Can I use short tags in PHP scripts

Updated: 28 September 2026 · Applies to: cPanel & WHM 138, PHP 8.1 to 8.4

PHP has two short tags:

• <?= (short echo): <?= $name ?> is the same as <?php echo $name; ?>. It is always available and safe to use.
• <? (short open tag): depends on the short_open_tag setting, which is off in the recommended production php.ini. Code that uses it may show up as plain text on servers where it is off.

Recommendation

Use <?php to open PHP code and <?= for short output. To fix old code, replace <? with <?php (check <?xml lines separately).

Turn short_open_tag on (only for old code)

1. In cPanel, open Software › MultiPHP INI Editor.
2. Choose Editor Mode and select your domain.
3. Add short_open_tag = On and click Save.

On a VPS without cPanel, set it in php.ini (php --ini shows where) and restart PHP-FPM.

Check the current setting

Create a file with <?php var_dump(ini_get("short_open_tag")); and open it in your browser: string(1) "1" means on, an empty string means off. Delete the file afterwards.