How to Deploy a PHP Website on CentOS | Complete Guide and Best Practices

gitbox 2025-06-28

Steps to Deploy a PHP Website on CentOS

In today's internet environment, having a stable and fast PHP website is crucial for both individuals and businesses to showcase their operations. This guide will explain in detail how to successfully deploy a PHP website on CentOS, ensuring smooth operation and optimization while following Google's best practices for search engine optimization (SEO) to improve your website's visibility and ranking.

Preparations

Before deploying your PHP website, ensure the following preparations are completed:

Your CentOS system is installed and fully updated.
You have root or administrator access to install the necessary software packages.
You have selected the appropriate PHP version that meets the needs of your website.

Install Apache and PHP

To deploy a PHP website on CentOS, you need to install Apache Web Server and PHP. Follow the steps below:

Update the System

sudo yum update -y

Install Apache

Install the Apache Web Server:

sudo yum install httpd -y

Once installed, start the Apache service and ensure it starts automatically at boot:

sudo systemctl start httpd

sudo systemctl enable httpd

Install PHP

Next, install PHP and some commonly used PHP modules:

sudo yum install php php-mysql php-gd php-xml -y

Once installed, restart Apache to apply the new PHP configuration:

sudo systemctl restart httpd

Configure Apache to Support PHP

To ensure Apache properly parses PHP files, add the following configuration in the httpd.conf file:

AddType application/x-httpd-php .php

This will instruct Apache to recognize files with the .php extension and process them using PHP.

Upload Your PHP Website Files

Use an FTP client or SSH tool to upload your PHP website files to Apache's root directory, which is typically located at /var/www/html. Ensure that the file and directory permissions are set correctly, so the Apache server can access and serve them properly.

Test Your PHP Website

After uploading the files, you can verify that everything is working by visiting your server's IP address or domain name in a browser. To double-check, you can create a simple PHP test page by running the following command:

echo "<?php phpinfo(); ?>" > /var/www/html/info.php

Then, visit http://your-server-ip/info.php in your browser. If you see the PHP configuration page, your PHP and Apache setup are working correctly.

Ensure Website Security

After deploying your PHP website, make sure to take appropriate security measures:

Configure a firewall to limit unnecessary external access.
Regularly update PHP and Apache to patch security vulnerabilities.
Disable unnecessary PHP functions to improve website security.

Conclusion

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you have successfully deployed a PHP website on CentOS. Adhering to SEO best practices and regularly maintaining your website will help improve its visibility and security. Keep monitoring the performance of your website to ensure it remains stable and secure over time.