3 Common Mistakes Beginners Make When Learning PHP (and How to Avoid Them)

When you're starting with PHP, it's easy to fall into some common traps that can slow down your learning or lead to bad habits. I’ve been working with PHP for nearly a decade, and I’ve mentored many beginners — I’ve seen the same issues come up again and again. Let’s go through three common mistakes you should watch out for, and how to avoid them from day one. 1. Skipping the Basics Too Fast Many beginners jump straight into building projects without really understanding what’s going on under the hood. Variables, data types, arrays, and control structures might seem “boring,” but they’re absolutely essential. What to do instead Spend time writing small snippets of code that focus on each basic concept. Understand why things work, not just how. Try modifying simple examples and observing the result. 2. Not Using Error Reporting By default, PHP may not show all the errors and warnings your code is producing — and that’s dangerous. You might think your code works just fine, but it could be hiding bugs. What to do instead At the beginning of every PHP script you write while learning, add: ini_set('display_errors', 1); error_reporting(E_ALL); This will show you exactly what’s wrong — and help you fix it faster. 3. Copy-Pasting Without Understanding It’s tempting to copy code from Stack Overflow or tutorials and paste it into your project. That can work in the short term, but it doesn’t teach you anything. What to do instead When you find code online, rewrite it in your own words. Add comments. Change variable names. Ask yourself: What does each line do? Could I explain it to someone else? This kind of active learning makes all the difference. PHP is a powerful and beginner-friendly language — but like any language, it takes practice and patience. Avoiding these common mistakes can help you build a strong foundation and progress faster. If you're serious about learning PHP from the ground up, I’ve put together a beginner-friendly course on Gumroad that walks through everything step-by-step — with no fluff, just clear examples and practical exercises. Check it out here if you’re interested: My Course Thanks for reading, and happy coding! Francesco

Jun 10, 2025 - 09:20

3 Common Mistakes Beginners Make When Learning PHP (and How to Avoid Them)

When you're starting with PHP, it's easy to fall into some common traps that can slow down your learning or lead to bad habits. I’ve been working with PHP for nearly a decade, and I’ve mentored many beginners — I’ve seen the same issues come up again and again.

Let’s go through three common mistakes you should watch out for, and how to avoid them from day one.

1. Skipping the Basics Too Fast
Many beginners jump straight into building projects without really understanding what’s going on under the hood. Variables, data types, arrays, and control structures might seem “boring,” but they’re absolutely essential.
What to do instead
Spend time writing small snippets of code that focus on each basic concept. Understand why things work, not just how. Try modifying simple examples and observing the result.

2. Not Using Error Reporting
By default, PHP may not show all the errors and warnings your code is producing — and that’s dangerous. You might think your code works just fine, but it could be hiding bugs.
What to do instead
At the beginning of every PHP script you write while learning, add:

ini_set('display_errors', 1);
error_reporting(E_ALL);

This will show you exactly what’s wrong — and help you fix it faster.

3. Copy-Pasting Without Understanding
It’s tempting to copy code from Stack Overflow or tutorials and paste it into your project. That can work in the short term, but it doesn’t teach you anything.
What to do instead
When you find code online, rewrite it in your own words. Add comments. Change variable names. Ask yourself: What does each line do? Could I explain it to someone else?

This kind of active learning makes all the difference.

**PHP **is a powerful and beginner-friendly language — but like any language, it takes practice and patience. Avoiding these common mistakes can help you build a strong foundation and progress faster.

If you're serious about learning PHP from the ground up, I’ve put together a beginner-friendly course on Gumroad that walks through everything step-by-step — with no fluff, just clear examples and practical exercises.

Check it out here if you’re interested:
My Course

Thanks for reading, and happy coding!
Francesco