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> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Enabling and disabling the expose_php directive

> Discover how to manage the expose_php directive in php.ini with easy instructions and code snippets.

This article describes how to enable and disable the **expose\_php** directive in a custom *php.ini* file.

<Warning>
  **Important**

  The information in this article only applies to certain types of hosting accounts. To determine whether or not the information below applies to your account, please see [this article](/docs/changing-php-settings-and-versions).

  📘 Note

  This article assumes that you have already set up a custom *php.ini* file on your web site. If you have not already set up a custom *php.ini* file, please read [this article](/docs/custom-php-ini-files) first.
</Warning>

## Using the expose\_php directive

When the **expose\_php** directive is enabled, PHP includes the following line in the HTTP response header when a PHP page is requested (the exact version number may differ depending on your configuration):

```text theme={null}
X-Powered-By: PHP/5.3.27
```

By default, the **expose\_php** directive is enabled. However, you may not want to broadcast the specific PHP version your site is using. Similarly, some third-party applications require the **expose\_php** directive to be disabled.

To disable the **expose\_php** directive, use a text editor to modify your *php.ini* file as follows:

```text theme={null}
expose_php = off
```

With the **expose\_php** directive disabled, PHP will not send the **X-Powered-By** header. To re-enable the **expose\_php** directive and send the **X-Powered-By** header, modify your *php.ini* file as follows:

```text theme={null}
expose_php = on
```

<Tip>
  To verify the current value of the **expose\_php** directive and other directives, you can use the **phpinfo()** function. For more information, please see [this article](/docs/view-php-settings).
</Tip>

## More information

* To view a complete list of *php.ini* directives, please visit [http://www.php.net/manual/en/ini.list.php](http://www.php.net/manual/en/ini.list.php).
* For more information about the **expose\_php** directive, please visit [https://www.php.net/manual/en/ini.core.php#ini.expose-php](https://www.php.net/manual/en/ini.core.php#ini.expose-php).

## Related articles

* [Custom php.ini files](/docs/custom-php-ini-files)
* [Using php.ini directives](/docs/using-php-ini-directives)