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To increase PHP’s upload limit, raise upload_max_filesize for the largest single file, set post_max_size higher than that value for the complete request, and allow enough max_input_time for the transfer. Large or multi-file uploads can also require a higher memory_limit and max_file_uploads. Apply the changes to the PHP configuration used by your website—not just the command-line PHP installation—then reload the relevant service and verify the effective values. If the upload still fails, the web server or reverse proxy may be rejecting the request before PHP sees it.
This guide shows which limits matter, where to change them on common hosting stacks, how WordPress calculates its displayed limit, and how to diagnose failures such as empty $_FILES, HTTP 413 responses, and timeouts.
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What settings determine PHP’s maximum upload size?
No single directive controls every upload. PHP evaluates the file size, the total HTTP request, the time available to receive it, the memory available while processing it, and (for batches) the number of files.
| Directive | What it limits | Current PHP manual default | How to set it |
|---|---|---|---|
upload_max_filesize |
One uploaded file | 2M |
Set it to the largest individual file you will accept. |
post_max_size |
The complete POST body, including the file, multipart overhead, and other form fields | 8M |
Make it larger than upload_max_filesize; leave headroom. |
max_input_time |
How long PHP parses incoming data, including file-transfer time | Not stated in the supplied PHP guidance | Increase it for slow connections. -1 uses max_execution_time; 0 means unlimited input time. |
memory_limit |
Memory available to PHP while handling the request | Varies by installation | Increase only when processing the upload needs more memory. |
max_file_uploads |
Number of files accepted in one request | 20 |
Raise it for galleries, archives, or other multi-file forms. |
The effective maximum is constrained by the smallest applicable limit. For one file, upload_max_filesize must fit inside post_max_size; for the request to arrive at PHP at all, the front-end web server must also allow a body at least that large.
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What values should I use for a larger upload?
Choose values from the actual files and forms your application accepts, rather than copying a very large number. A practical starting point for files up to about 64 MB is:
upload_max_filesize = 64M
post_max_size = 80M
max_input_time = 300These are configuration choices, not PHP defaults. The 16 MB difference gives the multipart request room for form fields and encoding overhead. If a form sends several files, size the request for their combined total, not merely the largest file. For example, a form that accepts five 20 MB files needs a request limit above 100 MB plus overhead, and its max_file_uploads value must be at least five.
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How do I change the PHP configuration used by my website?
The correct file depends on the PHP SAPI, hosting permissions, and whether the site runs through Apache, Nginx with PHP-FPM, or another stack. A command-line change does not automatically affect web requests.
Option 1: Edit the active php.ini
- Identify the PHP configuration loaded by the web SAPI. A temporary page that calls
phpinfo()shows the “Loaded Configuration File” and the effective values. Remove that diagnostic page immediately after checking it because it exposes server details. - Open that
php.iniwith the hosting control panel’s PHP editor or your server administrator’s approved method. - Add or edit the directives, for example:
upload_max_filesize = 64M post_max_size = 80M max_input_time = 300 memory_limit = 256M max_file_uploads = 50 - Save the file and reload the PHP handler or web service. PHP-FPM normally needs a PHP-FPM reload or restart; Apache with an embedded PHP module needs an Apache reload or restart; IIS requires the corresponding application-pool or web-service action.
- Verify the values from a web request, not only with a shell command.
On managed or shared hosting, the global file may be read-only. Ask the host which PHP version and SAPI serve the domain and whether site-level overrides are permitted.
Option 2: Use a permitted .user.ini file
Some CGI and PHP-FPM configurations allow per-directory settings in a file named .user.ini. Place it in the site directory covered by the request and add the same directives. Changes can be cached for the interval controlled by PHP’s user_ini.cache_ttl, so a value may not appear immediately. This method is site-specific and does not change other virtual hosts.
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Option 3: Use .htaccess with Apache’s PHP module
When Apache runs PHP through mod_php, the host may permit directives in .htaccess, such as:
php_value upload_max_filesize 64M
php_value post_max_size 80M
php_value max_input_time 300This syntax is not valid for every PHP SAPI. On PHP-FPM, it can produce an “Internal Server Error” instead of changing the limit. If that happens, remove the lines and use the PHP-FPM pool, a permitted .user.ini, or the hosting panel.
Do I need to restart PHP or the web server?
Usually, yes. A global php.ini change is read when the PHP process starts, so reload or restart the PHP handler and, where required, the web server. Per-directory files may be reread without a service restart, although caching can delay the change. Use the reload mechanism supplied by your host; on a server you administer, the service name depends on the installed PHP version (for example, a PHP-FPM service for that version).
Do not assume a successful restart proves the setting is active. Check from the same virtual host and URL path that handles uploads. A CLI command such as php --ini or php -i can show a different configuration from the web SAPI.
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How can I verify the effective upload limits?
Verification should confirm both the values and the configuration source.
- Use a temporary, access-controlled PHP information page or your application’s diagnostics to read
upload_max_filesize,post_max_size,max_input_time,memory_limit, andmax_file_uploads. - Check the reported “Loaded Configuration File” and any additional parsed files. Confirm they belong to the website’s PHP version and virtual host.
- Upload a file comfortably below the new limit first, then test a file near the intended boundary. Keep test files non-sensitive.
- Delete the diagnostic page and clear any application or configuration cache that stores the old value.
If an application displays a lower number than PHP, treat that as a second application-level limit rather than proof that PHP ignored the change.
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Can the web server block the upload before PHP receives it?
Yes. A front-end server can reject the request body before PHP parses it. Set its request-size limit at least as high as the desired post_max_size, then reload that server.
| Front end | Relevant request-size setting | Typical symptom |
|---|---|---|
| Apache | LimitRequestBody |
The request is refused before PHP handles the form. |
| Nginx | client_max_body_size |
Often an HTTP 413 “Request Entity Too Large” response. |
| Lighttpd | server.max-request-size |
The server rejects an oversized body at the connection layer. |
| Proxy or load balancer | Its own body-size and timeout policy | A gateway error even though the origin server’s PHP values are high enough. |
For Nginx, a server or location block might contain a value such as client_max_body_size 80M;. The exact configuration scope matters: a more specific location block can override a broader server setting. After editing, validate the configuration and reload Nginx. Apache administrators should check for a LimitRequestBody directive at the virtual-host, directory, or location scope.
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How do I raise the maximum upload size in WordPress?
WordPress relies on PHP for dashboard media uploads, but it reports the smaller of upload_max_filesize and post_max_size. Its wp_max_upload_size() function converts both values to bytes and returns the smaller value, subject to the upload_size_limit filter.
- Raise
upload_max_filesizeto the largest file you want WordPress to accept. - Raise
post_max_sizeabove it, with room for the complete multipart request. - Reload the PHP handler if the change was made in a global configuration file.
- Open the WordPress media-upload screen and confirm that its “Maximum upload file size” text reflects the new effective value.
- If WordPress still shows the old limit, inspect the web SAPI configuration and any plugin or theme using the
upload_size_limitfilter.
Changing only upload_max_filesize cannot raise WordPress’s displayed limit when post_max_size remains lower. Conversely, raising only post_max_size leaves the per-file ceiling unchanged.
Why are $_POST and $_FILES empty?
PHP documents empty $_POST and $_FILES as a possible result when the request exceeds post_max_size. In that case, the application may show a generic “no file selected” message instead of a clear size error.
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- Compare the file size plus form overhead with
post_max_size, not just withupload_max_filesize. - Confirm that the request is reaching the intended virtual host and PHP version.
- Check PHP and web-server error logs for a discarded request.
- Retry with a small file to separate a size problem from an HTML form or permissions problem.
What does an HTTP 413 error mean?
An HTTP 413 generally means a web server, proxy, or load balancer rejected the request body as too large. PHP settings cannot override a rejection that occurs earlier in the request path.
- Identify which server returned the response from its headers and access logs.
- Raise that server’s body-size directive—such as Nginx’s
client_max_body_sizeor Apache’sLimitRequestBody—to at least the intended request size. - Check any upstream CDN, ingress controller, or hosting gateway for a separate cap.
- Reload the component and repeat a controlled upload.
How do I fix a timeout during a slow upload?
max_input_time includes the time PHP spends receiving and parsing an upload. A fast connection may complete within the default, while a slower connection can exceed it even when the file-size limits are correct.
Raise max_input_time to a number of seconds appropriate for the slowest users you support, such as 300. The special value -1 makes PHP use max_execution_time, while 0 permits unlimited input time. Also inspect web-server, reverse-proxy, and load-balancer request timeouts; the shortest timeout still wins.
What if the upload fails with a memory or file-count error?
Memory exhaustion
Large uploads can trigger memory or post-processing failures even after the transfer succeeds. Check memory_limit, application image-processing settings, and logs. Increase memory deliberately and account for other work performed in the same request; a higher upload limit does not require making every PHP request consume that much memory.
Too many files
The PHP manual lists max_file_uploads with a default of 20. A form that sends more files than this can lose files or fail despite each file being small. Raise the directive to the maximum batch size your application needs and verify that the application itself accepts that many fields.
Which configuration approach is right for my hosting?
| Situation | Best starting point | Scope and trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Shared hosting with a PHP settings panel | Use the panel or a permitted .user.ini. |
Site-level and low risk, but the host may cap values or delay changes. |
Apache with mod_php and server access |
Edit the active php.ini or permitted .htaccess. |
Global settings affect more sites; .htaccess is narrower but SAPI-specific. |
| Nginx with PHP-FPM | Edit the PHP-FPM configuration or pool, plus Nginx’s request-size setting. | Requires access to both layers and separate reloads. |
| Managed WordPress hosting | Use the host’s PHP-version or upload-limit controls, then verify in WordPress. | The provider may prohibit direct file edits and impose a hard platform maximum. |
| IIS or another managed front end | Ask the administrator to change the web-SAPI PHP configuration and request-body limit. | Restart and permissions are controlled by the hosting stack. |
What are the security and performance trade-offs?
A larger limit increases the amount of data a request can send and the time a worker may spend receiving it. Set the smallest limit that meets the business requirement, restrict upload permissions to authenticated users where possible, validate MIME type and file contents in the application, store uploads outside executable web paths, and enforce quotas. Do not rely on a PHP size setting as a security control: web-server limits, application validation, authentication, and malware scanning address different risks.
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Long input timeouts can tie up workers during very slow connections. If users regularly send large media, consider resumable or direct-to-storage uploads so the web application does not hold a PHP request open for the entire transfer. That is an architectural change, not a substitute for correcting the limits on an existing form.
Final verification checklist
upload_max_filesizecovers one file.post_max_sizeis higher than it and covers the complete request.max_input_timeaccommodates the slowest expected transfer.memory_limitsupports the application’s post-upload processing.max_file_uploadscovers the largest batch.- The Apache, Nginx, Lighttpd, proxy, or gateway body-size limit is not lower.
- The values were changed in the web SAPI configuration, not only in CLI PHP.
- The relevant PHP and web services were reloaded where required.
- The effective values were verified from the actual site, and WordPress displays the intended maximum if applicable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I increase PHP’s upload limit from a PHP script?
Only directives permitted for runtime changes can be set with ini_set(), and the key upload-size directives are commonly system- or per-directory settings. If a runtime call has no effect, change the active configuration file or hosting-panel setting instead.
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The file’s reported size can reach or slightly exceed the nominal boundary, and the complete multipart request is larger than the file itself. Set upload_max_filesize above the largest expected byte size and keep additional room in post_max_size.
Does changing the PHP limit change an existing upload already in progress?
No. PHP reads the applicable limits when handling the request, and a service reload affects new worker processes. An upload that already received a rejection must be started again after the configuration is active.
Why is the limit different for two websites on the same server?
Each virtual host can use a different PHP version, FPM pool, .user.ini, or application filter. Verify the loaded configuration from each site’s web request rather than assuming the command-line or another domain’s values apply.
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