When WordPress accepts only files up to 2MB on an Nginx server, the restriction is usually enforced by one of three layers: Nginx, PHP-FPM, or WordPress Multisite. Changing only php.ini will not fix an Nginx 413 response, and changing only Nginx will not raise PHP’s per-file limit.
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Raise the limits in the correct order: set Nginx’s client_max_body_size high enough for the complete request, set PHP’s upload_max_filesize for the individual file, set post_max_size at least as high with room for multipart overhead, and keep memory_limit larger than post_max_size. Then reload the services, verify the values WordPress sees, and check the Multisite network ceiling if applicable.
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Why WordPress shows a 2MB upload limit
2MB is not a universal WordPress limit. It is the effective value exposed by the server and PHP configuration serving your site. A host may have chosen 2MB as a default, or one layer may be set to 2MB while the others allow more.
An upload travels through the stack in this order:
- Nginx receives the HTTP request. It can reject an oversized request before PHP runs.
- PHP-FPM parses the request.
upload_max_filesizeapplies to one uploaded file, whilepost_max_sizeapplies to the entire POST request. - WordPress reports the smaller of those two PHP values as its PHP upload ceiling.
- WordPress Multisite can impose an additional network-level maximum and a per-site storage allowance.
The practical result is that the usable limit is the lowest ceiling in the path. A larger value in one file does nothing if another layer remains lower.
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How the limits interact
| Layer | Setting | What it limits | Where it is changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nginx | client_max_body_size |
The complete HTTP request body before PHP receives it | Nginx http, server, or location configuration used by the site |
| PHP | upload_max_filesize |
One individual uploaded file | The PHP configuration loaded by the site’s PHP-FPM pool |
| PHP | post_max_size |
The complete POST request, including the file and multipart fields | The same PHP-FPM configuration |
| PHP | memory_limit |
Memory available while PHP processes the request | The PHP-FPM configuration |
| WordPress | PHP upload ceiling | The smaller of upload_max_filesize and post_max_size |
Calculated by WordPress from the PHP values |
| WordPress Multisite | Max upload file size | A network-wide maximum for uploads | Network Admin → Settings → Network Settings |
PHP requires post_max_size to be greater than or equal to upload_max_filesize. Because a POST contains more than the raw file bytes, give post_max_size room for multipart request overhead and any additional POST fields. For large requests, WordPress documents the relationship as memory_limit larger than post_max_size, which in turn is larger than upload_max_filesize.
Before changing anything: identify the configuration that is actually active
Editing a file that is not used by the live request is the most common reason a limit appears unchanged. Establish the active path first.
- Check the current value in WordPress. Open the Media upload interface and note the maximum file size it reports. Site Health can also show the PHP environment used by WordPress.
- Identify the Nginx server block. Determine which virtual host handles the domain and whether the relevant directive is inherited from an
http,server, orlocationcontext. The setting must be in the configuration scope used for this site. - Identify the PHP-FPM pool. Confirm which PHP-FPM service and pool process the site’s requests. A machine can have more than one PHP version or pool, each with different configuration files.
- Record the existing values. Keep the current Nginx body-size setting and the PHP values for
upload_max_filesize,post_max_size, andmemory_limitbefore editing. This gives you a rollback point and makes it easier to spot a value loaded from another file. - Check whether the site is Multisite. If it is, plan to inspect Network Admin after the server changes; the network setting can remain lower than both Nginx and PHP.
Step 1: raise Nginx’s request-body ceiling
Nginx’s client_max_body_size controls the size of the request body it will accept. If the request exceeds this value, Nginx can terminate it before PHP-FPM receives anything. WordPress therefore cannot override this limit from the dashboard.
- Open the Nginx configuration for the virtual host that serves WordPress.
- In the applicable
http,server, orlocationcontext, add or change the directive:
client_max_body_size <target-size>;Replace <target-size> with the maximum complete request you intend to accept, using the size notation supported by your Nginx configuration. Set it high enough for the file plus multipart overhead and any other POST fields; setting it exactly equal to the individual file size can still reject a request that is slightly larger on the wire.
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- Keep the directive in the server block or location that actually handles the WordPress request. Adding it to an unused virtual host will have no effect.
- Validate the Nginx configuration with the configuration-test option provided by your installation before reloading the service. If the test reports a syntax or include-file error, correct that first.
A 413 “Request Entity Too Large” response is the strongest clue that this layer is still too low. Start by inspecting client_max_body_size before changing PHP when that response appears.
Step 2: set the PHP-FPM upload and POST limits
PHP applies two different size controls. upload_max_filesize is the maximum size of a single uploaded file. post_max_size is the maximum size of the complete POST request. The latter must be at least as large as the former and should include room for request overhead.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems- Open the PHP configuration used by the active PHP-FPM pool, not merely the command-line PHP configuration on the server.
- Set
upload_max_filesizeto the largest individual file the site should accept. - Set
post_max_sizeto at least that value, with additional room for multipart encoding and other POST fields. - Set
memory_limithigher thanpost_max_sizewhen processing large uploads, following WordPress’s documented relationship.
upload_max_filesize = <file-size>
post_max_size = <request-size>
memory_limit = <larger-memory-size>The values in this example are variables, not literal settings. Choose values based on the files your site needs to receive and the memory available to the application. Do not set post_max_size below upload_max_filesize; WordPress will report the smaller effective value.
The error text “The uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive in php.ini” points specifically to the individual-file setting. Verify the PHP-FPM configuration actually loaded by the web request, because changing a different PHP version or pool leaves the live value unchanged.
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Step 3: reload the services safely
Nginx and PHP-FPM must reread their configuration before the new values can affect requests. The exact service names and commands depend on the operating system, PHP version, init system, and hosting panel.
- Use your service manager’s reload operation for Nginx after its configuration test succeeds.
- Reload or restart the PHP-FPM service that owns the active pool. The service may be version-specific on your system.
- If a hosting control panel manages these services, apply the change through that panel or its documented restart controls rather than assuming a distribution command will work.
- Watch the service result for errors. A failed reload means the old configuration remains in service, or the web server may be unavailable until the syntax problem is fixed.
Illustrative commands such as sudo systemctl reload nginx are not universal. Substitute the service names and operation required by your environment; do not restart an unrelated PHP version and assume the site has changed.
Step 4: verify what WordPress now sees
Verification must happen through the same web request path that performs the upload. Checking only a shell command or an editor’s saved file can produce a false success.
- Return to the WordPress Media upload screen and read the displayed maximum upload size.
- Check Site Health for the PHP values exposed to WordPress, if that information is available in your installation.
- Compare the reported PHP values. WordPress uses the smaller of
upload_max_filesizeandpost_max_size, so raising only one cannot raise the displayed ceiling. - Upload a test file just below the intended ceiling. A file just below the limit tests the complete path without relying on a borderline request that may exceed the limit because of overhead.
- If the displayed value is unchanged, recheck the active Nginx server block, the PHP-FPM pool, and the service reload result. The most likely explanation is that a different configuration is serving the request.
Test with a non-sensitive file and remove it afterward if the site does not need it. The purpose is to verify the configured path, not to leave a large test asset in the media library.
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WordPress Multisite: remove the network-level ceiling
On Multisite, server-side values are only part of the decision. Network administrators can set a maximum upload file size and a site upload-space allowance in the dashboard.
- Sign in as a network administrator.
- Open Network Admin → Settings → Network Settings.
- Inspect Max upload file size. Raise it if it is lower than the Nginx and PHP values you intend to allow.
- Check Site upload space as well. A site can fail to accept media because its allotted storage is exhausted even when the per-file limit is sufficient.
- Save the settings, return to the site’s Media screen, and repeat the small test upload.
The network maximum cannot make a server-side limit larger. It can only impose an additional lower ceiling, so check it after confirming Nginx and PHP.
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| Symptom | Most likely enforcing layer | Checks and corrective action |
|---|---|---|
| HTTP 413 or “Request Entity Too Large” | Nginx | Inspect client_max_body_size in the active http, server, or location context. Validate and reload the Nginx configuration. |
| “The uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive in php.ini” | PHP individual-file setting | Raise upload_max_filesize in the PHP-FPM configuration serving the request, then reload or restart that PHP-FPM service. |
| WordPress still displays a lower value after editing PHP | PHP relationship or inactive configuration | Compare upload_max_filesize and post_max_size. WordPress reports the smaller one. Confirm that the edited pool and PHP version are the active web configuration. |
| The size appears correct but processing fails | PHP resources or another operational limit | Confirm that memory_limit is larger than post_max_size and inspect the PHP-FPM and web-server error logs. The documented relationship does not establish one universal timeout value for every server. |
| Only a Multisite site remains lower | Network settings | Check Network Admin → Settings → Network Settings for Max upload file size and Site upload space. |
| No setting changes after a reload | Wrong file, scope, pool, or service | Identify the live Nginx server block and PHP-FPM pool again, test configuration syntax, and confirm the reload or restart targeted those services. |
Choosing values without creating a new bottleneck
Start with the largest individual file the editorial or operational workflow genuinely requires. Then work outward through the request path:
- Set
upload_max_filesizeto cover that one file. - Set
post_max_sizeat least as high, with headroom for multipart overhead and other form fields. - Set Nginx’s
client_max_body_sizehigh enough for the complete POST request, not just the raw file. - Keep
memory_limitlarger thanpost_max_sizefor large-request processing. - On Multisite, make sure the network maximum is not lower than the server-side values.
There is no benefit in making one layer dramatically larger while another remains lower. Conversely, setting every value to the same number can leave no room for request overhead. The useful configuration is a deliberate chain in which the request ceiling accommodates the complete request, the PHP POST ceiling accommodates that request, and the individual-file ceiling describes the file itself.
When you cannot edit Nginx or PHP
Shared-hosting accounts may prevent customers from changing Nginx configuration or the PHP-FPM settings that govern the web request. A local php.ini file or a dashboard field cannot override a host-controlled Nginx ceiling, and WordPress cannot bypass a request rejected before PHP runs.
Ask the host to raise both the Nginx request-body limit and the PHP values, and provide the individual-file size you need. Ask them to confirm which PHP-FPM pool and Nginx virtual host serve the domain. If the host cannot provide the required limits, moving the site to a managed WordPress hosting or Nginx hosting support arrangement where those layers are administrable is the practical alternative.
Rollback and safety checks
- Keep a copy of the original Nginx and PHP-FPM configuration before editing.
- Change one layer at a time when diagnosing a failure, so the resulting behavior identifies the enforcing layer.
- Run the Nginx configuration test before every reload.
- Use the active web request to verify PHP values; command-line PHP may use a different configuration.
- Do not expose diagnostic configuration pages publicly. Remove temporary diagnostics after checking the values.
- After a successful test upload, review the media library and server logs for processing errors rather than assuming a completed HTTP request means the file was usable.
The shortest reliable fix
For a single-site installation you control, the reliable sequence is: identify the live Nginx server block and PHP-FPM pool; raise client_max_body_size; raise upload_max_filesize; set post_max_size at least as high with overhead; keep memory_limit larger than post_max_size; reload the correct services; and verify the value and a near-limit test upload in WordPress. For Multisite, also raise the network’s Max upload file size when it is the lower ceiling.
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