Apache AddHandler application/x-httpd-php not working?

Last updated on December 15th, 2022 at 09:48 am

Sometimes the AddHandler application/x-httpd-php .php .htm .html .my or whatever  you put inside .htaccess file or in HTTPD.conf it doesn’t work

WHY?

Because if you are in a shared hosting it will be always better to find out the version of PHP currently running on your server using the below script

<?php
echo 'Current PHP version: ' . phpversion();
?>

So if your host is using PHP v 5+ then the handler that is specified for example

AddHandler application/x-httpd-php .php .htm .html .my 

will not be working as expected, once you hit the page you will be either asked to save the webpage or probably if you check the source you can see your php codes are not compiled.

How to fix this?

Its pretty simple you just need to add the below handler in your .htaccess file

AddHandler application/x-httpd-php5 .htm .php .my

Now if the above didn’t work try these other tricks

For example If you want to run a file with .jpg extension as PHP then try this

<FilesMatch \.jpg$>
    SetHandler application/x-httpd-php
</FilesMatch>

If you want .php1, .php2, .php3 and .phtml files to be executed as PHP, but nothing else, we’d use this:

<FilesMatch "\.ph(p[1-3]?|tml)$">
    SetHandler application/x-httpd-php
</FilesMatch>

Also don’t forget to check this tutorial on other scenarios in which PHP Code not getting executed , code visible