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

# Checking my current WordPress version

> There are a number of ways to learn which current WordPress version your site is running. Just follow our guide to check your site's WordPress version.

This article describes how to determine the current [WordPress](https://hosting.com/hosting/platforms/wordpress-hosting) version of an installation.

## Method #1: Use the Administration Interface

The easiest way to determine the version of a WordPress installation is from the administration interface:

* At the bottom of every page in the administration interface, WordPress displays the version number.

* By default, newer WordPress versions also display the version number in the **At a Glance** box on the main dashboard page, as well as the current theme.

## Method #2: Check the version.php File

If the administration interface is unavailable or you cannot log in, you can still determine the WordPress version by checking the *version.php* file. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the *wp-includes* directory in the directory where you installed WordPress. You can do this several ways:

   * From the command line [using SSH](/docs/using-ssh-secure-shell).

   * From cPanel [using the File Manager](/docs/cpanel-file-manager).

   * From an [FTP client](/docs/using-ftp-file-transfer-protocol).

2. In the *wp-includes* directory, open the *version.php* file in a text editor or viewer.

3. Locate the **\$wp\_version** variable. This variable's value contains the current WordPress version. For example, the following value indicates WordPress version 3.8.1 is installed:

   ```
   $wp_version = '3.8.1';
   ```

   > 👍 Tip
   >
   > If you have installed and configured the WP-CLI tool, you can use it to determine the WordPress version also. For information about how to do this, please see [this article](/docs/administering-wordpress-from-the-command-line).

## More information

Hosting.com offers fast WordPress Hosting for both [shared](https://hosting.com/hosting/platforms/wordpress-hosting) and [managed](https://hosting.com/hosting/platforms/wordpress-hosting/managed-wordpress-hosting/).

## Related articles

* [WordPress basics](/docs/wordpress-basics)

* [Updating WordPress](/docs/updating-wordpress)

* [Installing WordPress manually](/docs/installing-wordpress-manually)

* [Installing WordPress on a subdomain](/docs/installing-wordpress-on-a-subdomain)