If you\u2019re building a site that includes (or will include) a lot of large media files, you may want to consider increasing the maximum upload size for your site to ensure larger files display correctly without encountering upload errors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read on for quick answers to common questions about increasing the maximum file upload size on your WordPress site, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Why should you increase your max upload size in WordPress?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- What is the maximum upload size for WordPress?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- What are the steps to increase your max upload size?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Why increase max upload size in WordPress?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There are a few reasons you may need to increase the max file size for media uploaded to your website. Large files for high-resolution images, custom themes, important plugins, and video files will often necessitate the ability to upload large files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note: WP Engine does not recommend hosting videos directly from your WordPress site. Instead, we provide customers with a CDN<\/a> that offloads large video files to keep sites running lightning fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As mentioned, eCommerce sites<\/a> also often require an increased max upload size to sell products more effectively, and this is true whether the products are physical or digital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To effectively sell physical products, retailers see more success when listings and product descriptions are accompanied by multiple high-quality images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you sell digital products, like ebooks or online courses<\/a>, increasing the upload size on your WordPress site creates the opportunity to house all your important content under one digital roof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Increasing your max file size on WordPress also allows you to refresh your site\u2019s content more frequently. Because fresh content will help drive more traffic to your site<\/a>, a larger max file size can also be highly beneficial for marketers and site owners who want to reach a larger audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is the maximum upload size for WordPress?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The maximum file upload size for WordPress can fall anywhere between 2 MB and 500 MB, depending on your specific website hosting provider.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The hosting provider you choose<\/a> will determine the maximum upload size for your site. For example, at WP Engine<\/a>, the default maximum upload file size is 50 MB (or 1 MB for multisite networks).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to check your maximum upload size<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You can check what your site is currently registering for the max file upload size from the
\/wp-admin\/upload.php<\/code> page:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Because your hosting provider sets your site\u2019s upload size, contacting them directly will likely be the best way to determine the maximum upload size they make available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
WP Engine customers can increase their site\u2019s max file upload size (up to a maximum of 256 MB) by contacting Support<\/a>. Any files larger than 256 MB must be uploaded via SFTP<\/a> or SSH Gateway<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Steps to increase upload size in WordPress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
While your hosting provider will determine the maximum upload size of your site(s), there are a few ways you can try to increase it. The following are a few of the most common tactics for increasing the max upload size on your WordPress site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Contact your hosting provider<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
As noted above, the easiest way to increase the upload size for your WordPress site(s) is to contact your hosting provider. Going this route is often ideal for beginners or other less-technical users because your provider\u2019s customer support team should be able to advise you on the best options for your site and increase your max upload size if you decide to do so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Increase max upload size in WordPress for Apache servers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re confident in your coding skills, you can also increase your max upload size by updating your site\u2019s
.htaccess<\/code> file. Note that.htaccess<\/code> files are only found in Apache server configurations. If your server uses NGINX, you should use the instructions found under \u201cIncrease max upload size in WordPress for NGINX servers\u201d instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis will require a relatively simple modification to the
.htaccess<\/code> file, which controls the high-level configuration settings for your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTo get started, you\u2019ll need to connect to your web server (using an FTP client or cPanel file manager) and locate the
.htaccess<\/code> file, which is usually in the root directory of your WordPress install. If you don’t see the file, make sure that hidden files are being shown in your FTP client or file manager.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nDownload a copy of the
.htaccess<\/code> file to your computer as a backup and then open the file using a text editor (like Notepad or TextEdit). In the text editor, add the following lines at the bottom of the file:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nphp_value upload_max_filesize 256M\nphp_value post_max_size 256M\nphp_value max_execution_time 300\nphp_value max_input_time 300<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nYou\u2019ll notice that this file measures size in M instead of MB because this is how PHP handles all directives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once completed, save the file and upload it back to your web server, overwriting the original
.htaccess<\/code> file.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn the event that you receive an error message, it will likely be a 500 Internal Server Error. If this occurs, it means that, due to your server settings, you are unable to change your max upload size using the
.htaccess<\/code> file.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn all cases, we recommend making modifications to your website in a staging or development environment<\/a> rather than in live production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Increase max upload size in WordPress for NGINX servers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If your WordPress site is hosted on an NGINX web server (often paired with PHP-FPM), the
.htaccess<\/code> file method will not work, as NGINX does not process these files. Instead, you’ll need to adjust configuration settings directly within NGINX and PHP’sphp.ini <\/code>file. This usually requires Secure Shell (SSH) access to your server.<\/p>\n\n\n\nImportant note:<\/strong> Modifying server configuration files incorrectly can break your website or even your entire server. Always back up any files before making changes, and if you’re unsure, contact your hosting provider for assistance. For beginners, contacting your host is generally the safest and most recommended approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Modify the NGINX configuration file<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
If you have SSH access to your server, you can directly edit the NGINX configuration. Connect to your server using an SSH client (like PuTTY for Windows or Terminal for macOS\/Linux). You’ll need your server’s IP address or hostname, and your SSH username and password\/key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main NGINX configuration file is typically found at
\/etc\/nginx\/nginx.conf<\/code>. However, many setups include separate configuration files for each website within directories like\/etc\/nginx\/sites-available\/<\/code> or\/etc\/nginx\/conf.d\/<\/code>. You’ll want to modify the file relevant to your WordPress site.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA common command to find NGINX configurations is
grep -r \"server_name\" \/etc\/nginx\/<\/code>. This helps locate files that define your website’s domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOpen the relevant NGINX configuration file using a text editor. You’ll need to add or modify the
client_max_body_size<\/code> directive within thehttp { ... }<\/code> block or, more commonly, within theserver { ... }<\/code> block for your specific WordPress site.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAdd or adjust the following line, replacing
256M<\/code> with your desired maximum upload size:<\/p>\n\n\n\nclient_max_body_size 256M;<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Modify the PHP configuration file<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
NGINX passes requests to PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager) for processing PHP scripts. Therefore, you also need to ensure that PHP’s own upload limits are set to match or exceed the NGINX
client_max_body_size<\/code>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe location of
php.ini<\/code> can vary depending on your PHP version and how it was installed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nYou can often find the correct
php.ini<\/code> by running:php --ini<\/code>. Look for the “Loaded Configuration File” line in the output.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOpen the identified
php.ini <\/code>file using a text or code editor. Next, find and modify the following lines to your desired values. Note that the \u201cM\u201d stands for megabytes, whilemax_execution_time<\/code> andmax_input_time<\/code> are in seconds.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nupload_max_filesize = 256M\n\npost_max_size = 256M\n\nmax_execution_time = 300\n\nmax_input_time = 300\n\nmemory_limit = 256M\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nRestart NGINX and PHP-FPM services<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
For your changes to take effect, you must restart both the NGINX web server and the PHP-FPM service. To restart NGINX, if you’re on a modern Linux distribution using
systemd<\/code>, you’ll use thecommand sudo systemctl restart nginx<\/code>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nHowever, if your system uses
sysvinit<\/code> orsystemctl<\/code> isn’t available, you should usesudo service nginx restart<\/code> instead. Similarly, to restart PHP-FPM, for most modern Linux distributions runningsystemd<\/code>, the command issudo systemctl restart phpX.X-fpm<\/code>, remembering to replaceX.X<\/code> with your specific PHP version. For older systems utilizingsysvinit<\/code>, you’ll typically usesudo service php-fpm restart<\/code> orsudo service phpX.X-fpm restart<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIt’s always a good idea to test your NGINX configuration for any syntax errors before restarting the service. You can do this by running
sudo nginx -t<\/code>. This simple step can really save you from potential downtime if you’ve made a typo.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nOnce both services have successfully restarted, your WordPress site should now recognize the new maximum upload size. You can easily confirm this by heading over to your WordPress dashboard and navigating to Media > Add New<\/strong>. The updated maximum upload file size will be clearly displayed there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Edit functions.php file<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Another way to increase your max upload size is to edit the
functions.php<\/code> file of your site\u2019s theme. The first step is to create a child theme<\/a>. This is a best practice when working with theme-level code, as it prevents your changes from being overridden when your theme updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA child theme has its own
functions.php<\/code> file, which WordPress loads in addition to the parent theme’sfunctions.php<\/code>. This means you can add your custom code to the child theme’sfunctions.php<\/code> and update the parent theme without losing your modifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNext, locate the
functions.php <\/code>file in your child theme and download a backup copy.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThen, open the file using a text editor and add the following code snippet at the bottom:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
@ini_set( 'upload_max_size' , '256M' );\n@ini_set( 'post_max_size', '256M');\n@ini_set( 'max_execution_time', '300' );\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nJust like the
.htaccess<\/code> file method, you\u2019ll save this once complete, upload it to your web server, and overwrite the originalfunctions.php<\/code> file.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSteps for WordPress Multisite<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re running a WordPress Multisite network<\/a>, you can increase your max upload size across the entire network. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To get started, head to your Network Admin dashboard, and underneath the Settings tab, click Network Settings<\/strong>. Scroll down the page until you see a field called “Max Upload File Size”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/WordPress-Multisite-Upload-Settings-1024x495.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSimply change the value in that field to a higher value and click Save Changes<\/strong> to increase your max upload size.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Be aware that this will not circumvent your server\u2019s max upload limit. If the value you entered exceeds the server\u2019s limit, you\u2019ll need to contact your hosting provider or try one of the other methods outlined above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Website Hosting Made Easy with WP Engine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re looking for a provider to host your WordPress sites<\/a> that will ensure your website has the upload size you need, look no further than WP Engine<\/a>! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our award-winning customer support<\/a> team is available 24\/7\/365 to help you take care of all the upkeep and updates your site needs to succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Talk with a specialist<\/a> today to find the plan<\/a> that\u2019s right for your site, your goals, and your business!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Uploading files to your WordPress website may seem like an innocuous process, but if you\u2019re building a site with a lot of large media files (like images, videos, or large plugins and themes), making sure they load correctly can be more complicated than you might think. Media-heavy websites, like photography sites and design portfolios, as…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":318,"featured_media":139560,"template":"","resource-topic":[1396,901],"resource-role":[1397,903],"resource-type":[916],"class_list":["post-139559","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n
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