With cPanel's release of the EasyApache 4 tool, adjusting your account's PHP settings has never been easier. If your server is running EasyApache 4 you will be able to specify PHP versions and configurations for individual domains and subdomains under your cPanel account using the 'MultiPHP Manager' and 'MultiPHP INI Editor' tool.
You will find both tools accessible in the 'Software' section of your cPanel dashboard.
MultiPHP Manager
This tool is used to adjust the PHP version used for the various domains under your cPanel account. As stated on the page, any domain that is set to the ‘inherit’ value indicates that it does not have its own PHP version explicitly set. This means that the domain is using the default global PHP version and configuration, which could be adjusted by the server administrator at any time. To lock your domain to one PHP version, we recommend choosing a PHP version explicitly and avoiding the ‘inherit’ option. Using the inherited PHP version also prevents you from utilizing the PHP-FPM option you will also find in this tool.
PHP Version
To change the PHP version of a domain click the checkbox to the left of the domain name, then select your preferred PHP version from the drop-down list on the right side of the page and click ‘Apply’. You can set multiple domains to the same PHP version at once by selecting multiple checkboxes.
PHP-FPM
Note: PHP-FPM must first be enabled by your Server Administrator in EasyApache 4 before this option will be available.
With EasyApache 4, you can now enable PHP-FPM for your account’s individual domains. PHP-FPM is an alternative PHP handler which assists with strenuous loads and high traffic on your domains by maintaining a ‘pool’ of worker processes that can be used to process multiple PHP requests simultaneously. Since PHP-FPM only processes PHP requests, it is able to serve PHP content quicker than alternative methods and handlers. PHP FPM allows you to not only commit additional processing power to sites which require it, but also allows you to limit those additional resources to avoid overcommitting the server’s available resources decided by its hardware.
MultiPHP INI Editor
This tool is used to edit the various PHP settings and configurations for your domains. To begin, select a domain from the dropdown list at the top of the page. Selecting the ‘Home Directory’ option will adjust settings for all domains on your cPanel account. However, any domains which have options explicitly set via their own entry would have those settings take precedence over any configurations in the main Home Directory entry.
Once a location is chosen from the drop-down list, you will see multiple PHP directives which you can adjust. The directives listed here are simply the most common to require changes, you are able to make changes directly to the local PHP configuration file itself by selecting the ‘Editor Mode’ tab at the top of the screen. Please note that the Editor Mode is intended for advanced users and any misconfigurations within Editor Mode could result in PHP errors or issues on your sites, we recommend keeping track of all changes you make within the Editor Mode in case they need to be reverted.
Recommended cPanel references:
https://documentation.cpanel.net/display/ALD/MultiPHP+Manager+for+cPanel
https://documentation.cpanel.net/display/ALD/MultiPHP+INI+Editor+for+cPanel
https://documentation.cpanel.net/display/ALD/PHP-FPM+and+EasyApache+4