A depression WordPress upload size limit stops you from uploading big files, plugins, and themes. If you're building a media-heavy website, that tin be a considerable obstruction. It'due south necessary to increment the max upload size in WordPress or your server (or both) in such cases.

Depending on your hosting provider and server, there are many ways to become nearly solving this event. We'll cover them all in this article and show you how to increase the maximum upload size in WordPress chop-chop.

Let's dive in!

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What Is the Maximum Upload Size in WordPress?

Uploading large files to a server consumes a lot of the server's resources. To prevent users from causing server timeouts, the default maximum upload size in WordPress typically ranges from 4 MB to 128 MB. Usually, the hosting provider sets this limit at the server level.

WordPress too includes constants that define this limit, only they cannot override the server-level settings in most cases.

To verify this, go to your WordPress site'south Media Library. Here, try to upload a file that crosses this maximum upload file size limit. You'll come across an fault message that looks something similar this:

Error while uploading a large file in WordPress
Error while uploading a large file in WordPress

The "exceeds the maximum upload size for this site" error can be frustrating, merely it exists for two master reasons: security and efficiency. It hinders site owners and other users, including malicious actors, from uploading huge files (e.g. high-resolution images, big videos).

Otherwise, it can result in incapacitating your website'due south server, making your site come to a clamber. Or worse, it can bring your site downwardly altogether!

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How to Check the Electric current Maximum Upload Size in WordPress

At that place are many ways to cheque your WordPress site'southward current max upload size. Let's go through all of them.

In the Media Library

The quickest way to cheque your site's current maximum upload size is to go to your WordPress dashboard, and from there, go to Media > Library. Here, click on the Add New push to activate the media uploader tool.

The "Maximum upload size limit" in WordPress
The "Maximum upload size limit" in WordPress

As Kinsta hosts this site, the Maximum upload file size: 128 MB. message displays below the Select Files push. If you're using a different web hosting provider, yous may see a different limit listed here.

You can too get to Media > Add New directly and see the same bulletin displayed at the lesser.

The
The "Maximum upload file size" in WordPress' Media Library

Again, you can meet the 128 MB max upload file size hither.

In the Site Health Info

WordPress five.2 added the Site Health Info tool to help you debug your WordPress site better. Hither, yous tin find well-nigh all the information about your server and WordPress configuration.

As both the server and WordPress handle the max upload file size, there are 2 means to observe its value on this screen.

First, you tin discover information technology listed under the Media Handling dropdown. Here, await for the value of Max size of an uploaded file constant.

'Media Handling' settings in the 'Site Health Info' panel
'Media Handling' settings in the 'Site Wellness Info' panel

The second method is to await under the Server dropdown. You'll find many options related to your webserver'due south setup nether here. Please search for the value for Upload max filesize constant to see what it is. On this site, the max upload file size limit is 128 MB.

'Server' settings in the 'Site Health Info' panel
'Server' settings in the 'Site Wellness Info' console

You can too see other PHP constants and their values, such as:

  • PHP post max size: Defines the maximum upload limit for Postal service requests.
  • PHP retention limit: Defines the memory allocated for PHP. It should exist set equal to or higher than the Upload max filesize limit. Or else the upload will neglect.

Your web host sets these options. Normally, starter hosting plans will accept a lesser upload size limit than enterprise hosting plans. Some hosts may allow you to override these limits. Merely in most cases, you may demand your hosting provider'south assistance (and maybe a plan upgrade) to increase them.

Why Increase the Maximum Upload File Size in WordPress?

There are many reasons why you may need to increase your WordPress site'due south maximum upload file size. Here are the near common ones:

  • You desire to install a large theme or plugin straight through the WordPress admin dashboard.
  • Updating your WordPress site regularly is a great way to keep your readers engaged and return for more. And that includes uploading new images, videos, audios, and other media regularly. Nevertheless, that'due south not e'er feasible when there's a file size limit for your uploads.
  • You want to upload a large video or image as your site's background or header.
  • You plan to sell digital files such as ebooks, photographs, videos, themes, and plugins direct from your site. Sometimes, these files tin can stitch to hundreds of megabytes (or more).

Now that we've covered the basics of max upload file size in WordPress, allow'southward learn how to increase it.

10 Ways to Increase the Max Upload File Size in WordPress

There are many means yous can set the WordPress maximum upload size issue. We'll start with the easiest ones get-go, and so we'll move on to the intermediate-level tutorials.

Contact Your Hosting Provider for Help

If you're facing issues with uploading files and file size limits, reaching out to your hosting provider for assistance is one of the quickest solutions. Increasing the upload limit is a picayune task for tech support, so nearly hosting companies can help y'all set this issue rapidly.

Tinkering with your server or site configuration files tin can e'er exist a challenge. Hence, we always recommend you effort this method first.

If you're hosting your site with Kinsta, our knowledgeable support squad is simply a click away and bachelor 24/7. To become started, get to your MyKinsta dashboard and click the chat icon in the bottom right corner.

Contact Kinsta support easily through MyKinsta
Contact Kinsta support easily through MyKinsta

We take representatives to assist you in many languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese.

Increase the Max Upload File Size in WordPress Multisite

If yous're running a WordPress Multisite network, then you can modify the max upload file size for your network.

First, head to your Network Admin dashboard, and and so get to Settings > Network Settings screen. Here, scroll downwards till you find the Upload Settings section. You'll detect the Max upload file size field in this surface area.

The 'Max upload file size' in 'Network Settings'
The 'Max upload file size' field in 'Network Settings'

The default value of Max upload file size in a WordPress Multisite is 1500 KB (~1.5 MB). Y'all can alter this to a higher value and click the Save Changes button.

Note: You cannot circumvent the server-level max upload size limit from here. If the limit yous fix here is college than the server's max upload size limit, the server will ignore it. You can use the methods described above to detect your webserver'south configuration.

The new 'Max upload file size' field in 'Network Settings'
The new 'Max upload file size' in 'Network Settings'

Here, we've prepare the new max upload file size to 131072 KB (~128 MB).

Y'all can also limit the full size of files uploaded to an individual site in the Multisite network. However, it's disabled by default.

Update Your '.htaccess' File

If your webserver runs on Apache, yous can update your site's .htaccess file to increase the max upload size in WordPress. You can find your .htaccess file in the WordPress site's root directory.

As per PHP documentation, three PHP directives are responsible for how WordPress handles uploads. They are:

  • upload_max_filesize
  • post_max_size
  • memory_limit

We've already discussed them in the Site Health Info department higher up. Information technology would help if you lot modified these 3 directives' values to admit your file sizes. For case, if the largest file yous're planning to upload is 32 MB, we recommend the following settings:

  • upload_max_filesize = 32M
  • post_max_size = 64M
  • memory_limit = 128M

Find, all the values use K instead of MB. That'south how PHP handles its directives.

Uploads can contain actress information in addition to the file itself. And so, giving all other upload-related directives some breathing space is a good idea. You tin read our in-depth tutorial on how to improve PHP retentivity limit in WordPress for more than data.

Access your .htaccess file via FTP/SFTP or your hosting provider's File Director.

Finding the '.htaccess' file
Finding the '.htaccess' file

Open the.htaccess file with a text editor or code editor, and so add the following code:

          php_value upload_max_filesize 32M php_value post_max_size 64M php_value memory_limit 128M php_value max_execution_time 300 php_value max_input_time 300        

You can notice two other PHP directives in the above code: max_execution_time and max_input_time . They ascertain how long a server spends on a single PHP task. The bigger your uploads, the bigger the time spent volition exist. Yous need to set up their values to a number that'south appropriate for your utilize case.

Note: Y'all may go a 500 Internal Server Error after using the method above. Nearly probable, it'due south because your server is running PHP in CGI manner. In such cases, you cannot use the above commands in your .htaccess file.

Create or Modify the 'php.ini' File

The php.ini file is where you define changes to your default PHP settings. Typically, it contains directives that ascertain file timeouts, max upload size, and resource limits.

Using SSH or FTP, you lot can discover the php.ini file in your WordPress root directory. In some cases, you may not locate it there. Fret not! You can create a new file with the same name in your site's root directory.

How to create a new php.ini file
How to create a new php.ini file

With a code or text editor, add the following lawmaking to your existing or new php.ini file:

          upload_max_filesize = 32M post_max_size = 64M memory_limit = 128M        

Don't forget to salve your file afterwards making the changes. Some hosts don't allow you lot to alter PHP settings via this method. In such a instance, you lot tin go along to try the following solution instead.

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Create or Modify the '.user.ini' File

If your hosting provider has locked down the global PHP settings, they may take configured the server to piece of work with .user.ini files instead of php.ini files.

Like php.ini and .htaccess files, you can find the .user.ini in your site's root directory. If you tin can't detect it, then you tin can create a new .user.ini file in the same location. Follow the aforementioned process described in the previous method to create a newphp.ini file.

Next, add the following lawmaking to your .user.ini file:

          upload_max_filesize = 32M post_max_size = 64M memory_limit = 128M        

You'll notice that it'southward a repeat of the previous method, except with a different filename.

Change PHP Options via cPanel

If your hosting provider uses the cPanel dashboard to assist you manage your server and site configuration, you tin change the max upload file size through its interface.

To go started, become to your cPanel dashboard, and select the Select PHP Version under the Software section.

Click 'Select PHP Version' in cPanel dashboard
Click 'Select PHP Version' in the cPanel dashboard

Here, yous can change your server's current PHP version and enable/disable many PHP extensions. Click on the Options link in the navigation bill of fare to go to the PHP Options console.

Go to the 'PHP Options' settings in cPanel
Become to the 'PHP Options' settings in cPanel

Scroll down here to change the values of PHP directives such as upload_max_filesize , post_max_size , memory_limit , max_execution_time , and max_input_time . The max values you lot tin set here depend on your current hosting plan.

The 'PHP Options' screen in cPanel
The 'PHP Options' screen in cPanel

If you have any doubts almost these values, nosotros suggest you contact your hosting provider. The latest cPanel dashboard saves changes automatically, and so y'all don't have to click anything. Only if you're using an older cPanel version, make sure to click the Relieve Changes push button.

Increment the Max Upload File Size in Nginx

Nginx is another webserver like Apache, merely it's likewise a lot more. Typically, Nginx tin handle more concurrent requests than Apache, making it a lot faster. Kinsta uses Nginx to ability its operation-optimized hosting solutions for WordPress.

If you're running your WordPress site on Nginx, yous'll need to change both your php.ini and nginx.conf files. We've dealt with the old file before. The latter 1 is chosen an Nginx config file.

On an Nginx server, y'all tin find the php.ini file at /etc/php/7.4/fpm/php.ini . Depending on which PHP version you've installed, the exact path may vary slightly.

          upload_max_filesize = 64M post_max_size = 128M        

You don't have to ready the memory_limit in the above file as Nginx handles information technology differently. For more than, you can check out this Stack Overflow thread. After saving your php.ini file, enable the changes by restarting PHP-FPM using the below lawmaking in your last:

          sudo service php7.4-fpm restart        

Again, the exact code may vary slightly depending on the PHP version installed on your server.

Side by side, apply Nginx'south client_max_body_size directive to set the new max upload size limit. Yous need to declare this directive in the nginx.conf file, which you can find at /etc/nginx/nginx.conf .

Y'all tin can declare this directive inside the http {...} block, the server {...} block, or the location {...} block.

Setting it in the http block volition bear on all the sites/apps hosted on this server.

          http {     ...     client_max_body_size 128M; }        

Defining it in the server block will only affect a specific site/app hosted by this server.

          server {     ...     client_max_body_size 128M; }        

The location block simply affects the specified directory (eastward.k. files, uploads) inside a site/app.

          location /files {     ...     client_max_body_size 128M; }        

Don't forget to relieve the file and restart Nginx to apply the changes. To practice that, you tin use the following command in your terminal:

          sudo service nginx reload        

If you're a Kinsta client, you lot can't access your Nginx config direct. Even so, you can achieve out to our back up team, and they can chop-chop brand the changes for you lot.

Use the WordPress 'upload_size_limit' Filter

WordPress 2.five introduced the upload_size_limit filter, which filters the maximum upload size allowed in php.ini. Even WordPress uses this filter to evidence you the max upload size immune, like in the Media Library and Site Health Info screens.

Below is an example of this filter in action from WordPress contributor Drew Jaynes. Information technology defines the upload size limit for all non-admin roles.

          /** * Filter the upload size limit for not-administrators. * * @param string $size Upload size limit (in bytes). * @render int (perchance) Filtered size limit. */ office filter_site_upload_size_limit( $size ) { // Set the upload size limit to 10 MB for users lacking the 'manage_options' adequacy. if ( ! current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) { // x MB. $size = 1024 * 10000; } return $size; } add_filter( 'upload_size_limit', 'filter_site_upload_size_limit', twenty );        

The above code uses WordPress' manage_options capability to set this limit simply for non-admins. You tin can modify the code to target specific user roles or user ids. Read our in-depth WordPress roles and capabilities commodity for more information.

Use a WordPress Plugin

Messing with code using SSH or FTP/SFTP is not for everyone. If you're not comfortable with writing or editing lawmaking, you tin can use a WordPress plugin instead.

WP Maximum Upload File Size plugin
WP Maximum Upload File Size plugin

We'll be using the WP Maximum Upload File Size plugin here. As of writing this, it's the just up-to-engagement plugin on the WordPress plugin repository that helps you get this done.

To get started, install and activate the WP Maximum Upload File Size plugin. Next, become to its settings screen in your WordPress dashboard. Here, you tin can see the maximum upload file size set past both your hosting provider and WordPress.

WP Maximum Upload File Size settings screen
WP Maximum Upload File Size settings screen

Hither, y'all can encounter that the maximum upload file size set by WordPress is lesser than that set by your hosting provider. Hence, you can creepo it up past choosing the Maximum Upload File Size with the dropdown presented.

Note: If y'all want to set a max upload file size limit that's larger than the ane set by your hosting provider, it'southward not possible to practise it via this plugin. For that, yous demand to contact your hosting provider.

Upload Files via FTP/SFTP

Are you still struggling with all the above methods? Or with your hosting provider to take them raise the upload file size limit? You tin can always upload big files via FTP/SFTP.

FileZilla window with a site connected
Elevate and drib files to and for your server and estimator with SFTP

If you have a lot of large files to upload, this is the fastest method. Y'all can read our in-depth tutorial on how to bulk upload files to the WordPress media library for more information.

Sometimes, WordPress doesn't recognize files uploaded via FTP/SFTP. If that'due south the case, you tin use the free Add From Server plugin to import the uploaded files into WordPress.

Alternatively, you can do the same straight from the command line by importing images using WP-CLI. The wp media import command allows you lot to create attachments from local files or URLs.

Don't Edit the 'wp-config.php' File

Editing the wp-config.php file doesn't work anymore. Nosotros're calculation information technology here considering we've constitute many web tutorials that list it as a legitimate way to increase the max upload size in WordPress.

It involves going to your site'south root directory via FTP/SFTP or SSH then editing the wp-config.php file.

Finding the 'wp-config.php' file
Finding the 'wp-config.php' file

Yous're suggested to add together the post-obit code to the wp-config.php file:

          @ini_set( 'upload_max_size' , '64M' ); @ini_set( 'post_max_size', '128M'); @ini_set( 'memory_limit', '256M' );        

It fails to work because you can only employ the ini_set() function to set PHP directives that belong to the PHP_INI_ALL changeable mode.

Equally upload_max_size and post_max_size vest to the PHP_INI_PERDIR changeable style. You can only set them via php.ini, .htaccess, http.conf, or .user.ini.

If you've tried this method earlier without seeing whatsoever results, now yous know why it fails.

Verify Your WordPress Site'due south New Max Upload File Size

Finally, it's time to verify whether the new max upload file size limit is implemented in your WordPress site. To do this, follow the aforementioned procedure nosotros discussed above to check the max upload file size in WordPress.

Get to your Media Library in the WordPress dashboard and bank check whether the max upload file size limit has changed.

Verifying the new max upload file size limit
Verifying the new max upload file size in 'Media Library'

Yes, it has changed. That'southward a success!

Yous can as well go to the Site Health Info panel and check for the aforementioned under Media Handling and Server dropdowns.

Verifying the new max upload file size limit in 'Site Health Info'
Verifying the new max upload file size in 'Site Health Info > Media Library'
Verifying the new max upload file size limit in 'Site Health Info'
Verifying the new max upload file size in 'Site Health Info > Server'

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Summary

As you've seen, increasing the maximum upload file size in WordPress isn't also complex. Whether yous're building a media-heavy portfolio site or installing a large theme, it'southward just a matter of knowing where to look for and what commands or tools to apply.

In most cases, reaching out to your hosting provider should exist enough. Notwithstanding, if y'all're stuck with a troublesome host, we've shown you lot some alternative methods you tin endeavor before migrating to improve hosting.

Get uploading!

Did we cover it all? If you've experienced a stubborn case of upload file size limits, let us know how you managed to gear up it.


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