> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/shivammathur/setup-php/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Introduction

> setup-php is a GitHub Action that sets up PHP with extensions, php.ini configuration, coverage drivers, and tools for your CI/CD workflows.

## What is setup-php?

`setup-php` is a GitHub Action that provides a cross-platform interface to configure PHP environments in your CI/CD workflows. It supports Ubuntu, Windows, and macOS on both GitHub-hosted and self-hosted runners, and handles the differences between platforms automatically.

With a single step in your workflow, you can:

* Install a specific PHP version (5.3 through 8.6, including nightly builds)
* Add PHP extensions from packages, PECL, or git repositories
* Configure `php.ini` values
* Set up code coverage drivers (Xdebug or PCOV)
* Install popular tools like Composer, PHPUnit, PHPStan, and 50+ more

```yaml theme={null}
- name: Setup PHP
  uses: shivammathur/setup-php@v2
  with:
    php-version: '8.5'
    extensions: mbstring, intl
    ini-values: post_max_size=256M, max_execution_time=180
    coverage: xdebug
    tools: php-cs-fixer, phpunit
```

## OS/Platform support

Both GitHub-hosted and self-hosted runners are supported on the following operating systems.

### GitHub-hosted runners

| Virtual environment | Arch    | YAML workflow label                | Pre-installed PHP |
| ------------------- | ------- | ---------------------------------- | ----------------- |
| Ubuntu 24.04        | x86\_64 | `ubuntu-latest` or `ubuntu-24.04`  | PHP 8.3           |
| Ubuntu 22.04        | x86\_64 | `ubuntu-22.04`                     | PHP 8.1           |
| Ubuntu 24.04        | aarch64 | `ubuntu-24.04-arm`                 | PHP 8.3           |
| Ubuntu 22.04        | aarch64 | `ubuntu-22.04-arm`                 | PHP 8.1           |
| Windows Server 2025 | x64     | `windows-2025`                     | PHP 8.5           |
| Windows Server 2022 | x64     | `windows-latest` or `windows-2022` | PHP 8.5           |
| macOS Tahoe 26.x    | arm64   | `macos-26`                         | —                 |
| macOS Sequoia 15.x  | arm64   | `macos-latest` or `macos-15`       | —                 |
| macOS Sonoma 14.x   | arm64   | `macos-14`                         | —                 |
| macOS Tahoe 26.x    | x86\_64 | `macos-26-intel`                   | PHP 8.5           |
| macOS Sequoia 15.x  | x86\_64 | `macos-15-intel`                   | PHP 8.5           |

### Self-hosted runners

| Host OS/Virtual environment      | YAML workflow label        |
| -------------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| Ubuntu 24.04                     | `self-hosted` or `Linux`   |
| Ubuntu 22.04                     | `self-hosted` or `Linux`   |
| Debian 13                        | `self-hosted` or `Linux`   |
| Debian 12                        | `self-hosted` or `Linux`   |
| Debian 11                        | `self-hosted` or `Linux`   |
| Windows 7 and newer              | `self-hosted` or `Windows` |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 and newer | `self-hosted` or `Windows` |
| macOS Tahoe 26.x x86\_64/arm64   | `self-hosted` or `macOS`   |
| macOS Sequoia 15.x x86\_64/arm64 | `self-hosted` or `macOS`   |
| macOS Sonoma 14.x x86\_64/arm64  | `self-hosted` or `macOS`   |

<Note>
  If the requested PHP version is pre-installed on the runner, `setup-php` switches to it. Otherwise it installs the requested version. Operating systems based on the supported Ubuntu and Debian versions are also supported on a best-effort basis.
</Note>

## PHP version support

`setup-php` supports PHP 5.3 through 8.6 across all supported platforms, with some variation by runner type.

* **GitHub-hosted runners** (non-ARM): PHP 5.3 to PHP 8.6
* **GitHub-hosted macOS ARM64** (`macos-14`): PHP 5.6 to PHP 8.6
* **Self-hosted runners**: PHP 5.6 to PHP 8.6

| PHP version | Stability | Release support     | Runner support             |
| ----------- | --------- | ------------------- | -------------------------- |
| `5.3`       | Stable    | End of life         | GitHub-hosted              |
| `5.4`       | Stable    | End of life         | GitHub-hosted              |
| `5.5`       | Stable    | End of life         | GitHub-hosted              |
| `5.6`       | Stable    | End of life         | GitHub-hosted, self-hosted |
| `7.0`       | Stable    | End of life         | GitHub-hosted, self-hosted |
| `7.1`       | Stable    | End of life         | GitHub-hosted, self-hosted |
| `7.2`       | Stable    | End of life         | GitHub-hosted, self-hosted |
| `7.3`       | Stable    | End of life         | GitHub-hosted, self-hosted |
| `7.4`       | Stable    | End of life         | GitHub-hosted, self-hosted |
| `8.0`       | Stable    | End of life         | GitHub-hosted, self-hosted |
| `8.1`       | Stable    | End of life         | GitHub-hosted, self-hosted |
| `8.2`       | Stable    | Security fixes only | GitHub-hosted, self-hosted |
| `8.3`       | Stable    | Security fixes only | GitHub-hosted, self-hosted |
| `8.4`       | Stable    | Active              | GitHub-hosted, self-hosted |
| `8.5`       | Stable    | Active              | GitHub-hosted, self-hosted |
| `8.6`       | Nightly   | In development      | GitHub-hosted, self-hosted |

<Note>
  Specifying `8.6` in the `php-version` input installs a nightly build of `PHP 8.6.0-dev` from the master branch of PHP. These builds may contain bugs and breaking changes.
</Note>

## Explore setup-php

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Get PHP configured in your GitHub Actions workflow in minutes with a complete working example.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configuration" icon="sliders" href="/configuration/inputs">
    Full reference for all inputs, outputs, and environment flags.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Extensions" icon="puzzle-piece" href="/features/extensions">
    Install PHP extensions from packages, PECL, or git repositories.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tools" icon="wrench" href="/features/tools">
    Set up 50+ PHP tools globally, including PHPUnit, PHPStan, and Composer.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>