What Causes WordPress 413 Request Entity Too Large Error?

This error usually happens when you are trying to upload a file that exceeds the maximum file upload limit on your WordPress site.

Your web server will fail to upload the file, and you will see the 413 request entity too large error page.

Normally, most WordPress hosting companies have their servers configured, so that WordPress users can easily upload large images and other media.

However, sometimes this setting is not high enough to upload large theme or plugin files.

It would also stop you from uploading large files in media library. In that case, you will see a different message, clearly stating that the file size exceeds maximum allowed limit.

That being said, let’s take a look at how to fix the the WordPress 413 request entity too large error.

Fixing 413 Request Entity Too Large Error in WordPress

There are multiple ways to fix the request entity too large error in WordPress. We will cover all these methods, and you can try the one that works best for you.

Method 1. Increase Upload File Size Limit via Functions File

Simply add the following code to your theme’s functions.php file or a site-specific plugin.

You can increase the values in upload_max_size and post_max_size to be more than the file you are trying to upload. You will also need to increase the max_execution_time to the time you think it would take for the file to upload. If you are unsure, then you can try doubling this value.

Method 2. Increase Upload File Size Limit via .htacces File

For this method, you will need to edit the .htaccess file and add the following code at the bottom:

To learn more about increasing file upload size limit, see our guide on how to increase the maximum file upload size in WordPress.

Method 3. Manually Upload File via FTP

If the 413 error only occurs when you are uploading one particular file, then you may want to consider uploading the file manually via FTP.