Bringing PHP into 2026: Build a Headless Markdown Documentation Site with Edge Caching

Build a PHP documentation site that renders Markdown from MySQL, sends cache headers, and serves fast pages without managing Nginx or certificates.

Target searches: modern php hosting, deploy php mysql app, fastest php framework setup, self host documentation platform.

The Stack

PHP 8.2 with a minimal router or Laravel
MySQL for document content
Markdown rendering in the app
Adios runtime plus edge-aware caching behavior

Why This Feels Like a Superpower

PHP can still be an excellent way to ship dynamic pages quickly. Add cache headers from your app, and Adios can cache eligible responses at the edge while your MySQL-backed authoring flow stays simple.

1. Build the App

Ask the Adios AI agent:

Build a PHP documentation app. Load Markdown pages from MySQL, render them as
HTML, add a sidebar, set Cache-Control headers for published pages, and expose
/healthz.

2. Add `adios.yaml`

name: php-docs
region: de
replicas: 1
routable: true

build_cmd: composer install --no-dev --optimize-autoloader
start_cmd: php -S 0.0.0.0:$PORT public/index.php

runtime:
  name: [email protected]
  port: 8080
  health_path: /healthz
  memory_mb: 512

cache:
  enabled: true
  ttl_seconds: 300
  methods:
    - GET

secrets:
  DATABASE_URL: secret://DATABASE_URL

requires:
  - db

3. Deploy and Inspect

adios up
adios logs --runtime