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Fix WordPress Upload Limit Errors (No Plugin Required) – All-in-One WP Migration

Exporting a WordPress site with All-in-One WP Migration is usually easy. The frustration typically starts during the import process, where you’re suddenly met with an error saying your file exceeds your server’s upload limits — followed by a prompt to buy an “unlimited” extension.

The good news is that, if you’re running WordPress on AWS, this limitation has nothing to do with AWS itself. It’s simply a PHP configuration issue on the server. Once you update a few values in your php.ini file, large imports work exactly as expected — no extensions needed.

Here are the exact settings to change.

upload_max_filesize = 512M
post_max_size = 512M
memory_limit = 512M
max_execution_time = 300
max_input_time = 300

Once these limits are increased and your services are restarted, WordPress will be able to handle large imports properly. For very large files, importing directly from the server via SFTP is still considered best practice, but for most migrations, these settings alone resolve the issue.

SSH into the server

The SSH command you use depends on your hosting provider. AWS Bitnami servers use a PEM key and the bitnami user, while most cPanel-based hosts (such as HostGator or InMotion) use your cPanel username and password. 

ssh -i your-key.pem bitnami@your-server-ip

If you’re unsure which SSH credentials to use, your hosting provider will list them in the hosting control panel or welcome email.

Open the PHP config file

sudo nano /opt/bitnami/php/etc/php.ini

The location of the php.ini file depends on your hosting provider and PHP version. AWS Bitnami servers use a custom PHP stack, while most cPanel and Google Cloud servers use the system PHP configuration. If you’re unsure where your php.ini file is located, running php --ini will show you the exact path being used by your server.

(Inside nano) Find the values

Press CTRL + W to open the search prompt, then search for each of the following values one at a time:

CTRL + W

If you opened the file using:

  • cPanel File Manager
  • A web-based editor
  • FTP editor

You can still edit the same values.

cPanel File Manager steps:

  • Go to File Manager
  • Navigate to the correct PHP configuration file
  • Right-click → Edit
  • Click Edit again if prompted

Use CTRL + F to search for each value:

upload_max_filesize
post_max_size
memory_limit
max_execution_time
max_input_time

Paste / change the values

Below are the values to update. 512MB works for most sites. If your backup is close to 1GB, you can go up to 1024M — but once files get really large, a manual migration is usually the better option.

Recommended for most servers 

upload_max_filesize = 512M
post_max_size = 512M
memory_limit = 512M
max_execution_time = 300
max_input_time = 300

If you’re importing very large sites (1GB+)

upload_max_filesize = 1024M
post_max_size = 1024M
memory_limit = 1024M
max_execution_time = 300
max_input_time = 300

Save and exit nano

CTRL + O
Enter
CTRL + X

Verify settings took place

Even though we updated the PHP configuration file, we should double-check that PHP is actually using the new values. On some servers, changes won’t take effect unless they’re properly loaded or the correct config file was edited.

Running the command below allows us to:

  • See the live upload limit PHP is using
  • Confirm the change worked before returning to WordPress
  • Prevent repeated import failures

The command below queries PHP directly and displays the active upload limit currently in effect on the server.

Run this command to verify the settings took place:

php -i | grep upload_max_filesize

Apply Changes by Restarting PHP (If Needed)

In some hosting environments, PHP must be restarted for configuration changes to take effect. If your verification step already shows the updated upload limit, you can safely skip this section.

Bitnami / AWS Lightsail

sudo /opt/bitnami/ctlscript.sh restart

cPanel VPS or Dedicated Server (PHP-FPM)

If you are using a VPS or dedicated server with cPanel, the restart command is typically:

sudo systemctl restart php-fpm

Older Linux Systems

On older systems, use:

sudo service php-fpm restart

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