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Last Updated: November 05, 2025
A Note from WP Tech Support’s Certified Full-Stack Developer: This error is often a critical compatibility failure. Before touching any files, you must take a full site backup. We specialize in safely resolving this error, preventing the loss of critical database connections.
Almost every WordPress error gives you details on what’s gone wrong. This is helpful but does not guarantee you will know how to fix it. “Your PHP installation appears to be missing the MySQL extension, which WordPress requires.” This message has a lot of detail but not much on what to do next.
Like lots of WordPress errors, the answer lies in logging into your server and altering some files. However, unlike many other WordPress errors, you won’t (in most cases) need to touch your core installation files.
In this post, we will show you how to resolve the “Your PHP installation appears to be missing the MySQL extension, which is required by WordPress” error.
What Causes This WordPress PHP Error
If we break down the wording of the error itself, it can give us a clue as to what to do first:
- “Your PHP installation…”: In this case, your PHP installation is your site’s server.
- “…missing the MySQL extension…”: Your server lacks the necessary extension to handle MySQL queries.
- “…required by WordPress…”: Because WordPress uses a MySQL database in most cases, it needs a way to connect to it that doesn’t exist.
WordPress and your database can’t connect because an extension is missing. In most cases, the root cause is down to the following:
- You’re using an old version of PHP, but the extension is missing (as the error message indicates).
- Modern versions of PHP (i.e., 7.0 and above) don’t use the MySQL extension referenced in the error. Because of this, you may see this error with old versions of WordPress.
As such, solving this means checking up on the status of the MySQL extension. Let’s discuss how to do this next.
How to Check Your PHP Version
Before we continue, you should check which version of PHP your server uses. WARNING: Before you proceed, take a full, secure backup of your entire site and database. To do this, you’ll need the following:
- A Secure Transfer Protocol Client (SFTP), such as FileZilla, Cyberduck, or Transmit.
- The skills to use SFTP to access your server and WordPress files.
- You need a text editor to create and edit your files (the default on your system is often fine).
Once you have these things in place, open your text editor and paste the following code snippet into a new file:
<?php phpinfo();
Next, save this as phpinfo.php. From here, log into your server and find your root folder. It will usually be the same directory that includes wp-config.php.
Your next step is to upload the phpinfo.php to this directory.
When that process is complete, navigate to the phpinfo.php file through the browser and your current domain (e.g. example.com/phpinfo.php).
This screen will show a lot of different pieces of information. Our focus is on the PHP Version value under the Core section:
If this number begins with “5”, you’ll want to look at our method regarding the MySQL extension. In contrast, if your PHP version starts with “7”, you’ll want to look at our first method in the next section.
Also, remember to delete this file immediately once you’re finished with the fix. You don’t want malicious users to find this sensitive server information.
Your PHP Installation Appears to Be Missing the MySQL Extension, Which Is Required by WordPress: How to Fix the Error (2 Methods)
Below, we have two methods. One deals with WordPress, while the other deals with the MySQL extension. If you are unsure of these technical steps, skip this section and let our experts handle the code-level repair. Let’s start with your WordPress files.
1. Overwrite Core WordPress Files
Sometimes, you’ll use an old WordPress version on a modern server running PHP 7 or greater. Before you continue, you’ll want a clean backup of your site and server in case you need to reinstall later. This step risks overwriting core security files.
When you’re ready, you’ll want to download the most recent version of WordPress. Simply head to the WordPress.org website and click the blue Download button:
When you have this in hand, extract the file and delete the following files from the directory:
wp-config-sample.php.wp-config.php(if it’s present in the directory, otherwise skip it).- The
wp-contentfolder.
After resetting the files, upload them to your server’s WordPress directory, confirming that you’ll want to overwrite any files it detects.
This should fix the issue. From here, you’ll want to log into your WordPress dashboard and update any necessary themes and plugins. Then, take a new backup of your site.
2. Check that the MySQL Extension is Installed and Configured
If you’re running an older version of PHP (we’re talking around version 5), “Your PHP installation appears to be missing the MySQL extension required by WordPress” could be literal. To double check, look at the phpinfo.php file again, under the mysql or mysqli section:
To be specific, look for the Client API library version value and check that there’s a version number:
If the information isn’t there, the MySQL extension is missing. As such, you’ll need to contact our Certified Full-Stack Developers immediately, as this requires server configuration (php.ini or extensions) which your host often won’t resolve. We’d also recommend that you upgrade to a more modern PHP version if possible because old versions are no longer supported.
However, if the extension is installed, you could use a php.ini file on a Linux server (when these files are created for Windows servers). You can find this out under the Configuration File (php.ini) Path value on your phpinfo.php file:
The task here is to back up the php.ini file and then delete it. Warning: Deleting the wrong file can crash your entire hosting account. If you proceed, backup first. This should fix the error.
In Summary
“Your PHP installation appears to be missing the MySQL extension required by WordPress” is an informative error, but it might not tell the whole story. In some cases, the problem relates to old versions of PHP rather than a missing extension. In other cases, you may even have incorrect files on your server. Fortunately, our Emergency Fix Service specializes in safely resolving this exact error, regardless of the root cause.
Don’t risk breaking your site with a partial update. Contact our WordPress fix team with WP Tech Support, and our certified developers will securely and immediately fix your update failures and get your site running smoothly again.
