How to Fix the WordPress 413 Request Entity Too Large Error (Step-by-Step)

Hello! If you‘ve encountered the dreaded "413 Request Entity Too Large" error while trying to upload a theme, plugin, or media file to your WordPress site, you‘ve come to the right place.

As a WordPress expert, I‘ve helped countless users troubleshoot and resolve this frustrating issue. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll explain exactly what the 413 error means, what causes it, and provide you with multiple methods for fixing it on your own site.

Whether you‘re a beginner or a seasoned WordPress pro, by the end of this article you‘ll be able to quickly diagnose and resolve the 413 error when it rears its ugly head. Let‘s dive in!

What Does the 413 Request Entity Too Large Error Mean?

First, let‘s clarify what this error message is actually telling you. The "413" part refers to an HTTP status code that a web server sends to a browser when the size of the request (the "entity") sent by the browser is larger than what the server is able to process.

Specifically in the context of WordPress, the 413 error occurs when you attempt to upload a theme, plugin, image, video, or other file that exceeds the maximum upload file size limit set by your WordPress site.

You‘ll typically see one of these error messages when it occurs:

"Request Entity Too Large The requested resource /wp-admin/update.php does not allow request data with POST requests, or the amount of data provided in the request exceeds the capacity limit."

Or more simply:

"413 Request Entity Too Large"

Annoying, right? But don‘t worry, it‘s fixable. Let‘s look at the common causes.

What Causes the 413 Request Entity Too Large Error in WordPress?

For most WordPress sites, the maximum upload file size limit is set by the following PHP directives:

• upload_max_filesize – default value 2MB
• post_max_size – default value 8MB

When you try to upload a file that exceeds either of these values, your WordPress site‘s PHP processor blocks the upload from completing and sends the 413 error response.

But PHP isn‘t the only limiting factor. Your web server software (Apache or NGINX) also has its own file size upload limits that can trigger the 413 error.

So in summary, the 413 request entity too large error in WordPress has two main causes:

1. The file you‘re attempting to upload is larger than your upload_max_filesize or post_max_size PHP settings.

2. The upload exceeds the client_max_body_size directive in your web server configuration (e.g. nginx.conf).

With that background in mind, let‘s look at how to actually resolve the issue.

How to Fix the 413 Error in WordPress (6 Proven Methods)

There are a few different ways to fix the 413 error in WordPress:

1. Increase the file upload limit via the .htaccess file
2. Use a plugin to increase the upload limit
3. Edit your php.ini file
4. Increase the limit in your wp-config.php file
5. Manually update your NGINX configuration
6. Contact your WordPress hosting provider for assistance

I‘ll walk you through each method step-by-step. Feel free to click the links above to jump straight to the one you want to try.

Method 1: Increase Upload Limit in .htaccess File

Difficulty: Easy
Effectiveness: High

By far the quickest and easiest way to increase your WordPress site‘s file upload size limit is by adding some code to your .htaccess file.

Here‘s how:

1. Connect to your WordPress site via FTP/SFTP or open the File Manager in your hosting control panel
2. Navigate to the root directory of your WordPress installation (usually /public_html/ or /www/)
3. Look for the .htaccess file and download a copy to your computer as a backup
4. Edit the .htaccess file (or create a new one if it doesn‘t exist) and add the following lines at the very top:

php_value upload_max_filesize 128M
php_value post_max_size 128M
php_value max_execution_time 300
php_value max_input_time 300

This code increases your WordPress site‘s maximum file upload size to 128MB, which should be more than enough for most themes, plugins, and media files. If needed, you can change 128M to a higher value.

It‘s important to note that this method only works for WordPress sites hosted on Apache web servers. If your site uses NGINX, skip ahead to method 5.

Method 2: Increase Upload Limit With a Plugin

Difficulty: Easy
Effectiveness: Medium

If you‘re not comfortable editing the .htaccess file directly, you can increase the file upload limit with help from a handy plugin instead.

I recommend using the free WP Maximum Upload File Size plugin:

1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins → Add New
2. Search for "WP Maximum Upload File Size"
3. Install and activate the plugin
4. Navigate to Settings → WP Maximum Upload File Size
5. Enter your desired Maximum upload file size in the field (e.g. 128 MB)
6. Click the Save Changes button

The nice thing about using a plugin is that you can easily adjust the upload limit whenever needed without having to mess with any files. The downside is that some plugins can slow down your WordPress site or cause compatibility issues with your theme or other plugins.

Method 3: Edit php.ini to Increase Upload Limit

Difficulty: Medium
Effectiveness: High

If your WordPress hosting environment uses PHP 5.3 or later, you can edit your site‘s php.ini file to increase the upload size limit.

Here‘s how:

1. Connect to your site via FTP/SFTP or open the File Manager in hosting control panel
2. Navigate to the root directory and look for a file called php.ini
3. If the file exists, edit it and add this code:

upload_max_filesize = 128M
post_max_size = 128M
max_execution_time = 300

4. If you don‘t see php.ini, create a blank text file called php.ini and add the code above
5. Save the file and reupload it to your server

After saving your changes, the new upload limit should take effect immediately.

Method 4: Update wp-config.php File

Difficulty: Medium
Effectiveness: Medium

Your WordPress site‘s wp-config.php file, located in the root directory, can also be used to override PHP settings like the maximum upload file size.

To do it:

1. Connect to your site via FTP/SFTP or hosting File Manager
2. Download the wp-config.php file to your computer as a backup
3. Edit the file and add the following code BEFORE the line that says /* That‘s all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */:

@ini_set( ‘upload_max_size‘ , ‘128M‘ );
@ini_set( ‘post_max_size‘, ‘128M‘);
@ini_set( ‘max_execution_time‘, ‘300‘ );

4. Save the file and reupload it to the server

One advantage of using this method over editing php.ini is that the settings will remain in place even if your host makes changes to the server‘s PHP configuration.

Method 5: Increase NGINX Upload Size Limit

Difficulty: Hard
Effectiveness: High

If your WordPress site is hosted on a server running NGINX instead of Apache, you‘ll need to update your NGINX configuration file to allow larger file uploads.

Here‘s what to do:

1. SSh into your server or use your hosting control panel to access config files
2. Open the NGINX config file for your WordPress site (e.g. /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/yoursite.com)
3. Inside the server block, add the following line:

client_max_body_size 128M;

4. Reload the NGINX configuration with this command:

sudo service nginx reload

Your NGINX server will now permit file uploads up to 128 MB in size.

Unless you have a VPS or dedicated server hosting plan, you likely won‘t have access to your WordPress site‘s NGINX configuration file. You‘ll need to contact your hosting provider for assistance.

Speaking of which…

Method 6: Ask Your WordPress Host for Help

Difficulty: Easy
Effectiveness: High

If you‘re not comfortable editing sensitive server config files like .htaccess, php.ini, or nginx.conf, your best bet for fixing the 413 error is to contact your hosting company‘s support team.

Most managed WordPress hosts are happy to adjust server settings upon request to allow larger file uploads. Some will even do it proactively.

For example, Kinsta automatically increases the upload limit to 128 MB for all customers.

Simply explain your issue and request an upload size limit increase. Provide details on the size of the file you‘re trying to upload and your hosting plan.

The support rep should be able to make the necessary changes on the server backend to resolve the 413 error for you.

413 Error FAQ

Here are concise answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the 413 request entity too large error in WordPress:

What file size can I upload to WordPress?

By default, the maximum upload file size limit for WordPress is set by the following PHP directives:

• upload_max_filesize – 2 MB
• post_max_size – 8 MB

However, most WordPress hosting companies increase these limits to 32 MB, 128 MB, or higher.

Can I set the upload limit to any size?

Technically you can specify any number you want for the upload_max_filesize and other directives. But setting an excessively high limit comes with performance and security risks.

A good rule of thumb is to only increase the limit to the next power of 2 above the largest file size you expect to upload (e.g. 16 MB, 32 MB, 64 MB, 128 MB, 256 MB…).

Is a 256 MB upload limit enough for most sites?

Yes. According to WordPress.org, the maximum recommended upload limit is 256 MB:

The recommended maximum upload size is 256 MB. You may need to ask your hosting company to increase it. Source: https://wordpress.org/support/article/common-wordpress-errors/#request-entity-too-large

A 256 MB limit provides plenty of headroom for large theme and plugin zip files as well as most media files, while keeping upload processing times and memory usage to an acceptable level.

What about upload limits set by my web host?

It‘s important to be aware that your WordPress host‘s server configurations can override any file size limits you set in .htaccess, php.ini or wp-config.php.

For example, the default upload size limits enforced by some popular hosts include:

So if you‘re still seeing the 413 error after increasing your upload limit to 128M in .htaccess, your host may have a server-level limit preventing the change.

When in doubt, always check with your hosting provider to confirm what the actual enforceable upload size limit is and whether they can increase it for you.

Wrapping Up

The WordPress 413 request entity too large error doesn‘t have to ruin your day. With the step-by-step troubleshooting methods outlined above, you should be back to uploading theme and plugin files, HD videos, and high-res images in no time.

Just remember:

• The quickest fix is to add PHP directives to your .htaccess file
• You can also increase the upload limit via php.ini, wp-config.php or NGINX config
• Plugins offer an easier but less performant alternative
• Always confirm the upload limit enforced by your hosting provider
• Don‘t set an upload limit higher than 256 MB unless absolutely necessary

Do you have any other tips for resolving the 413 error in WordPress? Let me know on Twitter @YourUsername!