Increase the WordPress Upload Limit: Uploading Larger Files

You want to upload a larger image, a theme, or a video, and WordPress stops you: “The uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive in php.ini.” The limit is set server-side – and in most cases quickly raised.

Where’s Your Current Limit?

In WordPress you’ll see it under Media → Add New (“Maximum upload file size”) and in detail under Tools → Site Health → Info → Server. Two values matter:

• upload_max_filesize – the maximum size of a single file.
• post_max_size – the maximum size of the entire request. This must be at least as large as upload_max_filesize, otherwise the increase won’t take effect.

The generator sets both to match.

Raising the Limit

Which file works depends on your hosting – work through them top to bottom. Pick a value, copy the matching snippet:

A quick word:

• php.ini – if you control the server (dedicated server/VPS).
• .htaccess – Apache with mod_php only. On PHP-FPM/FastCGI this throws a 500 → use .user.ini.
• .user.ini – for PHP-FPM/FastCGI/CGI, lives in the root directory.

Note: unlike the memory limit, the upload size cannot be set as a WordPress constant in wp-config.php – these are pure PHP directives.

After the change, reload the admin and check the value again in Site Health.

Don’t Forget: The Memory Limit

With large uploads – especially images – processing follows the upload: WordPress generates several preview sizes, and that needs memory. A generous upload limit helps little if the image processing afterwards fails at the memory limit. Anyone raising the upload size significantly should check the memory at the same time.

Still No Effect?

Then your host has set a lower hard limit. Ask for the maximum permitted value – many shared hosting plans cap out at 64 or 128 MB. For very large files (videos), an external service is often a better choice than a direct media upload anyway. Other error patterns can be sorted out via the overview of WordPress errors.

If the upload still fails despite the change, or you’d rather not touch the server files: drop us a line – we’ll set the right limit.