{"id":36909,"date":"2021-09-23T09:39:44","date_gmt":"2021-09-23T09:39:44","guid":{"rendered":"\/tutorials\/?p=36909"},"modified":"2026-10-15T23:32:34","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T23:32:34","slug":"wordpress-memory-limit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/au\/tutorials\/wordpress-memory-limit\/","title":{"rendered":"How to increase the WordPress memory limit"},"content":{"rendered":"

To increase the WordPress memory limit, you can adjust the PHP memory settings through your hosting control panel or edit the wp-config.php<\/code> file to define a higher WP_MEMORY_LIMIT<\/code> value. Depending on your server configuration, you may also be able to change the limit using the .htaccess<\/code> file.<\/p>

The WordPress memory limit determines how much memory PHP can use when running WordPress scripts. By default, WordPress requests 40 MB for single-site installations and 64 MB for multisite installations, although the actual available memory depends on your hosting configuration.<\/p>

If your website displays a “Fatal error: Allowed memory size exhausted” message, increasing the limit may resolve the problem. However, high memory usage can also indicate issues with plugins, themes, or other resource-intensive processes.<\/p>

\n\n\n\n<\/p>

How to increase the WordPress memory limit using an FTP<\/h2>

You can edit the wp-config.php<\/strong><\/a> or .htaccess<\/strong> file using an FTP client such as FileZilla.<\/p>

Before proceeding with either method, connect FileZilla to your website<\/a> using your FTP account credentials.<\/p>

Modify<\/strong> the wp-config.php file<\/strong><\/h3>
    \n
  1. Open your site’s public_html<\/strong> folder or root directory, locate the wp-config.php<\/strong> file, then right-click it and select View\/Edit<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
    \"Selecting<\/a><\/figure><\/div>
      \n
    1. Find the line containing WP_MEMORY_LIMIT<\/strong> and change 64M<\/strong> to 256M<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. If it doesn’t exist, insert the following code above the line: <\/li>\n<\/ol>
      define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');<\/pre>
      \"Modifying<\/a><\/figure><\/div>
        \n
      1. Save the changes and upload the file.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
        When visiting the site, you shouldn’t experience the “memory limit exhausted” error again.<\/p>
        Edit the .htaccess file<\/strong><\/h3>
          \n
        1. In the root folder, locate the .htaccess<\/strong> file.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. Right-click on the file and select View\/Edit<\/strong> to be directed to the text editor.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
          \"Selecting<\/a><\/figure><\/div>
            \n
          1. Look for the line:<\/li>\n<\/ol>
            # END WordPress<\/pre>
            Add the following code beneath it:<\/p>
            php_value memory_limit 256M<\/pre>
            \"Editing<\/a><\/figure><\/div>
              \n
            1. Save <\/strong>the file and close the editor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            2. Click Yes <\/strong>when FileZilla asks whether to upload the modified file, then reload the site.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
              How to increase the WordPress memory limit using the file manager<\/h2>
              A more straightforward method to modify the .htaccess<\/strong> or wp-config.php<\/strong> file is via the file manager on your control panel. For this tutorial, we’ll be using Hostinger dashboard:<\/p>
                \n
              1. Access Hostinger dashboard<\/strong>, navigate to the Files <\/strong>section, and select File Manager<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                \"Accessing<\/a><\/figure><\/div>
                  \n
                1. Open the public_html<\/strong> folder or root directory, and double-click on the wp-config.php<\/strong> file.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                  \"The<\/a><\/figure><\/div>
                    \n
                  1. Insert the code mentioned on the FTP tutorial based on the file chosen, then press SAVE & CLOSE<\/strong> when done.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                    Though you won’t be making any significant changes using the methods above, you should back up your site<\/a> before editing it. This ensures you won’t lose your WordPress site if something goes wrong.<\/p>
                    How to increase the WordPress memory limit from the Hostinger dashboard<\/h2>
                    An alternative solution for Hostinger clients is to set the memory limit via PHP Configuration<\/strong> on the Hostinger dashboard:<\/p>
                      \n
                    1. Log in to Hostinger dashboard<\/strong>, scroll down to the Advanced <\/strong>section, and select PHP Configuration<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                      \"The<\/a><\/figure><\/div>
                        \n
                      1. Choose PHP Options<\/strong> and find the memory_limit<\/strong> field.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      2. Click on the dropdown menu and pick the highest amount.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                        \"The<\/a><\/figure>
                        If the memory limit is already at the maximum, then the last option is to upgrade your hosting plan to get more RAM.<\/p>
                        For example, our WordPress Business and Cloud Startup plans<\/a> provide more RAM compared to the Premium <\/strong>plan.<\/p>
                        \"\"<\/a><\/figure>
                        How to check your WordPress memory limit<\/h2>
                        Once you’ve configured the memory limit, you might want to see if it worked. The following steps apply to users who are running WordPress 5.2<\/strong> and above:<\/p>
                          \n
                        1. Access the WordPress dashboard<\/strong>, hover on Tools, <\/strong>and select Site Health<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                          \"Selecting<\/a><\/figure><\/div>
                            \n
                          1. Choose the Info <\/strong>tab and click on Server<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                            \"Choosing<\/a><\/figure><\/div>
                              \n
                            1. Scroll down through all server settings until you find the PHP memory limit<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                              \"PHP<\/a><\/figure><\/div>