A 413 Request Entity Too Large error means the file or form data you tried to send is bigger than the size your server is currently configured to accept. It usually shows up when uploading a large image or video through a website form, adding media in WordPress, or restoring a large backup file through your control panel.
What Causes This Error
Most of the time this comes down to two PHP settings on your hosting account:
- upload_max_filesize: the maximum size of a single file you can upload.
- post_max_size: the maximum size of an entire form submission, which should always be equal to or larger than upload_max_filesize.
If either value is set too low for the file you are sending, the server rejects the upload before it even reaches your website's code, which is why the error can appear even if your WordPress theme or plugin claims to support larger files.
How to Raise the Upload Limit
In cPanel
- Log in to cPanel and open MultiPHP INI Editor under the Software section.
- Select your domain from the dropdown, or switch to Editor Mode for full control.
- Find upload_max_filesize and post_max_size and increase both to a value comfortably above the file size you need (for example 64M).
- Click Apply or Save to update the settings.
In DirectAdmin
- Log in to DirectAdmin and open PHP Selector / PHP-FPM Configuration under the Advanced Features section (the exact label depends on your host's setup).
- Locate upload_max_filesize and post_max_size in the list of PHP settings.
- Raise both values to cover the file size you need to upload.
- Save the changes and, if prompted, restart PHP for the new limits to take effect.
Always keep post_max_size equal to or higher than upload_max_filesize. If it is lower, uploads will still fail even after you raise the file size limit.
If the Error Happens During a Website Form or WordPress Upload
Some plugins and page builders enforce their own upload limit on top of the server's PHP settings, so check the plugin's own settings page after raising the PHP values. For WordPress specifically, the maximum upload size allowed is shown at the top of Media > Add New, which is a quick way to confirm your change took effect.
If You're Restoring a Large Backup or Sending Very Large Files
For files that are hundreds of megabytes or larger, uploading through a browser form is not the most reliable method regardless of your PHP limits, since browser uploads can also time out. Use FTP or your control panel's File Manager to place large files directly on the server instead.
For a closer look at these settings and other related limits, see How to Increase PHP Upload and Memory Limits for Your Website.