How to enable and disable PHP error messages

This article describes how to enable and disable PHP error messages by using the display_errors directive in a php.ini file.

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.

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 first.

Error messages and the display_errors directive

By default, PHP displays error messages in a user's web browser. This feature is very useful when you are initially developing and debugging your website. However, when website development is complete, displaying error messages can be a security risk. Error messages can reveal information about your website, such as path information and variables, that should be kept private.

The display_errors directive controls whether or not PHP displays error messages in users' web browsers. To prevent PHP from displaying error messages, use a text editor to modify the display_errors directive in the php.ini file as follows:

display_errors = off

To allow PHP to display error messages, modify the display_errors directive in the php.ini file as follows :

display_errors = on
To verify the current value of the display_errors directive and other directives, you can use the phpinfo() function. For more information, please see this article.

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  • Level: Intermediate

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