# Set the PHP timezone
Source: https://docs.webgee.com/en/development/setting-date-timezone-value-through-php-selector-in-cpanel



Set the timezone PHP uses for dates and times. Applies to shared, reseller and
Premium hosting.

Wrong timezone shows as timestamps offset by a fixed number of hours — scheduled
posts publishing at the wrong time, log entries that do not match, order times
that confuse customers.

## Set it [#set-it]

1. In cPanel, open **Select PHP Version**.
2. Select **Options**.
3. Find `date.timezone` and set it to your timezone.

Use a full identifier from the
[PHP timezone list](https://www.php.net/manual/en/timezones.php) —
`Europe/London`, `Africa/Cairo`, `America/New_York`.

<Callout type="warn">
  Use a region identifier, not an abbreviation or offset. `EST` and `+02:00` do
  not handle daylight saving, so times drift by an hour for part of the year —
  and that failure only appears months later, which makes it hard to connect to
  this setting.
</Callout>

## Check what is actually applied [#check-what-is-actually-applied]

Create `phpinfo.php` in your document root:

```php
<?php phpinfo();
```

Visit it and search for `date.timezone`. The **Local Value** column is what
applies.

```php
<?php echo date_default_timezone_get(), ' — ', date('Y-m-d H:i:s');
```

Delete both files afterwards — `phpinfo()` exposes a great deal about your server.

## If the value does not apply [#if-the-value-does-not-apply]

Work through these in order:

**A per-domain MultiPHP override.** Setting a version in MultiPHP overrides the
account-level Selector for that domain, including its settings — see
[MultiPHP vs Select PHP Version](/en/development/what-is-the-difference-between-the-multiphp-and-select-php-version).

**The application sets its own.** WordPress ignores `date.timezone` entirely and
uses its own setting under **Settings → General**. Many frameworks call
`date_default_timezone_set()` at startup, which overrides everything above.

**You are on Bolt-Cache.** The PHP Selector does not apply — set it in
`.user.ini` instead:

```ini
date.timezone = Europe/London
```

See [Change your PHP version and settings](/en/development/change-php-version).

**A `.user.ini` or `.htaccess` is overriding it.** Check your document root for
either setting the value.

## The CLI is separate [#the-cli-is-separate]

Scripts run from cron or SSH read the **CLI** PHP configuration, not the web one.
Set the CLI version and options separately in the Selector if a scheduled script
reports a different timezone — the same trap as
[Magento reports the wrong memory limit](/en/development/magento-showing-incorrect-memory-limit).

## Related [#related]

* [Change your PHP version and settings](/en/development/change-php-version)
* [MultiPHP vs Select PHP Version](/en/development/what-is-the-difference-between-the-multiphp-and-select-php-version)