PHP 8.1 Support Added, PHP 7.1 Dropped

March 2022 marked a significant shift in the Adobe Commerce platform roadmap. Adobe Cloud components now officially support PHP 8.1, whilst simultaneously ending support for PHP 7.1. This is not merely a routine version bump — it represents a deliberate modernisation of the platform's technology foundation.

For Adobe Commerce merchants, this means two things: opportunity to leverage a faster, more secure runtime, and urgency to migrate off deprecated versions before support ends.

Why PHP 8.1 Matters

PHP 8.1 is not just a minor version change. It brings genuine performance improvements, enhanced security features, and architectural enhancements that benefit Adobe Commerce directly:

• Performance: PHP 8.1 delivers measurably faster execution for typical Adobe Commerce workloads. JIT compilation and other runtime optimisations translate to reduced server load and faster response times.
• Security: String handling, type safety and cryptographic functions have been hardened. The runtime is more resistant to certain classes of attack.
• Developer experience: Named arguments, enums, readonly properties and improved error messages make custom extension code cleaner and less error-prone.
• Future compatibility: Staying current with PHP versions ensures compatibility with ecosystem tools, libraries and best practices emerging across the industry.

The End of PHP 7.1

PHP 7.1 reached its official end-of-life in December 2019. Running a web application on an unsupported PHP version is operationally risky. Security patches are no longer released, and new vulnerabilities discovered in the runtime will never be addressed.

Adobe Commerce merchants still running PHP 7.1 are operating on borrowed time. Cloud infrastructure providers have begun restricting or retiring 7.1 environments entirely, forcing the migration question whether merchants are ready or not.

Migration Path for Cloud Merchants

For merchants running Adobe Commerce on Adobe Cloud, the upgrade path is clear:

Step One: Audit Extensions and Custom Code
Inventory all installed extensions and custom code. Verify that each has been tested and certified for PHP 8.1 compatibility. Reach out to vendors if compatibility statements are not available.

Step Two: Test in Development
Spin up a development environment with PHP 8.1 and perform a complete regression test. Focus on high-risk areas: payment processing, shipping integrations, inventory synchronisation and customer account operations.

Step Three: Stage and Validate
Deploy to a staging environment that mirrors production as closely as possible. Run load testing and monitor for any subtle incompatibilities that only surface under realistic conditions.

Step Four: Production Deployment
Schedule the production migration during a low-traffic window. Have rollback procedures prepared, though in this case, rolling forward is the only safe option.

Self-Hosted and On-Premise Considerations

If your Adobe Commerce runs on self-hosted or on-premise infrastructure, you have more control over the upgrade timeline — and therefore more responsibility. Adobe's deprecation of PHP 7.1 support is a strong signal that it's time to plan the move off this version.

The same audit and testing regimen applies. Additionally, ensure your hosting provider can support PHP 8.1. Many managed hosting platforms have already retired PHP 7.1 environments entirely.

What To Prioritise During Migration

When testing PHP 8.1 compatibility, prioritise these workflows:

• Checkout: Payment methods, shipping calculations, tax rules, promotions and order confirmation.
• Customer accounts: Login, registration, address management, order history, wishlist and reviews.
• Inventory: Stock checks, reservations and integration with fulfillment systems.
• Admin: Product editing, order management, customer support tools and reporting.
• Integrations: ERP, PIM, CMS, email marketing and any third-party APIs your store depends on.

The Business Case

Migrating to PHP 8.1 is not a technical luxury — it's a business imperative. A faster, more secure platform translates directly to better customer experience, lower operational costs and reduced security risk. Delaying the migration increases both technical debt and risk exposure.

For many merchants, the migration timeline will look like this: March through August 2022 for testing and planning, September onwards for production deployment. Starting now gives teams the runway they need to execute safely.

Getting Help

If your team lacks the expertise or capacity to manage this migration independently, specialised support is available. At Tom&Co, we've guided many Adobe Commerce partners through version upgrades and platform modernisation. We can help you navigate the audit, testing, and deployment phases to ensure a smooth transition to PHP 8.1.

The bottom line: PHP 8.1 is the future, PHP 7.1 is the past. Move forward strategically, but move forward you must.