Fix ‘The link you followed has expired’ (WordPress uploads)

If you encounter the error message “The link you followed has expired” when uploading media or themes in WordPress, it usually means your server’s PHP settings are too low to handle the upload. This guide provides a quick fix to resolve this issue by increasing the PHP limits that control upload size and script execution time.

Quick Fix

Increase the upload_max_filesize and post_max_size values in your PHP configuration.
Increase the max_execution_time and max_input_time values to allow longer script processing.
Restart your web server or PHP service to apply changes.

Why this happens

This error occurs because WordPress relies on PHP settings to manage file uploads and script execution. When you upload a file that exceeds the limits set by upload_max_filesize or post_max_size, or if the upload process takes longer than max_execution_time or max_input_time, PHP stops the process and WordPress shows this error.

Common default PHP limits are often too low for larger media files or themes, especially on shared hosting environments. Adjusting these values allows WordPress to handle bigger uploads and longer processing times.

Step-by-step

1. Locate your PHP configuration file (php.ini)

Find the php.ini file on your server. Its location depends on your hosting environment:

On many Linux systems: /etc/php/7.x/apache2/php.ini or /etc/php/7.x/fpm/php.ini
On cPanel servers: Use the MultiPHP INI Editor or check public_html/php.ini
On local setups: Check your PHP installation folder

2. Edit the php.ini file

Open the php.ini file with a text editor and update or add the following lines:

upload_max_filesize = 64M
post_max_size = 64M
max_execution_time = 300
max_input_time = 300
memory_limit = 256M

Explanation:

upload_max_filesize: Maximum allowed size for uploaded files.
post_max_size: Maximum size of POST data allowed.
max_execution_time: Maximum time in seconds a script is allowed to run.
max_input_time: Maximum time in seconds a script is allowed to parse input data.
memory_limit: Maximum amount of memory a script may consume.

3. Restart your web server or PHP service

After saving the changes, restart your web server or PHP service to apply the new settings.

For Apache:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

For Nginx with PHP-FPM:

sudo systemctl restart php7.x-fpm
sudo systemctl restart nginx

4. Verify changes

Create a phpinfo.php file in your WordPress root directory with the following content:

<?php
phpinfo();
?>

Access it via your browser (e.g., https://yourdomain.com/phpinfo.php) and confirm the new values for upload_max_filesize, post_max_size, max_execution_time, and max_input_time.

5. Remove the phpinfo.php file

For security reasons, delete the phpinfo.php file after verification.

Alternative: Using .htaccess (Apache only)

If you cannot access the php.ini file, you can try adding these lines to your WordPress root .htaccess file:

php_value upload_max_filesize 64M
php_value post_max_size 64M
php_value max_execution_time 300
php_value max_input_time 300
php_value memory_limit 256M

Note: This method only works if your server allows overriding PHP settings via .htaccess. It does not work on Nginx or LiteSpeed servers.

Works on

Server Type	Supported Method
Apache (cPanel, Plesk)	php.ini, .htaccess
Nginx	php.ini (no .htaccess support)
LiteSpeed	php.ini (may support .htaccess depending on configuration)
Shared Hosting	php.ini (via control panel or MultiPHP INI Editor)

FAQ

Q1: I increased the limits but still get the error. What else can I try?: Check your theme or plugin conflicts by disabling them temporarily. Also, verify your hosting provider does not enforce hard limits beyond your control.
Q2: Can I increase these limits via wp-config.php?: No, PHP upload and execution limits must be set in the server’s PHP configuration or .htaccess (Apache only). wp-config.php cannot modify these settings.
Q3: What if I don’t have access to php.ini or .htaccess?: Contact your hosting provider to increase the PHP limits or use their control panel tools like MultiPHP INI Editor.
Q4: Is it safe to increase these limits?: Yes, but avoid setting excessively high values as they can affect server performance or security. Use reasonable limits based on your needs.
Q5: How do I know the current PHP upload limits?: Create and access a phpinfo.php file with <?php phpinfo(); ?> and look for <