What CMSHands needs
CMSHands works best on WordPress 6.3 or newer with PHP 8.0 or newer. It still installs on older sites, with fewer features. Here's what works where.
What works on each version
| EverythingWordPress 6.3 to 7.1, PHP 8.0 or newer | Watch and answerWordPress 4.7 or newer, PHP 7.1 or newer | Watched from outsideWordPress 4.0 or newer, PHP 5.6 or newer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The chat in your WordPress dashboard | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Answers about your site: it reads your pages, plugins, settings and error logs | Yes | Yes | Its versions, theme and plugin list |
| Changes after your OK: words, pages, products, menus, styles | Yes | – | – |
| Imports from a file: products, pages, posts, coupons | Yes | – | – |
| Plugin and theme updates, checked after and put back if they break the site | Yes | – | – |
| Checks around the clock, and an email when the site goes down | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rescue files, so it can still reach the site after a crash | Yes | Yes | – |
| Repairs a crashed site for you | Yes | It finds the cause and tells you | – |
| Help moving to newer PHP: what to update first, and a backup in one click | Not needed | – | Yes |
Your site gets the most it can run: the plugin reads its WordPress and PHP when it loads. When your site gets less, its screen says so and what to ask your host for the rest.
Also needed
- A WordPress login that can add plugins (an administrator).
- One site per install. WordPress multisite isn't supported yet.
- PHP with OpenSSL, which almost every host has. The plugin says so if yours doesn't.
- On WordPress.com, a plan that allows plugins.
Turning it on connects your site to cmshands.com and adds 3 small rescue files. Deleting the plugin removes them and everything it stored. What we send
Which versions does my site have?
In your dashboard, open Tools › Site Health › Info. WordPress shows its version, and Server shows the PHP version. On WordPress older than 5.2 there is no Site Health: ask your host, or install the plugin and read its screen.
My site is older. How do I get everything?
Ask your host to switch PHP to 8.0 or newer. Most hosts do it from their control panel in a few clicks. Then update WordPress to 6.3 or newer from Dashboard › Updates.
On the oldest sites the chat helps first: it checks which plugins and theme would break on newer PHP, says what to update in which order, and backs up your site in one click before you start.
Page updated .
Try it on your own site
- 1. Download the plugin.A free zip file
- 2. Upload and activate it.Plugins › Add Plugin › Upload Plugin
- 3. Give CMSHands a task.Press Turn on, then ask in your own words
Works best on WP 6.3 or newer with PHP 8.0 or newer. What works on older sites