Updated: 28 September 2026 · Applies to: cPanel & WHM 138, PHP 8.1 to 8.4
suPHP is obsolete. On current cPanel servers you choose the PHP version per domain, and there are two ways to run a folder with a different version.
Recommended: a subdomain for the folder
- In cPanel, open Domains › Domains and create a subdomain (for example
legacy.example.com) whose document root is the folder. - Open Software › MultiPHP Manager, tick the subdomain, choose the PHP version and click Apply.
Each domain and subdomain can have its own PHP version this way, and cPanel keeps the settings consistent.
Per folder with .htaccess
cPanel writes the version as a handler line in .htaccess. A .htaccess file in a subfolder with another handler, for example AddHandler application/x-httpd-ea-php81 .php .php8 .phtml, makes that folder use PHP 8.1, provided that version is installed on the server.
Note: The per-folder method does not work for domains that use PHP-FPM with a fixed pool on every server setup, and it is easy to forget when you change versions later. If it does not take effect, use the subdomain method or ask our support team.
