If you’re running a WooCommerce store and trying to upload a product image, import a CSV, or install a plugin/theme, you might encounter the dreaded “uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive in php.ini” error.
This message means the file you’re trying to upload is larger than what your server currently allows. While this is more of a hosting/server-side limitation than a WooCommerce issue, it’s a common roadblock for store owners—especially those on shared hosting or dealing with large files.
The good news? You don’t necessarily need to mess with php.ini or contact your host right away. In many cases, you can override this upload limit with a quick tweak to your .htaccess file—something you likely already have in your root WordPress directory.
Let’s look at how to do that, and get rid of that error for good.
1. Open your .htaccess file via FTP or File manager
2. Add the following code at the bottom of .htaccess
# BEGIN Increase Max Upload Size
php_value upload_max_filesize 20M
php_value post_max_size 20M
php_value max_execution_time 300
php_value max_input_time 300
# END Increase Max Upload Size
