After install but `php -m | grep imagick` still empty — why?

Wrong SAPI's php.ini. Installing via apt enables in CLI php.ini; web SAPI (FPM, mod_php) reads its own. Find via `php -i | grep -i imagick` vs `php-fpm -i | grep -i imagick`. Add `extension=imagick` to FPM's php.ini and restart php-fpm. Apache mod_php: restart apache.

ImageMagick + WordPress — version compatibility?

WP works with ImageMagick 6.x and 7.x via the imagick PHP extension. Common compatibility issue: distro ships ImageMagick 6.9 and policy.xml restricts certain operations (PDF, EPS for security). WP image processing may fail silently. Check `/etc/ImageMagick-6/policy.xml` — comment out restrictive `` lines for needed formats.

GD vs imagick — which to enable?

Both. They're separate extensions; WordPress prefers imagick if available, falls back to GD. Sites doing heavy image processing benefit from imagick (more formats, better quality). GD is built-in to many PHP packages and always available as a fallback. No conflict — enable both.

Shared hosting can't install — what's the right path?

Contact host. Most cPanel/DirectAdmin shared providers have ImageMagick as a per-account PHP toggle in "Select PHP Version" → Extensions. If the toggle isn't there, file a ticket asking them to install ImageMagick server-wide. Some providers refuse, citing security; consider switching to a more capable host for image-heavy sites.

Install ImageMagick or GD — Server Administrator's Guide

3 min read

20.08.2025

If your server does not have ImageMagick or GD installed or enabled, follow these steps based on your operating system to install and configure them.

Install ImageMagick GD Server — ImageMagick/GD — install system pkg + PHP extension + enable + restart.

For the check-it-first companion and related PHP-extension topics, see Server Does Not Have ImageMagick or GD Installed — How to Check, OpenCart mcrypt Extension, and vqmod::bootup — PHP domdocument Extension.

Installing ImageMagick

For Ubuntu/Debian

Update the Package List

sudo apt update

Install ImageMagick

sudo apt install imagemagick php-imagick -y

Restart the Web Server

For Apache:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

For Nginx with PHP-FPM:

sudo systemctl restart php7.x-fpm

Verify Installation

php -m | grep imagick

If installed, imagick will appear in the output.

For CentOS/RHEL

Enable the EPEL Repository

sudo yum install epel-release -y

Install ImageMagick

sudo yum install ImageMagick ImageMagick-devel php-pecl-imagick -y

Restart the Web Server

sudo systemctl restart httpd

or for PHP-FPM:

sudo systemctl restart php-fpm

Verify Installation

php -m | grep imagick

For Windows Servers

Download ImageMagick

Download the ImageMagick binary for Windows from the official ImageMagick website.

Install the binary

Install the binary and add its path to the system environment variables.

Enable the imagick extension in php.ini

extension=imagick

Restart the web server

Installing GD

For Ubuntu/Debian

Update the Package List

sudo apt update

Install the GD Library

sudo apt install php-gd -y

Restart the Web Server

For Apache:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

For Nginx with PHP-FPM:

sudo systemctl restart php7.x-fpm

Verify Installation

php -m | grep gd

If installed, gd will appear in the output.

For CentOS/RHEL

Install the GD Library

sudo yum install php-gd -y

Restart the Web Server

sudo systemctl restart httpd

or for PHP-FPM:

sudo systemctl restart php-fpm

Verify Installation

php -m | grep gd

For Windows Servers

Enable the gd extension in php.ini

extension=gd

Restart the web server

Enable Extensions in PHP

Ensure that the imagick and gd extensions are enabled in php.ini:

Locate the php.ini file:

php --ini

Open the file in a text editor:

sudo nano /etc/php/7.x/apache2/php.ini  # For Apache

sudo nano /etc/php/7.x/fpm/php.ini      # For PHP-FPM

Uncomment (or add) the lines:

extension=gd
extension=imagick

Save and exit, then restart your web server.

Verify in WordPress

Go to your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
Navigate to Media > Add New.
Upload an image and test resizing functionality.

Troubleshooting

GD or ImageMagick Not Detected

Ensure the correct PHP version is used:

php -v

Verify the PHP extensions directory:

php -i | grep extension_dir

Web Server Not Restarting

Check error logs for issues:

sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/error.log  # For Apache

sudo tail -f /var/log/nginx/error.log    # For Nginx

Additional Notes

ImageMagick is preferred for advanced image processing.
GD is recommended if you need a lightweight solution.

Install ImageMagick or GD — Server Administrator's Guide

Installing ImageMagick

For Ubuntu/Debian

For CentOS/RHEL

For Windows Servers

Installing GD

For Ubuntu/Debian

For CentOS/RHEL

For Windows Servers

Enable Extensions in PHP

Verify in WordPress

Troubleshooting

GD or ImageMagick Not Detected

Web Server Not Restarting

Additional Notes

Hosting

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For You

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Install ImageMagick or GD — Server Administrator's Guide

Installing ImageMagick

For Ubuntu/Debian

For CentOS/RHEL

For Windows Servers

Installing GD

For Ubuntu/Debian

For CentOS/RHEL

For Windows Servers

Enable Extensions in PHP

Verify in WordPress

Troubleshooting

GD or ImageMagick Not Detected

Web Server Not Restarting

Additional Notes

Hosting

Cloud Solutions

For You

VDS

Website Builders

Our services

Client Area

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