A Guide to Increasing Maximum Upload and PHP Memory Limit

As WordPress enthusiasts, we understand the importance of maintaining a seamless website experience. One common challenge website owners face is dealing with the limitations of maximum upload size and PHP memory. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to enhance these limits, ensuring your WordPress site operates at its full potential.

Why Do Maximum Upload and PHP Memory Matter?

Before diving into the how-to, it’s important to understand why maximum upload and PHP memory limits are critical for your WordPress website.

Media-rich Content: In today’s visually driven web environment, high-resolution images, videos, and other multimedia elements are essential. Increasing the maximum upload limit allows you to seamlessly add and manage these media files without issues.

Complex Themes and Plugins: Advanced themes and feature-rich plugins often require more PHP memory to function correctly. By increasing the PHP memory limit, you prevent potential crashes and slowdowns, ensuring smooth website performance.

How to Increase Maximum Upload Limit

Here are the steps to boost the maximum upload limit on your WordPress site:

1. Edit the php.ini FileAccess your website’s root directory and locate the php.ini file. If it doesn’t exist, create one. Open the file and add the following lines:
   upload_max_filesize = 64M
post_max_size = 64M
max_execution_time = 300


   Adjust the values according to your needs. Save the changes and restart your web server.

2. Edit the .htaccess FileAlternatively, you can modify the .htaccess file in your WordPress root directory. Add the following lines:
   php_value upload_max_filesize 64M
php_value post_max_size 64M
php_value max_execution_time 300
php_value max_input_time 300


   Save the changes and refresh your website.

3. Use a PluginFor those less comfortable with manual changes, plugins like “Increase Maximum Upload File Size” offer a user-friendly interface to adjust these limits effortlessly.

How to Increase PHP Memory Limit

To enhance the PHP memory limit, follow these steps:

1. Edit the wp-config.php FileLocate your wp-config.php file in the WordPress root directory. Add the following line before the “/* That’s all, stop editing! */” line:
   define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');


   Adjust the value based on your requirements and save the changes.

2. Edit the .htaccess FileSimilar to increasing the upload limit, you can modify the .htaccess file by adding the following line:
   php_value memory_limit 256M


   Save the changes and refresh your website.

3. Contact Your Hosting ProviderIf the above methods don’t work or you’re uncomfortable making these changes, reach out to your hosting provider. They can adjust the PHP memory limit for you.

By following these steps, you can unlock the full potential of your WordPress website. At Ee-By-Gum Web Design, we specialise in optimising WordPress sites for peak performance. If you encounter any challenges or prefer professional assistance, don’t hesitate to contact your web design Leeds experts.