Title: Instant Programming Compatibility Scanner for PHP 8
Author: instantprogramming
Published: <strong>Septanm 9, 2026</strong>
Last modified: Septanm 9, 2026

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# Instant Programming Compatibility Scanner for PHP 8

 By [instantprogramming](https://profiles.wordpress.org/instantprogramming/)

[Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/instant-programming-php-compatibility-scanner.1.0.0.zip)

 * [Details](https://hat.wordpress.org/plugins/instant-programming-php-compatibility-scanner/#description)
 * [Reviews](https://hat.wordpress.org/plugins/instant-programming-php-compatibility-scanner/#reviews)
 * [Development](https://hat.wordpress.org/plugins/instant-programming-php-compatibility-scanner/#developers)

 [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/instant-programming-php-compatibility-scanner/)

## Description

Your host is moving your site to PHP 8.2 and you want to know what will break? This
plugin analyzes the code actually installed in wp-content (plugins, active theme,
mu-plugins) and reports what fails under PHP 8.0 to 8.4.

Findings are separated into **fatal breakage** (the site stops loading) and **silent
failure** — code that raises no visible error while a contact form or a checkout
stops doing its job. The two need different responses, so the report keeps them 
apart.

The scan detects, among other things:

 * functions removed in PHP 8 (`create_function`, `each`, `mysql_*`, `mcrypt_*`…)
   and pre-PHP 7 relics;
 * removed syntax that prevents a file from loading at all (`$string{0}` offsets,
   unparenthesized nested ternaries);
 * `$this` in static context, static calls to instance methods, PHP 4-style constructors
   silently ignored by PHP 8;
 * optional parameters declared before required ones, implicit nullable types (PHP
   8.4), dynamic properties (PHP 8.2), `null` passed to non-nullable internal functions(
   PHP 8.1).

Every issue is classified by severity, explained in plain language, located (file
+ line) and given a fix-time estimate. The report can be printed to PDF from your
browser.

**Privacy and safety.** The analysis is **static**: your site’s code is **never 
executed**. The plugin modifies **no** files and makes **no** network requests to
any external service. Nothing leaves your server.

**Free scanner, optional repair service.** The scanner is and stays fully functional
and free — nothing is locked. If a scan finds issues that automatic patches can 
cover, it shows a single dismissible suggestion for [WP Rescue Repair](https://wprescue.instant-programming.com/repair/),
our separate paid service: verified patches applied with a safety net (canary that
rolls back by itself, targeted snapshots, out-of-WordPress rescue page). Hide the
suggestion once and it stays hidden.

The plugin is fully translated into French (français).

## Screenshots

[⌊Scan summary by severity, with estimated fix time.⌉⌊Scan summary by severity, 
with estimated fix time.⌉[

Scan summary by severity, with estimated fix time.

[⌊Printable report, readable by a non-developer.⌉⌊Printable report, readable by 
a non-developer.⌉[

Printable report, readable by a non-developer.

## FAQ

### Does the plugin modify my site?

No. It is strictly read-only: it reads PHP files and produces a report. No writes,
no automatic fixes.

### Is my site’s code sent anywhere?

No. The whole analysis happens on your server. The plugin contacts no third-party
service.

### What does “silent failure” mean?

A piece of code that, on PHP 8, does not raise any visible error but stops doing
its job (for example an email send or an AJAX call). The site appears to work while
a key feature is broken.

### An issue is reported but my site still works. Why?

Some incompatibilities (PHP 8.1–8.4 deprecations) do not break anything yet: they
fill up the server logs and will break in a future PHP version. The report classifies
them as “Cleanup needed”, separate from fatal breakage.

### Is there a paid version?

The scanner itself is entirely free — no locked features, no trial. Separately, 
WP Rescue Repair (a paid service) can apply verified fixes for the breaking issues
this scanner finds, protected by a canary that rolls the site back automatically
if anything goes wrong. After a scan with repairable issues, the plugin shows at
most one suggestion about it, which you can hide permanently with one click.

## Reviews

There are no reviews for this plugin.

## Contributors & Developers

“Instant Programming Compatibility Scanner for PHP 8” is open source software. The
following people have contributed to this plugin.

Contributors

 *   [ instantprogramming ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/instantprogramming/)

[Translate “Instant Programming Compatibility Scanner for PHP 8” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/instant-programming-php-compatibility-scanner)

### Interested in development?

[Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/instant-programming-php-compatibility-scanner/),
check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/instant-programming-php-compatibility-scanner/),
or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/instant-programming-php-compatibility-scanner/)
by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/instant-programming-php-compatibility-scanner/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss).

## Changelog

#### 1.0.0

 * Initial release: PHP 8.0–8.4 scan of wp-content, severity classification, printable
   report. Available in English and French.

## Meta

 *  Version **1.0.0**
 *  Last updated **18 è ago**
 *  Active installations **Fewer than 10**
 *  WordPress version ** 5.6 or higher **
 *  Tested up to **7.1**
 *  PHP version ** 7.4 or higher **
 *  Language
 * [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/instant-programming-php-compatibility-scanner/)
 * Tags
 * [compatibility](https://hat.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/compatibility/)[deprecated](https://hat.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/deprecated/)
   [migration](https://hat.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/migration/)[php](https://hat.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/php/)
 *  [Advanced View](https://hat.wordpress.org/plugins/instant-programming-php-compatibility-scanner/advanced/)

## Ratings

No reviews have been submitted yet.

[Your review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/instant-programming-php-compatibility-scanner/reviews/#new-post)

[See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/instant-programming-php-compatibility-scanner/reviews/)

## Contributors

 *   [ instantprogramming ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/instantprogramming/)

## Support

Got something to say? Need help?

 [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/instant-programming-php-compatibility-scanner/)