Uploading files forms the foundation of any website on the internet, and so is in WordPress. The “Upload Files” capability can be coined as one of the most reliable arsenal in WordPress. Without this feature, users would completely lose access to the massive media. Whether you need to add images, videos, documents or other media, the capability of WordPress enables you to create astounding and engaging content for your visitors. The Upload Files option gives you the ability to develop a rich, user-friendly experience and efficient communication of your message by illustrating concepts. However, there are other powerful and capable systems like CMS Hub, Drupal, Magento (E-Commerce Platform), and Prestashop which can be used for website development.

Sometimes an error while uploading files in WordPress arises, causing pure misery and obstructing your content creation endeavors. Therefore it’s necessary to understand and resolve these upload issues to ensure a smooth experience both for you and your website visitors. After reading this article, you will be adept at common upload issues and their troubleshooting methods.

Understand Why Upload Issues Occurs In WordPress

• Incorrect File Permission: Upload issues in WordPress usually occur due to incorrect file permissions. WordPress stores files on your web hosting server and requires certain file and directory permissions to work properly. Incorrect file permissions prevent WordPress from uploading the given file.
• Memory Limit Exhaustion: There is a specific memory requirement for WordPress to function properly, which is decided by your server and WordPress settings. If the memory limit is insufficient, it may cause problems regarding image and document uploads, especially when uploading multiple or large numbers of files.
• File Exceeding Maximum Upload Size: WordPress has a limit on the file size that you can upload; it depends on the server settings and WordPress configurations. When you try to upload a file exceeding this limit, you may get an error or fail to upload your file.
• Incompatible Image Format: WordPress has only specific image formats which it can read, such as JPEG, PNG, GIF, and BMP. If you try uploading an unsupported image file to your web hosting server through WordPress, it might not be displayed right or, even worse, not at all.
• HTTP Error: This is majorly a technical issue that occurs due to certain factors like plugin conflict, unstable network connection, corrupted files, or server timeout. These may cause an error while uploading files in WordPress.

Also Read: Oculus Not Working: Top 10 Reasons & Fixes

Fixes To Resolve Error While Uploading Files In WordPress Issue

Solution 1: Checking File Permissions

WordPress can be used efficiently, being effective, and for that, it’s mandatory to have the file and directory permissions set properly. To check or modify your file permissions for your web hosting server, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Connect to the website via FTP and then click on the “/wp-content/” folder.
• Step 2: Next, right-click on “Uploads”, then choose “File Permissions”.
• Step 3: In the File Permission option, enter the numeric value 744.
• Step 4: Tick the box beside “Recurse into subdirectories”.
• Step 5: Click on the “Apply to directories only” option.
• Step 6: Lastly, tap on the “OK” option to save the final changes

Solution 2: Increase Maximum File Upload Size

When the maximum permissible upload size exceeds the given file(s), we get an error while uploading files in WordPress. There are lots of ways to do this but below we have described the three common ones.

Method 1: Using WordPress multisite

While running WordPress multisite network, you can maximize the file upload size for your network.

• Step 1: Go to the dashboard of your Network admin.
• Step 2: Click on Settings.
• Step 3: Find Network settings and click on it.
• Step 4: Scroll down to find “Upload Settings”
• Step 5: On the ‘Max Upload File Size’ field, enter 131072 KB (~128 MB). This will set the upload size to a maximum of 128 MB

Method 2: Updating ‘.htaccess’

If you are running Apache, then you need to update the ‘.htaccess’ file to increase the max upload size.

Also Read: How To Add SSL And HTTPS On WordPress Website

Method 3: By altering the ‘php.ini’ file

This file is where you get to change the default PHP settings. You can use SSH or FTP for locating the ‘php.ini’ file in the WordPress root directory. Now to change the default settings, write the following code into the ‘php.ini’ file with a text or code editor:

After writing the code, save the file. The changes will be made once you restart WordPress. If you are still unsuccessful in increasing the limit upload size to the desired maximum, contact your web hosting server and ask customer support for help.

Solution 3: Disable Plugins and Themes

Solution 4: Formatting Image File

If you are specifically encountering issues with image upload, then try changing the following in your image file.

• Step 1: Rename your image file. If your file name has special characters or accent letters, then this might be the reason you are unable to upload it to WordPress.
• Step 2: Try compressing your file with your photo editing software, if it has a very high resolution then it most probably won’t be successfully uploaded. Use Adobe Photoshop, to compress your file without losing any quality.
• Step 3: Re-upload the image after making the changes.

Solution 5: Try Uploading Files In WordPress Without Plugins

Uploading in WordPress editor without any additional plugin is convenient for multiple reasons. It has more tighter security, is easier to set up, and has better manageability. To Upload in WordPress editor follow the steps listed below:

• Step 1: Open the page where you want to upload the file in the WordPress editor.
• Step 2: Create a new block by clicking on the ‘+’ sign.
• Step 3: Go to the search bar and search for “File”, then select the File Block
• Step 4: Select the “Upload” or “Media Library” option to upload the file from your system
• Step 5: Now click on “Select” to finally upload the file to your page.

Solution 6: Troubleshoot Server Configuration

Some servers tend to have their default settings which can cause problems while uploading a file in WordPress. Since WordPress depends on the web server to manage the uploading of files, your web server must be properly set up. For example, Apache limits the size of HTTP requests, including file uploads.

Solution 7: Clear Browser Cache & Cookies

Once you understand why, this is the simplest and most effective of the steps. Our browsers save our time by saving up information and data, but sometimes these can have a negative impact too. If the cache became outdated or corrupted, then it would cause problems with the operating methods of the websites and hence file uploads too. Therefore it is recommended to clear cookies and cache. To do the above, follow the listed below according to the browser you use.