Title: Is CGI required for WordPress
Last modified: August 21, 2016

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# Is CGI required for WordPress

 *  [mosso](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mosso/)
 * (@mosso)
 * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/is-cgi-required-for-wordpress/)
 * Is it safe to disable CGI execution on the server I install WP onto?
 * -ExecCGI in its httpd.conf?
 * Or will I stop some WP working requirement?

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

 *  Moderator [t-p](https://wordpress.org/support/users/t-p/)
 * (@t-p)
 * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/is-cgi-required-for-wordpress/#post-4013512)
 * First off, why do you want to disable CGI?
 *  Thread Starter [mosso](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mosso/)
 * (@mosso)
 * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/is-cgi-required-for-wordpress/#post-4013757)
 * If CGI not needed by WP, then no need to have executable function active. I now
   have my own VPS and have option to disable CGI.
 * I want least vectors possible.
 *  Thread Starter [mosso](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mosso/)
 * (@mosso)
 * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/is-cgi-required-for-wordpress/#post-4013758)
 * Here: [http://codex.wordpress.org/Hosting_WordPress](http://codex.wordpress.org/Hosting_WordPress)
   and here: [http://wordpress.org/about/requirements/](http://wordpress.org/about/requirements/)
 * says only PHP + MySQL as required, but is not all because WP needs also javascript/
   ajax — others? CGI? I can’t find.
 *  [webbrewers](https://wordpress.org/support/users/webbrewers/)
 * (@webbrewers)
 * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/is-cgi-required-for-wordpress/#post-4013875)
 * “To run WordPress **your host** just needs a couple of things:”
    Meaning – WordPress
   can only talk about the _server_ side technologies needed – js and ajax are client
   side so are controlled by the end user.
 *  Thread Starter [mosso](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mosso/)
 * (@mosso)
 * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/is-cgi-required-for-wordpress/#post-4013876)
 * Ok. but cgi is server side. No one can say it is needed?
 *  [webbrewers](https://wordpress.org/support/users/webbrewers/)
 * (@webbrewers)
 * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/is-cgi-required-for-wordpress/#post-4013877)
 * Right, and WordPress is telling you what’s needed on the server to run. Is cgi
   mentioned?
 *  [gcaleval](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gcaleval/)
 * (@gcaleval)
 * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/is-cgi-required-for-wordpress/#post-4013878)
 * [@mosso](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mosso/), presumably [@webbrewers](https://wordpress.org/support/users/webbrewers/)
   last response is a backhanded way of telling you CGI is not required to run WordPress.
 * I’d caution you though that you may find other things that are not directly connected
   to WP that DO need CGI and troubleshooting after months or a couple of years 
   could be prove difficult.
 * I honestly don’t know if there are currently any plugins or other WP-related 
   functionalities that depend on CGI. Try disabling it and see what happens.
 * But be sure to remember that you have it disabled if something comes up in future.

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

The topic ‘Is CGI required for WordPress’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [CGI](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/cgi/)

 * In: [Everything else WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/miscellaneous/)
 * 7 replies
 * 4 participants
 * Last reply from: [gcaleval](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gcaleval/)
 * Last activity: [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/is-cgi-required-for-wordpress/#post-4013878)
 * Status: not resolved

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