PHP files are downloaded instead of executed, how do I solve it?

Sometimes it happens that when trying to access your website, instead of the PHP files being executed they try to download directly to your computer.

In this post we will tell you why this problem usually happens and how to solve it.

Why is this happening?

In general this may happen because there is some configuration in the site or server that prevents the interpretation of certain types of scripts and converts them instead into downloadable files.

The most frequent reason why this happens is because there is some instruction in the .htaccess file that limits the interpretation of scripts.

How can I solve it?

To correct this problem you must follow the instructions below:

  1. Log into your cPanel account
  2. Click on the File Manager option
  3. Get into the public_html directory
  4. Check the contents of the .htaccess file and make sure it does not have any line similar to this one:

    AddHandler x-httpd-php7 .php

  5. Delete the line or lines with this type of instructions. In case you need to use some type PHP version by default it is advisable that you do it through the Multi PHP Manager function in your cPanel.
  6. Now go to the home directory or main directory (the one containing the public_html) and do the same as in step 4 and 5. Also if you have the same issue any other particular directory, be sure to review it and follow the steps above.
  7. Once done, try again to access your website
  8. Done!


In case you have followed these steps and they have not worked please contact Neolo's support team.

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