Which operating system are you using?

The "PHP Server" functionality that you are using is a built-in feature of your version of Visual Studio Code (then please share the version of it) or is it by an extension of it, then please share the Name and ID of the Extension and its version information as well.

And as I read from your question, you don't like to click which I sympathise with, would you please be so kind and share how you start your editor and how you pass the information where the project is located on your system (the directory)?