A low WordPress upload size limit stops you from uploading large files, plugins, and themes. If you're building a media-heavy website, that can be a considerable obstacle. It'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 go nearly solving this issue. We'll embrace them all in this article and show you how to increase the maximum upload size in WordPress rapidly.

Let's swoop in!

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What Is the Maximum Upload Size in WordPress?

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

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

To verify this, get to your WordPress site's Media Library. Here, endeavour to upload a file that crosses this maximum upload file size limit. You'll see an error 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, but it exists for 2 master reasons: security and efficiency. It hinders site owners and other users, including malicious actors, from uploading huge files (e.g. high-resolution images, large videos).

Otherwise, information technology can effect in incapacitating your website's server, making your site come to a crawl. Or worse, it can bring your site downward altogether!

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How to Check the Electric current Maximum Upload Size in WordPress

There are many ways to cheque your WordPress site's electric current max upload size. Let's go through all of them.

In the Media Library

The quickest manner to check your site'southward current maximum upload size is to get to your WordPress dashboard, and from there, go to Media > Library. Here, click on the Add New button 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 button. If you're using a different web hosting provider, yous may see a different limit listed hither.

You tin also become to Media > Add New directly and see the same message displayed at the bottom.

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

Again, y'all can encounter the 128 MB max upload file size here.

In the Site Health Info

WordPress five.ii added the Site Wellness Info tool to assistance you lot debug your WordPress site better. Here, you tin can find almost all the data near your server and WordPress configuration.

Every bit both the server and WordPress handle the max upload file size, there are two ways to detect its value on this screen.

First, you can find it listed under the Media Handling dropdown. Here, look for the value of Max size of an uploaded file constant.

'Media Handling' settings in the 'Site Health Info' panel
'Media Treatment' 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's setup under hither. Please search for the value for Upload max filesize constant to come across 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' panel

You tin can besides come across other PHP constants and their values, such every bit:

  • PHP post max size: Defines the maximum upload limit for POST requests.
  • PHP retention limit: Defines the memory allocated for PHP. It should be set equal to or college than the Upload max filesize limit. Or else the upload will fail.

Your web host sets these options. Unremarkably, starter hosting plans volition take a lesser upload size limit than enterprise hosting plans. Some hosts may allow you to override these limits. Only in virtually cases, you lot may demand your hosting provider's help (and perhaps a programme upgrade) to increase them.

Why Increment the Maximum Upload File Size in WordPress?

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

  • You want to install a large theme or plugin straight through the WordPress admin dashboard.
  • Updating your WordPress site regularly is a groovy manner to keep your readers engaged and return for more. And that includes uploading new images, videos, audios, and other media regularly. Still, that'southward non e'er feasible when there's a file size limit for your uploads.
  • You want to upload a large video or image equally 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 can run up to hundreds of megabytes (or more).

Now that nosotros've covered the basics of max upload file size in WordPress, permit'south learn how to increase it.

10 Means to Increase the Max Upload File Size in WordPress

In that location are many ways you tin fix the WordPress maximum upload size issue. We'll start with the easiest ones first, and so nosotros'll move on to the intermediate-level tutorials.

Contact Your Hosting Provider for Assistance

If you're facing bug with uploading files and file size limits, reaching out to your hosting provider for assistance is 1 of the quickest solutions. Increasing the upload limit is a trivial task for tech support, and then most hosting companies can help you fix this issue quickly.

Tinkering with your server or site configuration files can always be a challenge. Hence, we always recommend you effort this method outset.

If yous're hosting your site with Kinsta, our knowledgeable support team is just a click abroad and available 24/7. To get started, go to your MyKinsta dashboard and click the chat icon in the lesser right corner.

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

Nosotros have 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 then go to Settings > Network Settings screen. Hither, scroll down till you discover the Upload Settings section. You'll find the Max upload file size field in this expanse.

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). You can change this to a college value and click the Salve Changes push button.

Note: You cannot circumvent the server-level max upload size limit from here. If the limit y'all set here is college than the server's max upload size limit, the server will ignore it. You can use the methods described to a higher place to find your webserver'southward configuration.

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

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

You lot can also limit the total size of files uploaded to an individual site in the Multisite network. Nonetheless, it'southward disabled by default.

Update Your '.htaccess' File

If your webserver runs on Apache, you tin 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, 3 PHP directives are responsible for how WordPress handles uploads. They are:

  • upload_max_filesize
  • post_max_size
  • memory_limit

Nosotros've already discussed them in the Site Health Info section to a higher place. It would help if you lot modified these three directives' values to admit your file sizes. For instance, if the largest file you lot're planning to upload is 32 MB, we recommend the following settings:

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

Notice, all the values utilize M instead of MB. That's how PHP handles its directives.

Uploads can comprise extra information in addition to the file itself. Then, giving all other upload-related directives some breathing space is a good idea. You can read our in-depth tutorial on how to improve PHP memory limit in WordPress for more information.

Admission your .htaccess file via FTP/SFTP or your hosting provider'due south File Manager.

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

Open up the.htaccess file with a text editor or lawmaking 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 2 other PHP directives in the above code: max_execution_time and max_input_time . They define how long a server spends on a unmarried PHP task. The bigger your uploads, the bigger the fourth dimension spent will be. Y'all demand to set their values to a number that'south appropriate for your use case.

Annotation: You may get a 500 Internal Server Mistake after using the method to a higher place. Most likely, it's because your server is running PHP in CGI mode. In such cases, you cannot employ the higher up 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, information technology contains directives that define file timeouts, max upload size, and resources limits.

Using SSH or FTP, you can discover the php.ini file in your WordPress root directory. In some cases, you may not locate it in that location. Fret not! You can create a new file with the same name in your site'south 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 after making the changes. Some hosts don't allow you to change PHP settings via this method. In such a example, yous can keep to try the following solution instead.

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Create or Modify the '.user.ini' File

If your hosting provider has locked downwardly the global PHP settings, they may take configured the server to 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 can't find it, and then you can create a new .user.ini file in the same location. Follow the same procedure described in the previous method to create a newphp.ini file.

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

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

Y'all'll find that it's 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 lot manage your server and site configuration, you tin change the max upload file size through its interface.

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

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

Here, y'all can modify your server's current PHP version and enable/disable many PHP extensions. Click on the Options link in the navigation menu to become to the PHP Options console.

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

Scroll down here to modify 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 y'all can set here depend on your electric current hosting plan.

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

If you have any doubts about these values, nosotros suggest you contact your hosting provider. The latest cPanel dashboard saves changes automatically, so you don't take to click anything. But if you're using an older cPanel version, make sure to click the Save Changes push.

Increase the Max Upload File Size in Nginx

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

If you're running your WordPress site on Nginx, you'll need to modify both your php.ini and nginx.conf files. Nosotros've dealt with the sometime file before. The latter one is called an Nginx config file.

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

          upload_max_filesize = 64M post_max_size = 128M        

Yous don't take to set the memory_limit in the higher up file as Nginx handles information technology differently. For more than, you lot tin can cheque out this Stack Overflow thread. Later saving your php.ini file, enable the changes by restarting PHP-FPM using the below code in your terminal:

          sudo service php7.4-fpm restart        

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

Next, use Nginx's client_max_body_size directive to set the new max upload size limit. You need to declare this directive in the nginx.conf file, which yous can find at /etc/nginx/nginx.conf .

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

Setting it in the http block will impact all the sites/apps hosted on this server.

          http {     ...     client_max_body_size 128M; }        

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

          server {     ...     client_max_body_size 128M; }        

The location block only affects the specified directory (e.g. files, uploads) inside a site/app.

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

Don't forget to save the file and restart Nginx to apply the changes. To do that, y'all can apply the following command in your terminal:

          sudo service nginx reload        

If you're a Kinsta customer, you can't access your Nginx config straight. Still, you tin can reach out to our support team, and they tin chop-chop make the changes for you.

Apply 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 show you lot the max upload size allowed, like in the Media Library and Site Health Info screens.

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

          /** * Filter the upload size limit for non-administrators. * * @param string $size Upload size limit (in bytes). * @return int (maybe) Filtered size limit. */ office filter_site_upload_size_limit( $size ) { // Set up the upload size limit to 10 MB for users lacking the 'manage_options' capability. if ( ! current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) { // ten MB. $size = 1024 * 10000; } render $size; } add_filter( 'upload_size_limit', 'filter_site_upload_size_limit', 20 );        

The in a higher place code uses WordPress' manage_options capability to set up this limit only for non-admins. Y'all can alter the code to target specific user roles or user ids. Read our in-depth WordPress roles and capabilities article for more than 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 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'due south the merely up-to-date plugin on the WordPress plugin repository that helps you become this done.

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

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

Here, you can see that the maximum upload file size ready by WordPress is lesser than that set up by your hosting provider. Hence, you can crank it upwardly by choosing the Maximum Upload File Size with the dropdown presented.

Annotation: If you lot want to fix a max upload file size limit that'due south larger than the one set by your hosting provider, it's not possible to exercise it via this plugin. For that, y'all 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 can ever upload large files via FTP/SFTP.

FileZilla window with a site connected
Drag and drib files to and for your server and computer with SFTP

If you accept a lot of large files to upload, this is the fastest method. Yous can read our in-depth tutorial on how to majority upload files to the WordPress media library for more data.

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

Alternatively, you tin can do the aforementioned straight from the command line by importing images using WP-CLI. The wp media import command allows you 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. We're adding it here because nosotros've found many web tutorials that listing it as a legitimate way to increment the max upload size in WordPress.

Information technology involves going to your site's root directory via FTP/SFTP or SSH and then editing the wp-config.php file.

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

Yous're suggested to add the following 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 yous can merely use the ini_set() function to set PHP directives that vest to the PHP_INI_ALL changeable mode.

As upload_max_size and post_max_size belong to the PHP_INI_PERDIR changeable mode. You can only fix them via php.ini, .htaccess, http.conf, or .user.ini.

If y'all've tried this method before without seeing whatever results, now you know why it fails.

Verify Your WordPress Site's New Max Upload File Size

Finally, it's fourth dimension to verify whether the new max upload file size limit is implemented in your WordPress site. To practise this, follow the same procedure we discussed above to bank check the max upload file size in WordPress.

Go to your Media Library in the WordPress dashboard and check whether the max upload file size limit has inverse.

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

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

You can likewise go to the Site Wellness Info panel and check for the same 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'

Don't let the maximum upload size in WordPress hold you lot back! 🙅‍♂️ This guide will show you lot how you tin can easily increase the limit to adjust your larger files 👇 Click to Tweet

Summary

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

In most cases, reaching out to your hosting provider should be plenty. However, if you're stuck with a troublesome host, we've shown you some alternative methods yous tin can try before migrating to better hosting.

Get uploading!

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


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