How to Know Your Website Server Version

Understanding the server version your website is running on is crucial for website management, security, compatibility, and troubleshooting. Whether you manage your site on shared hosting, a VPS, or a dedicated server with Go4hosting, knowing the exact software version of your web server helps you ensure optimal performance and maintain security compliance.

This knowledgebase article will guide you through various methods to identify your website's server version, including web server software (like Apache, Nginx, IIS), database servers, and PHP versions.

Why Knowing Your Website Server Version Matters

Before diving into how to check your server version, let's explore why this information is important:

• Security: Older server versions may have vulnerabilities. Knowing your version helps you assess if you need to upgrade.
  

• Compatibility: Some web applications require specific server versions or modules.
  

• Troubleshooting: Identifying server versions can help when debugging errors or when working with support teams.
  

• Performance: Newer versions often include performance improvements.
  

• Compliance: Certain industries require using supported software versions for audits.
  

Common Web Server Software

Most websites run on one of the following server platforms:

1. Check Server Version Using HTTP Response Headers

The easiest way to find out your web server version is to look at the HTTP response headers sent by the server when your website is accessed.

How to Check HTTP Response Headers

a) Using Browser Developer Tools

1. Open your website in a browser (Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge).
   

2. Right-click on the page and select Inspect or press F12 to open Developer Tools.
   

3. Go to the Network tab.
   

4. Refresh the page to capture network requests.
   

5. Click on the first request (usually your domain).
   

6. Look for the Response Headers section.
   

7. Find the Server header.
   

The Server header usually contains the web server name and version. For example:

arduino

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Server: Apache/2.4.41 (Ubuntu)

or

arduino

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Server: nginx/1.18.0

b) Using Command Line (cURL)

If you have command-line access (Linux, macOS, Windows with Git Bash or WSL):

bash

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curl -I https://yourdomain.com

The -I option fetches only the HTTP headers. Look for the Server field in the output:

yaml

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HTTP/1.1 200 OK

Date: Sun, 07 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Server: Apache/2.4.41 (Ubuntu)

...

Important Notes

• Some hosting providers and security-conscious administrators hide or mask the server version for security reasons.
  

• In such cases, the Server header may be missing or show generic info like:
  

arduino

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Server: nginx

or

arduino

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Server: cloudflare

2. Using Online Tools to Detect Server Version

There are many online tools that scan your website and report server information:

• SecurityHeaders.io: Checks HTTP headers and server details.
  

• BuiltWith.com: Detects technologies used on a website, including server software.
  

• Netcraft Site Report: Provides detailed hosting information.
  

• GTMetrix: Performance testing tool that also reports server information.
  

Simply enter your website URL and review the server info in the report.

3. Checking Server Version via Control Panel

If your website is hosted with Go4hosting and you have access to a hosting control panel like cPanel, Plesk, or DirectAdmin, you can find server information from there.

In cPanel

• Log in to your cPanel dashboard.
  

• Scroll to the Statistics or Server Information section.
  

• Look for Apache Version, PHP Version, MySQL Version, etc.
  

In Plesk

• Log in to your Plesk panel.
  

• Go to Tools & Settings > Server Information.
  

• Here you'll find versions of installed software including the web server.
  

4. Identify PHP Version

PHP is a crucial part of many websites, especially CMS like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal. Knowing your PHP version helps with compatibility and security.

Methods to Check PHP Version

a) Using PHP Info Page

1. Create a new file named phpinfo.php in your website root directory.
   

2. Add the following code:
   

php

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phpinfo();

?>

3. Visit https://yourdomain.com/phpinfo.php in your browser.
   

4. The page will display detailed PHP information including the PHP Version.
   

Important: Delete this file immediately after checking because it exposes sensitive server information.

b) Using cPanel or Plesk

Both control panels display the current PHP version in their dashboard.

c) Using Command Line

If you have SSH access, run:

bash

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php -v

This command shows the installed PHP version on your server.

5. Identify Database Server Version

Websites usually connect to databases like MySQL, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL.

How to Find Database Version

a) Using Command Line

SSH into your server and run:

• For MySQL or MariaDB:
  

bash

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mysql -V

or log into MySQL:

bash

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mysql -u username -p

Then run:

sql

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SELECT VERSION();

b) Using PHPMyAdmin

• Log in to PHPMyAdmin via your control panel.
  

• The version number is displayed on the home page or status bar.
  

6. Using Server Access Logs

Sometimes server logs include software version details during startup or error logs. Access your server logs via:

• Control panel log viewers.
  

• SSH (usually in /var/log/apache2/ or /var/log/nginx/).
  

7. Special Considerations for Go4hosting Customers

At Go4hosting, we provide detailed server environment documentation with every hosting plan, including:

• Server OS version (Linux distributions like Ubuntu server, CentOS, Debian).
  

• Web server software and version.
  

• Database server and version.
  

• PHP and other language runtimes.
  

• Control panel details.
  

If you cannot find your server version or need assistance, our 24*7 customer support is available to help you identify and upgrade your server environment as needed.

8. Why Server Versions Might Not Be Displayed

For security reasons, many hosting providers and website admins hide server version info from public HTTP headers to protect against exploits targeted at known vulnerabilities.

If your server version is hidden:

• You can still get version info through control panels or SSH.
  

• If you lack access, contact your hosting provider.
  

• Regularly updating your server software is critical regardless.
  

9. Summary Checklist: How to Know Your Website Server Version

10. Final Thoughts

Knowing your website server version is vital for maintaining security, performance, and compatibility. Whether you use shared hosting, VPS server, or dedicated servers from Go4hosting, the methods outlined above make it straightforward to check your server environment.

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