< 1 min read
short_open_tag lets PHP treat as the start of PHP code, alongside the standard . It exists for legacy scripts from the early PHP days, but modern code never uses it. Leaving it on creates a real risk: XML files, templates, and SVG/feeds that begin with can be misread as PHP, causing parse errors or blank output.
SHORT_OPEN_TAG (warning): short_open_tag is enabled. XML and template parsing can break.
| Risk | What happens |
|---|---|
misread as PHP |
XML declarations at the top of feeds, SVG files, or templates trigger parse errors |
| Blank pages | A file starting with is consumed as code instead of output |
| Security surface | Unexpected PHP execution paths in files that were never meant to run code |
| No benefit | Modern PHP and WordPress always use ; the setting adds nothing |
Disable short_open_tag.
short_open_tag = OffLoad a page that renders XML or SVG content (feeds, sitemaps, logo files) and confirm it displays normally. PHP itself needs no adjustment: the standard tag is unaffected.
Xponent-managed sites run short_open_tag = Off via the GridPane control panel: the secure, modern default. Any legacy script that depended on is migrated to on request.
