---
title: Requirements
description: "What your WordPress site and server need to run Ultimate Membership Pro: WordPress 6.0+, PHP 7.4+, cURL and mbstring, WP-Cron and working email."
url: "https://ultimatemembershippro.com/docs/minimum-requirements/"
updated: "2026-10-18"
category: Getting Started
---

# Requirements

2 min readBeginnerUltimate Membership Pro 14.2+

Ultimate Membership Pro runs on most WordPress hosting. It needs a recent WordPress and PHP, a few standard PHP extensions, scheduled tasks (WP-Cron) for [renewals and expiry](https://ultimatemembershippro.com/docs/how-renewals-cancellations-and-expiry-work/), and working email for member notifications.

Check the list below before you install, or when something stops working after a move to a new server.

## What you need

 WordPress 6.0 or laterRequired

Keep WordPress up to date for security fixes.

PHP 7.4 or laterRequired

[Newer PHP versions](https://wordpress.org/about/requirements/) are faster. Your host can switch the version for you.

cURL PHP extensionRequired

Used to activate your license key and to talk to [payment gateways](https://ultimatemembershippro.com/integrations/payment-gateways/). Without it the license can't be activated.

mbstring PHP extensionRequired

Used to handle text in every language correctly.

allow_url_fopenRequired

A PHP setting that must be `On`.

WP-Cron (scheduled tasks)Required

Runs the background jobs that keep Memberships correct. See below for what they do.

Working emailRequired

The plugin sends emails with WordPress's `wp_mail()` function. If your server can't send email, use an SMTP plugin.

Outgoing HTTPS connectionsRequired

Your server must be able to reach the license server and your payment gateways. Some firewalls block outgoing requests.

## Why WP-Cron matters

Several things happen on a schedule, without anyone visiting the admin. The plugin registers these jobs when you activate it:

 Every day

Expire Memberships that reached their end date, check renewal payments that are due, check saved cards that are about to expire, send the notification emails that are due, check pending email verifications, send drip content notifications and clean old security logs.

Twice a day

Start and end grace periods, and end trials that are over.

Every week

Send the [weekly summary email](https://ultimatemembershippro.com/docs/get-a-weekly-summary-email/), when that module is on.

If WP-Cron is turned off in `wp-config.php`, the plugin shows this warning at the top of its screens:

[![Warning in Ultimate Membership Pro: Crons are disabled on your WordPress Website. Some functionality and processes may not work properly.](https://ultimatemembershippro.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ump-requirements-01-cron-warning.png)](https://ultimatemembershippro.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ump-requirements-01-cron-warning.png)
The warning you see when WP-Cron is disabled.

Using a real server cron instead?

Some hosts set `DISABLE_WP_CRON` to `true` and run `wp-cron.php` from a [server cron job](https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/cron/hooking-wp-cron-into-the-system-task-scheduler/) instead. That works, as long as the job runs at least every hour. The plugin can't see the server cron, so the warning stays visible.

## How to check your server

Go to Tools*›*Site Health and open the **Info** tab. The **WordPress** section shows your WordPress version and the **Server** section shows the PHP version and whether cURL is available. Ask your host about anything that's missing.

## Example: a typical setup

 **Shared hosting that works**A common, healthy configuration.

**WordPress**
: 6.8

**PHP**
: 8.2

**PHP extensions**
: cURL, mbstring

**allow_url_fopen**
: On

**WP-Cron**
: On (default)

**Email**
: Sent through an SMTP plugin

## Troubleshooting

  “Crons are disabled on your WordPress Website. Some functionality and processes may not work properly.”

WP-Cron is turned off with `DISABLE_WP_CRON`. Remove that line from `wp-config.php`, or make sure a server cron runs `wp-cron.php` regularly.

  “Curl is disabled.” or “Mbstring extension is disabled.”

The PHP extension is missing. Ask your hosting provider to enable it.

  “'allow_url_fopen' directive is disabled.”

Ask your host to set `allow_url_fopen` to On.

  Memberships don't expire or renewals aren't recorded

Scheduled tasks aren't running. Check WP-Cron as described above.

  Members don't get emails

Test that WordPress can send email at all, for example with an SMTP plugin's test email. See [How to send Notifications](https://ultimatemembershippro.com/docs/how-to-send-notifications/).

## What's next

 [**Install the plugin**Upload and activate Ultimate Membership Pro.](https://ultimatemembershippro.com/docs/install-ultimate-membership-pro/)[**Activate your license key**Unlock every feature and automatic updates.](https://ultimatemembershippro.com/docs/where-to-find-your-license-key/)[**How it works**The main parts of the plugin.](https://ultimatemembershippro.com/docs/how-ultimate-membership-pro-works/)[**Server errors**Fix a 500 error after install or update.](https://ultimatemembershippro.com/docs/error-500-internal-server-error-is-showing-up/)