I changed the value, but the limit in the media library stayed the old one. Why?

There are three likely reasons. First, you edited the wrong file: under PHP-FPM the directives from .htaccess are ignored. Second, the host has a hard limit at the plan level above which your values have no effect. Third, PHP has not re-read the configuration: after editing php.ini a PHP-FPM restart is needed, and .user.ini is cached (300 seconds by default).

Where exactly should .user.ini go?

In the site root — the same place as wp-config.php. The file works only with PHP-FPM/CGI, and that is exactly why it is the main method on modern hosting. Changes are not picked up instantly because of the user_ini.cache_ttl cache.

Why must memory_limit be larger than post_max_size?

PHP keeps the request body in memory while processing it. If memory_limit is smaller, you will get a fatal out-of-memory error instead of a message about the file being too large — and the cause will not be obvious.

What is max_input_vars and why raise it?

This is the limit on the number of fields in a single request. A large WordPress menu, Elementor settings or a form with dozens of fields easily exceed the standard thousand — and then part of the data simply is not saved, without a single error. It is one of the most treacherous limits.

Is it safe to set very large values?

It makes sense to set exactly as much as you need. An inflated memory_limit lets one request eat the memory others need; an inflated max_execution_time keeps hung processes alive. For most sites 64–128 MB per upload is more than enough.

The file upload limit in WordPress: how much and where to change it

State the size of the files you need to upload — the tool works out a consistent set of values and shows which method will work on your particular server type. Everything is computed in the browser; nothing is sent anywhere.

Maximum size of a single file How large the biggest file you plan to upload should be.

Unit

Files in one form The WordPress media library sends files one at a time. Custom forms with several fields send them in a single request.

Server type If you are not sure, look at phpinfo(), the Server API line: Apache 2.0 Handler = mod_php, FPM/FastCGI = PHP-FPM, LiteSpeed = LSAPI.

Directive	Why exactly this value	Value

Why it did not work: a checklist The values are written but the limit has stayed the same — almost always it is one of the nine points below.

A hard limit set by the host. A value above what the plan allows is silently trimmed: 512M in the file, 64M in phpinfo(). The only cure is a support ticket.

You edited the wrong php.ini. The active file is named in phpinfo() on the Loaded Configuration File line; next to it is Additional .ini files parsed — those are read as well and can override your values.

LimitRequestBody in Apache. The web server's own limit, in bytes, in the vhost or in .htaccess. It cuts off the request body before PHP — the user sees 413 while the PHP logs stay empty.

The PHP process was not restarted. php.ini is read once at start-up. For PHP-FPM you have to restart FPM itself — restarting nginx or Apache does not re-read the pool.

.user.ini is not picked up instantly. PHP caches it for user_ini.cache_ttl seconds (300 by default). Wait 5 minutes or restart FPM.

OPcache. It does not cache php.ini itself, but it does cache your wp-config.php with its @ini_set. After an edit, run opcache_reset() or restart the process.

A proxy in front. Cloudflare on the free plan caps uploads at 100 MB; a load balancer, Engintron or nginx in front of Apache has its own client_max_body_size.

A limit imposed by WordPress. Multisite: Network → Settings → Max upload file size (in KB). Plus the upload_size_limit filter, which some themes and security plugins set.

The temporary directory. If upload_tmp_dir is not writable or the partition has run out of space, the file never arrives and there is no clear error. Check sys_get_temp_dir() and the free space.

The calculation runs in your browser — no data about the server is sent anywhere.

Why changing upload_max_filesize alone is almost never enough

The upload size is limited by at least four independent values, and the smallest of them wins. upload_max_filesize — the size of a single file. post_max_size — the size of the whole POST request. It must be larger than upload_max_filesize, otherwise the file is cut off before the first limit is even checked. memory_limit — must fit the entire request; for WordPress, 256M is the minimum. client_max_body_size — the nginx limit. It is the one most often forgotten: PHP already allows everything, but nginx returns 413 Request Entity Too Large. The method is a separate trap. php_value directives in .htaccess work ONLY when PHP runs as an Apache module (mod_php). On modern hosting PHP almost always runs as FPM, and then such a line is either silently ignored or produces a 500 Internal Server Error. That is exactly why the tool asks for the server type and shows which block will actually help you.

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The file upload limit in WordPress: how much and where to change it

Why changing upload_max_filesize alone is almost never enough

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