Are you struggling to upload large files to your WordPress website? If so, you’re not alone. Many WordPress users encounter limitations when attempting to upload files beyond a certain size. However, learning how to increase the maximum file upload size in WordPress can be a solution. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to effortlessly boost your website’s upload capabilities, allowing you to seamlessly share larger files with your audience. So, let’s dive in and unlock the full potential of your WordPress site together.

What Is the Maximum Upload Size for WordPress?

What Is the Maximum Upload Size for WordPress

The maximum upload size for WordPress can vary depending on your hosting provider and server configuration. Typically, the default maximum upload size in WordPress ranges from 2MB to 150MB. 

However, some hosting providers may offer larger limits or allow you to adjust this setting manually. To find out the specific maximum upload size for your WordPress site, you can check your hosting provider’s documentation or contact their support team. 

Additionally, you can view the current maximum upload size within your WordPress admin dashboard by navigating to Media > Add New and observing the maximum file size displayed. 

Understanding the maximum upload size is crucial for efficiently managing your website’s content and ensuring that you can upload files without encountering any limitations.

How to Check the Maximum Upload Size for WordPress?

How to Check the Current Maximum Upload Size in WordPress

To check the maximum upload size for your WordPress website, you can follow these simple steps:

  1. Log in to Your WordPress Admin Dashboard: Go to your WordPress website and log in with your administrator credentials.
  2. Navigate to Media Settings: In the admin sidebar, hover over the “Settings” menu, then click on “Media.”
  3. View Maximum Upload File Size: Scroll down to the “Maximum upload file size” section. Here, you’ll see the maximum file size allowed for uploads to your WordPress site.

Alternatively, if you prefer a quicker method:

  1. Navigate to Media Library: In your WordPress admin dashboard, hover over “Media” in the sidebar and click on “Library.”
  2. Add New Media: Click on the “Add New” button at the top of the Media Library page.
  3. Observe Maximum File Size: Before you select a file to upload, you’ll see the maximum file size displayed below the upload area. This indicates the maximum file size allowed for uploads on your WordPress site.

By following these steps, you can easily determine the maximum upload size for your WordPress website and ensure that you stay within the upload limits when adding media or other files to your site.

Is the Maximum Upload File Size a Problem For WordPress Site?

Yes, the maximum upload file size in WordPress can sometimes be a limitation, especially for websites that frequently deal with large media files or require users to upload substantial documents. While the default maximum upload size might suffice for many websites, it can become a problem if:

Media-heavy Content: 

If your website relies heavily on images, videos, or audio files with large sizes, the default maximum upload size may restrict your ability to upload high-quality media content.

File Sharing: 

Websites that allow users to upload files, such as documents or presentations, may encounter issues if the maximum upload size is too small, hindering the ability to share larger files effectively.

Plugin or Theme Installation: 

Some WordPress plugins or themes come with large file sizes. If your maximum upload size is too small, you might face difficulties installing these plugins or themes through the WordPress dashboard.

Website Functionality: 

Certain functionalities, such as backups or importing/exporting data, might require uploading large files. A constrained maximum upload size could impede these processes.

However, the good news is that the maximum upload size can usually be adjusted to accommodate your website’s needs. With the right configuration or adjustments to your hosting environment, you can increase the maximum upload size to better suit your requirements. 

Additionally, there are various methods and plugins available to help you overcome any limitations posed by the default upload size in WordPress. Therefore, while the maximum upload file size might present challenges for some WordPress sites, it’s typically a manageable issue with solutions readily available.

Why Increase the Maximum File Upload Size in WordPress?

Increasing the maximum file upload size in WordPress is crucial for several reasons:

Media-Rich Content: 

Websites nowadays often feature multimedia content like high-resolution images, videos, and audio files. Without a sufficient upload size limit, users may struggle to upload or share such media, hampering the overall user experience. For instance, a photographer’s portfolio website might require large image files to showcase their work effectively.

Large Plugins and Themes: 

Some WordPress plugins and themes come bundled with large files, particularly those containing complex functionalities or extensive libraries. Without an increased upload size limit, installing or updating these plugins/themes may fail, hindering website functionality. For example, an e-commerce site might rely on a feature-rich plugin for advanced product management, necessitating a higher upload size limit.

File Sharing and Collaboration: 

Websites that involve user-generated content, such as forums, community platforms, or collaborative workspaces, often require users to upload files for sharing or collaboration. A generous upload size limit facilitates seamless sharing of documents, presentations, or other files among users. Consider a student portal where students need to submit large assignments or projects for evaluation.

Backup and Restore Operations: 

Backing up a WordPress site often involves compressing and archiving files, resulting in large backup files. Similarly, restoring a site from a backup requires uploading these large files back to the server. Insufficient upload size limits can impede these essential backup and restore operations, jeopardizing the site’s data integrity and security.

Improved User Satisfaction: 

By increasing the maximum file upload size, website administrators demonstrate their commitment to providing a smooth and hassle-free user experience. Users can upload their desired files without encountering frustrating limitations, leading to higher satisfaction and engagement levels.

Overall, increasing the maximum file upload size in WordPress is crucial for accommodating modern website requirements, ensuring smooth functionality, and enhancing user satisfaction.

How To Increase The Maximum File Upload Size In WordPress?

Now the question is how do i increase the maximum file upload size in wordpress. So, How do I upload a large file to WordPress? Well, we will follow some methods here. 

1. Use a WordPress Plugin (Swisstoolkit) to Increase Upload File Size

Use a WordPress Plugin to Increase Upload File Size

One of the easiest ways to increase your maximum upload file size is using a wordpress plugin to increase upload file size. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use the “Swisstoolkit” WordPress plugin to increase the maximum upload file size:

1. Install and Activate the Plugin:

Use a WordPress Plugin to Increase Upload File Size
  1. Download the Swisstoolkit plugin.
  2. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
  3. Navigate to the “Plugins” menu and click on “Add New.”
  4. In the search bar, type “Swisstoolkit” and press enter.
  5. Locate the Swisstoolkit plugin in the search results and click on “Install Now.”
  6. After installation, click on the “Activate” button to activate the plugin.

2. Access Swisstoolkit Settings:

  1. Once activated, go to the “Settings” menu in your WordPress admin sidebar.
  2. Click on “Swisstoolkit” to access the plugin’s settings page.

3. Adjust Maximum Upload File Size:

Adjust Maximum Upload File Size
  1. On the Swisstoolkit settings page, locate the option for “Maximum Upload File Size” or similar.
  2. Enter the desired maximum upload file size in megabytes (MB). For example, if you want to increase the limit to 100MB, input “100” in the provided field.

4. Save Changes:

  1. After entering the desired maximum upload file size, scroll down to locate the “Save Changes” button.
  2. Click on “Save Changes” to apply the new settings.

5. Verify Changes:

  1. To ensure that the changes have taken effect, you can navigate to any media upload section in WordPress, such as Media > Add New.
  2. You should see the updated maximum upload file size displayed below the upload area, reflecting the changes you made using the Swisstoolkit plugin.

6. Test Upload:

  1. Finally, you can test the increased upload file size limit by attempting to upload a file that exceeds the previous limit. If the upload is successful, it confirms that the plugin has successfully increased the maximum upload file size.

By following these steps, you can effectively use the Swisstoolkit WordPress plugin to adjust and increase the maximum upload file size on your WordPress website, allowing you to upload larger files with ease.

2. Create or Edit an Existing ‘php.ini’ or ‘.user.ini’ file

user.ini file

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create or edit an existing php.ini or .user.ini file to adjust the maximum upload file size in your PHP configuration:

1. Access Your Hosting Account:

  1. Log in to your hosting account’s control panel. This is usually provided by your web hosting provider and can be accessed via a web browser.

2. Locate File Manager:

  1. Navigate to the “File Manager” or a similar file management tool within your hosting control panel. This tool allows you to manage files on your server.

3. Navigate to Website Directory:

  1. Once in the file manager, locate and navigate to the directory where your WordPress website files are stored. This is typically the “public_html” or “www” directory, but it may vary depending on your hosting setup.

4. Check for Existing ‘php.ini’ or ‘.user.ini’ File:

  1. Look for an existing php.ini or .user.ini file in your website directory. If you find one, you can edit it directly. If not, proceed to the next step to create a new file.

5. Create a New ‘php.ini’ or ‘.user.ini’ File (if necessary):

  1. If there’s no existing php.ini or .user.ini file, you can create a new one.
  2. Find an option to create a new file within the file manager interface (usually a button or menu option labeled “New” or “Create”).
  3. Name the file either php.ini or .user.ini depending on your server configuration.

6. Edit the File:

  1. Right-click on the newly created or existing php.ini or .user.ini file and select an option to edit it. This might be labeled as “Edit,” “Code Editor,” or similar.
  2. If prompted, choose a text editor to open the file.

7. Adjust Maximum Upload File Size:

  1. Within the php.ini or .user.ini file, add or edit the following line to adjust the maximum upload file size:
  • makefile
  • Copy code

upload_max_filesize = 100M

Now, replace “100M” with your desired maximum file size limit. You can specify the size in megabytes (M) or kilobytes (K).

8. Save Changes:

  1. After making the necessary changes, save the php.ini or .user.ini file.
  2. Look for a “Save” or “Save Changes” button within the text editor interface.

9. Verify Changes:

  1. Refresh your WordPress website and navigate to the media upload section.
  2. Check if the maximum upload file size limit has been updated to reflect your changes.

3. Update your .htaccess file

Update your .htaccess file

To boost your WordPress site’s maximum upload size, you can tweak your .htaccess file. This is easily done via your hosting control panel. 

Here’s a simple guide on how to increase the file upload size by updating your .htaccess file:

1. Access Your Hosting Control Panel:

  • Log in to your hosting control panel, such as Site Tools for SiteGround users.

2. Navigate to File Manager:

  • Find and open the File Manager tool within your hosting control panel.

3. Locate Your Website’s Root Directory:

  • Navigate to the root directory of your website where the WordPress files are located.

4. Find the .htaccess File:

  • Look for the .htaccess file in your website’s root directory. If you can’t find it, ensure that your file manager is configured to show hidden files.

5. Edit the .htaccess File:

.htaccess
  • Right-click on the .htaccess file and select an option to edit it. Choose a text editor if prompted.

6. Add the Snippet:

  • Copy and paste the following snippet into your .htaccess file:

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php_value upload_max_filesize 64M

php_value post_max_size 128M

php_value memory_limit 256M

php_value max_execution_time 300

php_value max_input_time 300

7. Save and Verify Changes:

Save the .htaccess file after adding the snippet. Look for a “Save” or “Save Changes” option in your text editor.

Now, refresh your WordPress site and navigate to the media upload section. Check if the maximum upload file size has increased as per the changes made in the .htaccess file.

By following these steps, you can easily update your .htaccess file to increase the file upload size limit for your WordPress site.

4. Add Code to Your WordPress Theme functions.php File

pHp Header footer snippet

You can add code to your WordPress theme functions.php file in 2 ways. One of them is using the Swisstoolkit as I have already mentioned earlier and the other one is by accessing through the theme core file. The image depicts the swiss toolkit.

You can also adjust the maximum upload size by modifying your WordPress theme’s functions.php file. Access this file either through FTP or directly from your hosting’s File Manager. You’ll typically find the functions.php file located in ~/wp-content/themes/yourtheme/functions.php. Once you locate it, simply open the file and add the following code snippet at the end:

php

Copy code

@ini_set( ‘upload_max_size’ , ’64M’ );

@ini_set( ‘post_max_size’, ’64M’);

@ini_set( ‘max_execution_time’, ‘300’ );

This code snippet will effectively increase the upload size limit for your WordPress site.

5. Increase Maximum Upload File Size in WordPress Multisite

Increase Maximum Upload File Size in WordPress Multisite

Boosting the maximum upload file size in WordPress Multisite is essential, considering its default limit of 1500 KB (approximately 1.5MB). To enhance this limit, navigate to Network > Network Settings > Settings and adjust it to match your server’s default value.

In addition to the global setting, WordPress Multisite offers the flexibility to set individual upload size limits for each site within your network, further customizing the experience for your users.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How To Increase The Maximum File Upload Size In WordPress

Q1: How can I increase the maximum file upload size in WordPress?

A1: You can boost the maximum file upload size in WordPress by modifying certain settings or files within your website’s configuration.

A2: The recommended method is to adjust the PHP settings either through the php.ini file or by adding directives to the .htaccess file.

Q3: Can I increase the maximum file upload size in WordPress without coding?

A3: Yes, you can use plugins like “Increase Maximum Upload File Size” to adjust the upload limit without any coding knowledge.

Q4: How do I access the php.ini file to increase the maximum upload size in WordPress?

A4: You can access the php.ini file through your hosting control panel or via FTP. Look for the file in the root directory of your WordPress installation.

Q5: Is it possible to increase the maximum file upload size in WordPress Multisite installations?

A5: Yes, you can adjust the upload size limit for WordPress Multisite installations globally through the Network Settings or individually for each site within the network.

Q6: What precautions should I take when increasing the maximum file upload size in WordPress?

A6: It’s essential to consider your server’s capabilities and limitations when adjusting the upload size limit. Additionally, ensure that any changes made comply with your hosting provider’s guidelines.

Q7: Will increasing the maximum file upload size affect my website’s performance?

A7: Increasing the maximum file upload size in WordPress should not significantly impact website performance. However, it’s essential to monitor server resources and ensure that the increased limit does not strain your hosting environment.

Wrapping Up:

In conclusion, mastering the art of adjusting the maximum file upload size in WordPress is vital for accommodating diverse website needs. Whether through manual configuration in PHP files or user-friendly plugins, understanding How To Increase The Maximum File Upload Size In WordPress empowers website owners to enhance user experience, facilitate seamless file sharing, and ensure smooth functionality. By implementing the appropriate methods, WordPress users can overcome upload limitations and unleash the full potential of their websites.

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