---
title: "PHP API: accessing site configuration"
manual: "TYPO3 Explained"
version: "main"
permalink: "https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:sitehandling-php-api@main"
source: "ApiOverview/SiteHandling/AccessingSiteConfiguration.rst"
modified: "2026-09-14T11:10:56+00:00"
---

# PHP API: accessing site configuration

-   [Accessing the current site object](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:accessing-the-current-site-object@main)
-   [Finding a site object with the SiteFinder class](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:finding-a-site-object-with-the-sitefinder-class@main)
-   [The Site object](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:the-site-object@main)
-   [The SiteLanguage object](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:the-sitelanguage-object@main)
-   [The SiteSettings object](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:the-sitesettings-object@main)

The PHP API for sites comes in two parts:

-   Accessing the current, resolved site object
-   Finding a site object / configuration via a page or identifier

The first case is relevant when we want to access the site configuration in the
current request, for example, if we want to know which language is currently
rendered.

The second case is about accessing site configuration options independent of the
current request but based on a page ID or a site identifier.

Let us look at both cases in detail.

## Accessing the current site object

When rendering the frontend or backend, TYPO3 builds an HTTP request object through
a [PSR-15 middleware stack](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:request-handling@main) and enriches it with
information. Part of that information are the objects
`\TYPO3\CMS\Core\Site\Entity\Site` and
`\TYPO3\CMS\Core\Site\Entity\SiteLanguage`. Both objects are
available as [attributes](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:typo3-request-attributes@main) in the current
[request object](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:typo3-request@main).

Depending on the context, there are two main ways to access them:

-   via the PSR-7 HTTP request object directly - for example in a PSR-15
    middleware, an [Extbase controller](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:extbase-controller-action@main) or a
    [user function](https://docs.typo3.org/m/typo3/reference-typoscript/main/en-us/ContentObjects/UserAndUserInt/Index.html#cobj-user).
-   via `$GLOBALS['TYPO3_REQUEST']` \- everywhere you do not have a
    request object.

> [!TIP]
> **Hint**
>
> The first method is preferred, if possible, as `$GLOBALS['TYPO3_REQUEST']`
> was deprecated in TYPO3 v9.2 and will be removed in a future version.

Methods:

**EXT:my_extension/Classes/MyClass.php**

```php
// current site
$site = $request->getAttribute('site');

// current site language
$siteLanguage = $request->getAttribute('language');
```

The [Extbase](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:extbase-extension-framework@main) request class implements the
PSR-7 `\Psr\Http\Message\ServerRequestInterface`. Therefore, you can
retrieve all needed attributes from the request object.

## Finding a site object with the `SiteFinder` class

When you need to access the site configuration for a specific page ID or by a
site identifier, you can use the class `\TYPO3\CMS\Core\Site\SiteFinder`.

The methods for finding a specific site throw a
`\TYPO3\CMS\Core\Exception\SiteNotFoundException`, if no site was found.

### API

-   **class SiteFinder**

    -   *Fully qualified name:* `\TYPO3\CMS\Core\Site\SiteFinder`

    Is used in backend and frontend for all places where to read / identify sites and site languages.

    -   **getAllSites(bool $useCache = true)**

        Return a list of all configured sites

        -   *param $useCache:* the useCache, default: true

        *Returns:* `Site[]`

    -   **getSiteByIdentifier(string $identifier)**

        Find a site by given identifier

        -   *param $identifier:* the identifier

        *Returns:* `TYPO3CMSCoreSiteEntitySite`

    -   **getSiteByPageId(int $pageId, ?array $rootLine = NULL, ?string $mountPointParameter = NULL)**

        Traverses the rootline of a page up until a Site was found.

        -   *param $pageId:* the pageId
        -   *param $rootLine:* the rootLine, default: NULL
        -   *param $mountPointParameter:* the mountPointParameter, default: NULL

        *Returns:* `TYPO3CMSCoreSiteEntitySite`

    -   **siteConfigurationChanged()**

## The `Site` object

A `\TYPO3\CMS\Core\Site\Entity\Site` object gives access to the site
configuration options.

### API

-   **class Site**

    -   *Fully qualified name:* `\TYPO3\CMS\Core\Site\Entity\Site`

    Entity representing a single site with available languages

    -   **public invalidSets**

    -   **getIdentifier()**

        Gets the identifier of this site,
        mainly used when maintaining / configuring sites.

        *Returns:* `string`

    -   **getBase()**

        Returns the base URL of this site

        *Returns:* `PsrHttpMessageUriInterface`

    -   **getRootPageId()**

        Returns the root page ID of this site

        *Returns:* `int`

    -   **getLanguages()**

        Returns all available languages of this site

        *Returns:* `array<LanguageRef,SiteLanguage>`

    -   **getSets()**

        Returns configured sets of this site

        *Returns:* `list<string>`

    -   **getAllLanguages()**

        Returns all available languages of this site, even the ones disabled for frontend usages

        *Returns:* `array<LanguageRef,SiteLanguage>`

    -   **getLanguageById(int $languageId)**

        Returns a language of this site, given by the sys_language_uid

        -   *param $languageId:* the languageId

        *Returns:* `TYPO3CMSCoreSiteEntitySiteLanguage`

    -   **getDefaultLanguage()**

        *Returns:* `TYPO3CMSCoreSiteEntitySiteLanguage`

    -   **getAvailableLanguages(\\TYPO3\\CMS\\Core\\Authentication\\BackendUserAuthentication $user, bool $includeAllLanguagesFlag = false, ?int $pageId = NULL)**

        -   *param $user:* the user
        -   *param $includeAllLanguagesFlag:* the includeAllLanguagesFlag, default: false
        -   *param $pageId:* the pageId, default: NULL

        *Returns:* `array<LanguageRef,SiteLanguage>`

    -   **getErrorHandler(int $statusCode)**

        Returns a ready-to-use error handler, to be used within the ErrorController

        -   *param $statusCode:* the statusCode

        *Returns:* `TYPO3CMSCoreErrorPageErrorHandlerPageErrorHandlerInterface`

    -   **getConfiguration()**

        Returns the whole configuration for this site

        *Returns:* `array`

    -   **getRawConfiguration()**

        *Returns:* `array`

    -   **getSettings()**

        *Returns:* `TYPO3CMSCoreSiteEntitySiteSettings`

    -   **getTypoScript()**

        *Returns:* `?TYPO3CMSCoreSiteEntitySiteTypoScript`

    -   **getAttribute(string $attributeName)**

        Returns a single configuration attribute

        -   *param $attributeName:* the attributeName

        *Returns:* `mixed`

    -   **getRouter(?\\TYPO3\\CMS\\Core\\Context\\Context $context = NULL)**

        Returns the applicable router for this site. This might be configurable in the future.

        -   *param $context:* the context, default: NULL

        *Returns:* `TYPO3CMSCoreRoutingRouterInterface`

## The `SiteLanguage` object

The `SiteLanguage` object is basically a simple model that represents the
configuration options of the site regarding language as an object and provides
getters for those properties.

### API

-   **class SiteLanguage**

    -   *Fully qualified name:* `\TYPO3\CMS\Core\Site\Entity\SiteLanguage`

    Entity representing a site_language configuration of a site object.

    -   **toArray()**

        Returns the SiteLanguage in an array representation for e.g. the usage
        in TypoScript.

        *Returns:* `array`

    -   **getConfiguration()**

        *Returns:* `array`

    -   **getLanguageId()**

        *Returns:* `int`

    -   **getLocale()**

        *Returns:* `TYPO3CMSCoreLocalizationLocale`

    -   **getBase()**

        *Returns:* `PsrHttpMessageUriInterface`

    -   **getTitle()**

        *Returns:* `string`

    -   **getNavigationTitle()**

        *Returns:* `string`

    -   **getWebsiteTitle()**

        *Returns:* `string`

    -   **getFlagIdentifier()**

        *Returns:* `string`

    -   **getTypo3Language()**

        Returns the XLF label language key.

        For locales like "en-US", this method returns "en_US" which can then be used
        for XLF file prefixes properly.

        *Returns:* `string`

    -   **getHreflang(bool $fetchCustomSetting = false)**

        Returns the RFC 1766 / 3066 language tag for hreflang tags

        -   *param $fetchCustomSetting:* the fetchCustomSetting, default: false

        *Returns:* `string`

    -   **enabled()**

        Returns true if the language is available in frontend usage

        *Returns:* `bool`

    -   **isEnabled()**

        Helper so fluid can work with this as well.

        *Returns:* `bool`

    -   **getFallbackType()**

        *Returns:* `string`

    -   **getFallbackLanguageIds()**

        *Returns:* `array`

## The `SiteSettings` object

The [site settings](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:sitehandling-settings@main) can be retrieved using the
`getSettings()` method of the [Site](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:sitehandling-site-object@main)
object, which returns a `SiteSettings` object.

The object can be used to access settings either by the dot notation ("flat"),
for example:

```php
$redirectStatusCodeForRedirects = (int)$siteSettings->get('redirects.httpStatusCode', 307);
```

or by accessing all options for a certain group:

```php
$allSettingsRelatedToRedirects = $siteSettings->get('redirects');
```

or even fetching all settings:

```php
$siteSettings->getAll();
```

See [Using site configuration in TypoScript and Fluid templates](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:sitehandling-intyposcript@main) for other means of accessing the site settings.

### API

-   **class SiteSettings**

    -   *Fully qualified name:* `\TYPO3\CMS\Core\Site\Entity\SiteSettings`

    Entity representing all settings for a site. These settings are not overlaid
    with TypoScript settings / constants which happens in the TypoScript Parser
    for a specific page.

    -   **has(string $identifier)**

        -   *param $identifier:* the identifier

        *Returns:* `bool`

    -   **isEmpty()**

        *Returns:* `bool`

    -   **get(string $identifier, ?mixed $defaultValue = NULL)**

        -   *param $identifier:* the identifier
        -   *param $defaultValue:* the defaultValue, default: NULL

        *Returns:* `?mixed`

    -   **getAll()**

        *Returns:* `array`

    -   **getMap()**

        *Returns:* `array`

    -   **getAllFlat()**

        *Returns:* `array`

    -   **jsonSerialize()**

        *Returns:* `?mixed`

    -   **getIdentifiers()**

        *Returns:* `array`

    -   **\_\_set_state(array $state)**

        -   *param $state:* the state

        *Returns:* `static`