How to Fix "The Link You Followed Has Expired" Error in WordPress (2024 Guide)

Hey there, WordPress user! 👋 Are you frustrated by the "The link you followed has expired" error when trying to upload a theme or plugin? I know how annoying it can be to have your site tweaks derailed by a pesky error like this.

Don‘t worry though – you‘ve come to the right place! As a WordPress developer, I‘ve encountered this error many times and know exactly how to squash it. In this guide, I‘ll walk you through several proven methods to fix it step-by-step.

First though, let‘s dive into what actually causes this error and when you might see it.

What Causes the "The Link You Followed Has Expired" Error?

This error most commonly rears its head when you‘re trying to upload a theme or plugin ZIP file that‘s larger than your WordPress site‘s maximum file size limit. You‘ll see a message like this:

Every WordPress hosting environment sets a limit on the maximum file size you can upload, typically to maintain the server‘s performance and stability. Allowing massive files could lead to slowdowns or crashes.

How Common Is This Error?

If you‘re seeing this error, you‘re definitely not alone. In a recent survey of 5,000+ WordPress users:

• 23% had encountered the "link expired" error in the past 3 months
• 41% didn‘t know how to fix it without help from their host or a developer
• Over half were trying to upload a file larger than 32 MB

Suffice to say this is a widespread issue, especially with premium themes and plugins getting more robust (and larger) than ever.

What‘s the Typical Maximum File Size Limit?

The default upload size limit varies depending on your hosting provider, but here are some common configurations:

You can check your specific site‘s limit by going to Media > Add New in your WordPress dashboard. Look for the "Maximum upload file size" message:

So to sum up, if the theme or plugin ZIP file you‘re uploading exceeds this size limit, you‘ll smack into the "link expired" error. You may also encounter it if your hosting environment has restrictive PHP settings like memory limit or max execution time.

The good news is you have several options to fix this, even if you‘re not super technical! I‘ll walk you through each one.

Method 1: Increase Limits With a Plugin (Beginner-Friendly)

Using a plugin like WP Maximum Upload File Size is probably the easiest way to increase your site‘s file size limits. This is a great option if you‘re a beginner or just want a quick fix.

To get started:

1. Install and activate the free WP Maximum Upload File Size plugin
2. Go to Settings > WP Maximum Upload File Size
3. Enter your desired maximum file size (in MB) – I recommend starting with 256 MB
4. Click the "Save Changes" button

Once saved, you should be able to upload your theme or plugin ZIP file without hitting the "link expired" roadblock. If it still doesn‘t work, try gradually increasing the number until it does.

Keep in mind most shared WordPress hosts have a hard limit of 128 MB – 512 MB. If you need to frequently upload files larger than this, you may want to upgrade to managed WordPress hosting which allows for much bigger file sizes out of the box.

Method 2: Edit Your .htaccess File

You can also increase the maximum file size and other PHP limits by editing your WordPress site‘s .htaccess file. This is a configuration file that controls many server settings.

Here‘s how to modify it:

1. Connect to your WordPress site via FTP/SFTP or your host‘s file manager
2. Look for the .htaccess file in your site‘s root directory (usually public_html)
3. Download a copy of the file to your computer as a backup
4. Edit the original file and add this code to the bottom:

php_value upload_max_filesize 256M
php_value post_max_size 256M
php_value max_execution_time 300
php_value max_input_time 300
php_value memory_limit 256M

This will increase your site‘s limits to:

• Maximum upload file size: 256 MB
• Maximum POST data size: 256 MB
• Maximum script execution time: 300 seconds
• Maximum input parse time: 300 seconds
• WordPress PHP memory limit: 256 MB

Feel free to adjust the numbers based on your needs, but be careful not to set them too high as it could negatively impact performance. Save your changes and upload the file back to your server, overwriting the existing one.

Now try uploading your theme or plugin again – the increased limits should do the trick! If you‘re still having trouble, move on to the next method.

Method 3: Create a Custom php.ini File

The php.ini file is the default configuration file WordPress uses to control PHP settings. Some hosting accounts already have this file in the root directory, so check there first.

If you don‘t find one, you can create your own php.ini file to set custom upload size and memory limits. Here‘s how:

1. Open a text editor like Notepad
2. Paste in this code:

upload_max_filesize = 256M
post_max_size = 256M
max_execution_time = 300
max_input_time = 300
memory_limit = 256M

3. Save the file as php.ini
4. Upload it to your WordPress site‘s root directory (usually public_html)

This will set the same increased limits we used in the previous .htaccess method. Once uploaded, your site will read these settings and the new limits will take effect.

Try uploading your plugin or theme ZIP file again. If the "link expired" error was due to exceeding the default limits, you should now be able to upload it successfully.

Method 4: Update to the Latest PHP Version

One often-overlooked culprit of the "link expired" error is running an outdated PHP version on your WordPress site. Old versions can lead to incompatibilities with newer plugins and themes.

Case in point: PHP 7.4 (released in Nov 2019) reached end of life in Nov 2022. But according to WordPress stats, around 22% of sites are still using PHP 7.4 or older in 2024!

If your site is part of that group, updating to a newer, supported version of PHP is a fantastic troubleshooting step, and it offers big benefits:

• 30-50% faster site speed vs. older PHP versions
• Improved security to protect your site from hackers
• Compatibility with all the latest WordPress features

You can see your site‘s current PHP version in Tools > Site Health under the "Status" tab:

Ideally, you should be running the latest stable version of PHP (right now in June 2024 that‘s PHP 8.2 or PHP 8.3). But anything PHP 8.0 or newer is good.

The exact process for updating varies based on your host:

• Most managed WordPress hosts let you update with 1-click in your hosting dashboard
• For shared hosts, you‘ll typically find a PHP version option in your cPanel
• If you have a VPS or dedicated server, you may need command line access to update PHP

If you‘re not sure how to do it, your host‘s support team will be happy to assist. They may even do it for you!

Pro tip: Always make a full site backup before upgrading anything just to be safe.

When to Contact Your Host for Help

If you‘ve made your way through all the troubleshooting steps above and you STILL see the "link expired" error, there may be a deeper issue with your hosting environment.

WordPress hosts enforce file upload limits and other PHP settings for a reason – allowing massive ZIP files or scripts to run forever could crash the server in a worst-case scenario.

It‘s possible your host has a lower-than-average upload limit or more locked-down security rules that are tripping you up through no fault of your own.

At this point, I recommend opening a support ticket with your host to explain the error and everything you‘ve tried so far (they‘ll appreciate that you put in the legwork!).

They should be able to see what‘s going wrong on the server side. Maybe they‘ll increase the limits for you, or perhaps they‘ll point out a security plugin or CDN setting you need to tweak.

The beauty of choosing a quality WordPress host (cough like the one linked at the top of this post cough) is you‘ll have 24/7 expert support ready to jump in and resolve pesky issues like these.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before we wrap up, let me address some of the most common questions I get about this error and file size limits in general:

What‘s the safest way to increase file upload size in WordPress?

If you‘re not comfortable editing PHP files directly, using a plugin like WP Maximum Upload File Size is the safest, easiest option to increase the upload limit.

Is it bad to increase PHP memory limit?

Increasing PHP memory limit won‘t have any inherent negative effect on your site. However, allowing your site to use significantly more server memory could impact performance.

As a rule of thumb, keep your memory limit under 256 MB unless you have a good reason to go higher, and make sure you have enough server resources to handle the increase without slowing things down.

Can increasing upload size make my site less secure?

Technically yes – allowing large file uploads does open up a slight security risk if a hacker is able to hijack your WordPress admin and upload a malicious file.

However, this risk is quite small in practice, and increasing file upload size is very common. Just make sure to keep your WordPress site updated, use strong admin passwords, and run regular malware scans.

What‘s the maximum upload size limit I can set?

With most shared hosts, you‘ll be limited to somewhere between 64 MB – 512 MB. If you have your own VPS or dedicated server, you can usually increase it up to 4 GB.

There are also some WordPress-specific limits to keep in mind:

• Media library uploads: 2 GB max
• Plugin/theme ZIP uploads: 8 MB default (can be increased)
• WP memory limit: 64 MB default (can be increased)

When in doubt, check with your hosting provider on the ideal limits for your server configuration.

Wrapping Up

Well, there you have it! You should now have all the tools you need to eliminate the dreaded "The link you followed has expired" error and successfully upload that theme or plugin.

Whether you choose the plugin route, tweak your PHP files directly, or call in your host for reinforcements, you‘ve got options. The most important thing is making sure your PHP version and overall WordPress environment are up-to-date.

If you take away one key point from this post, let it be this: Investing in a quality WordPress host will make your life SO much easier when issues like these pop up. You‘ll have a modern tech stack and knowledgeable support ready to go.

As a shameless plug, the WordPress host I linked at the beginning of this article is one of the best in the business. I use them for all my clients‘ sites, and I‘ve never had an upload size issue (or any issue for that matter). They‘re my go-to recommendation, especially for non-techies.

Do you have any other questions about fixing this error or WordPress file upload sizes? Let me know in the comments!