database server even after PHP extensions are corrected.
Plan around database end-of-life dates
Database support dates are time-sensitive. The WordPress Hosting Team’s table lists MySQL 8.0 LTS reaching end of life in April 2026 and MariaDB 10.6 LTS in July 2026. The same table lists later supported dates for MySQL 8.4 LTS and MariaDB 11.8 LTS. Because vendors can revise lifecycle schedules, check the current table before scheduling an upgrade.
When moving databases, test a full backup restore, character set and collation behavior, scheduled jobs and plugin queries in a staging environment. Upgrade PHP and the database as coordinated changes only when your host documents the supported combination; otherwise isolate the extension fix first so a failed database migration does not obscure the original problem.
Prevent the error from returning
- Keep a written map of each domain’s PHP version, PHP-FPM pool and configuration path.
- After every PHP switch, run both the CLI module check and a web-SAPI phpinfo check, then remove the diagnostic file.
- Before enabling automatic PHP upgrades, confirm that the hosting image includes
mysqliand that your plugins support the target PHP release. - Monitor PHP and database lifecycle notices; do not wait for an end-of-life upgrade to force an emergency configuration change.
- Keep WordPress core, plugins and themes updated so obsolete
mysql_*calls are replaced before a PHP upgrade removes compatibility. - Document the restart command or support-ticket procedure for the PHP-FPM pool serving each production site.
The durable fix is therefore specific: identify the PHP SAPI serving the request, load mysqli for that exact version, restart the process that caches the module list, and verify the result through the browser-facing configuration. Version upgrades and database lifecycle work should follow only after that connector path is confirmed.
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