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Resolving PHP Deprecation Warnings and Compatibility Issues in Imagify

22 threads Sep 9, 2025 Plugin → Imagify image optimization – optimize images | compress images | convert webp | convert avif

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Many WordPress users who run the Imagify Image Optimization plugin encounter PHP deprecation warnings or compatibility errors. These messages, while often non-critical, can clutter error logs and cause concern. This guide explains the most common causes and provides solutions to resolve them.

Common PHP Compatibility Issues and Warnings

Based on community reports, the most frequent issues are related to deprecated PHP functions and server configuration checks. Here are the typical warnings and what they mean:

  • Deprecated __autoload(): Appears on PHP 7.2 and above. The function __autoload() is deprecated in favor of spl_autoload_register(). This warning was addressed in Imagify version 1.7, but some compatibility checker plugins may still flag the file compat-spl-autoload.php for backwards compatibility reasons. If the plugin is functioning, this warning is often safe to ignore.
  • Deprecated strpos() / stripos(): Appears on PHP 7.3+. This warning indicates that a non-string parameter (like an integer) was passed to the strpos() or stripos() function. The plugin's functionality remains unaffected, but the warning is logged.
  • "No PHP extensions are available" Error: This error message appears during optimization even if GD or ImageMagick is installed. A common cause is that the WebP MIME type may not be recognized by the server's image processing extension.
  • PHP Version Fatal Error: With Imagify 2.1+, a fatal error can occur on servers running PHP 7.0 or 7.1 because the plugin's Composer dependencies now require PHP >= 7.2.0.

How to Resolve These Issues

1. For Deprecation Warnings (__autoload, strpos, stripos)

These warnings are typically non-critical. The best course of action is to ensure you are running the latest version of the Imagify plugin, as the development team has fixed many of these issues in previous updates.

If the warnings persist and clutter your logs, you can suppress deprecated error notices by adding the following line to your theme's functions.php file:

error_reporting(E_ALL ^ E_DEPRECATED);

Note: This will hide all deprecation warnings site-wide, so use this solution only if you are comfortable doing so and understand the implications.

2. For the "No PHP Extensions Available" Error

If you have confirmed that GD or ImageMagick is installed but still see this error, try these steps:

  1. Add the following definitions to your wp-config.php file to increase available resources for the optimization process: 
    define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M' );
set_time_limit(0);
  2. Consult with your hosting provider. The issue may be that your server's ImageMagick installation does not include support for the WebP image format. Your host may need to recompile ImageMagick with WebP support.
  3. As a temporary workaround, you can optimize your images individually from the WordPress Media Library.

3. For PHP Version Fatal Errors

If you encounter a fatal error stating that Composer requires a PHP version >= 7.2.0, you must upgrade your server's PHP version. Imagify 2.1 and newer requires PHP 7.2 or higher. The official WordPress project also recommends PHP 7.4 or newer. Contact your web host for assistance upgrading your PHP version.

General PHP Version Support

The Imagify Image Optimization team has stated that the plugin is compatible with PHP versions 7.3 up to the latest version, 8.3. If you experience issues on PHP 8.0+, it is recommended to check for a plugin update first, as the developers are actively working on full compatibility.

Conclusion

Most PHP-related messages from the Imagify plugin are warnings that do not impact its core functionality. Keeping the plugin updated is the best defense against these notices. For functional errors, checking your PHP version and consulting with your hosting provider about your GD/ImageMagick configuration are the most effective troubleshooting steps.

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