How to Enable PHP Modules (Extensions) for Your Website

Some plugins, themes, and custom scripts need a specific PHP extension (also called a module) to be turned on before they'll work. If you're seeing an error mentioning a missing class or function, such as "Call to undefined function", the fix is usually to enable the extension that provides it. Extensions are enabled separately from choosing your PHP version, and the list of available extensions can change depending on which version you're using.

Common PHP Extensions and What They Do

• curl: lets PHP make requests to other websites and APIs, needed by most plugins that connect to external services.
• gd or imagick: used for resizing, cropping, and editing images, common in WordPress media handling and image-heavy plugins.
• intl: provides language and locale formatting, often required by multilingual plugins.
• mbstring: handles multi-byte text correctly, required by most modern CMS platforms including WordPress.
• zip: allows PHP to create and extract .zip files, used when installing plugins or themes through an admin dashboard.

How to Enable a PHP Extension

In cPanel

1. Log in to cPanel.
2. Under the Software section, click Select PHP Version (a separate tool from MultiPHP Manager, used for extension settings).
3. Confirm the PHP version shown at the top matches the version your domain is using, since the extension list is specific to that version.
4. Tick the checkbox next to each extension you want to enable, for example curl, imagick, or intl.
5. Click Save.

In DirectAdmin

1. Log in to DirectAdmin.
2. Go to Extra Features and click Select PHP Version.
3. Confirm you're on the correct PHP version for the domain, since extensions are listed per version.
4. Click the link to switch to the extended, checkbox-style view of PHP options if it isn't already showing.
5. Tick the extensions you need enabled.
6. Click Save to apply the change.

If you switch PHP versions later, check your enabled extensions again. Extensions are set per version, so a module you turned on for PHP 8.1 won't carry over automatically if you move the domain to PHP 8.3.

If an Extension Isn't Listed

Most commonly used extensions are available for every supported PHP version, but a few less common ones may not appear depending on server configuration. If a plugin or developer tells you a specific extension is required and you can't find it in the list, contact ZIPROF support with the exact extension name and we'll confirm whether it can be enabled on your account.