Applying PHP settings to all subdirectories

Valid for Web Hosting and Managed Dedicated Servers.

In this article, you will learn how to apply customized PHP settings (via php.ini) to your entire website structure.

Important: Differentiation by contract date

Please check the date of your contract first, as the behavior of php.ini has changed.

For contracts created from July 21, 2026

You do not need to follow the instructions in this article. For contracts purchased on or after July 21, 2026, the php.ini settings will be applied to all subdirectories.

• Simply place your php.ini in the root directory of your website (usually /home/www/ or the directory to which your domain points).
• All subdirectories will automatically adopt these settings.
• It is not necessary to create symlinks manually.
   

For contracts created until July 20, 2026

To pass on the settings of the central php.ini to all subfolders, create symbolic links (shortcuts) in all directories via SSH.

• Connect to your webspace via SSH. You can find corresponding instructions in the help category SSH Setup and Administration.

• To automatically set a link to the main file in all subfolders, execute the following command after logging in to your webspace:

  find . -type d -exec ln -s "$PWD/php.ini" "{}/php.ini" \;

Undoing changes

If you want to remove the shortcuts again later, use this command in the same directory:

find . -type l -name 'php.ini' -delete