To change PHP settings like upload_max_filesize, post_max_size, or memory_limit, go to cPanel → Software → MultiPHP INI Editor. This tool edits the effective php.ini for a domain without you needing shell access. It's separate from the PHP Version tile in the portal, which only switches the PHP version itself (7.4 through 8.3), not its settings.
Basic mode vs Editor mode
MultiPHP INI Editor offers Basic and Editor modes, per home directory or docroot.
Why use the INI Editor
MultiPHP INI Editor is the supported way to set custom PHP values on this platform. If you're used to editing php.ini directly on other hosts, treat this tool as the equivalent here.
Values you set here apply per domain, which matters if you host multiple sites under one account with different needs, for example one site that needs a higher upload_max_filesize for media uploads and another that doesn't.
Common values worth knowing
- upload_max_filesize: caps the size of a single uploaded file. If a WordPress media upload or plugin/theme install fails with a size error, this is usually the first thing to raise. Increasing it doesn't cost you anything until someone actually uploads a large file.
- post_max_size: caps the total size of a POST request, which includes file uploads plus form data. This should always be equal to or larger than
upload_max_filesize, or uploads will fail even after you raise the filesize limit. - memory_limit: how much RAM a single PHP process can use. Plugin-heavy WordPress sites or import/export scripts sometimes hit a memory exhaustion error and need this raised.
- max_execution_time: how long a script can run before PHP kills it. Long-running imports, large database migrations, or bulk operations can hit this and stop mid-task.
Raise these to what the task actually needs rather than maxing everything out. Very high limits don't improve performance and can make a misbehaving script consume more resources before it's stopped.
Checking what's actually in effect
After saving a change, confirm it took by creating a file with <?php phpinfo(); ?> and loading it in a browser. This shows the live values PHP is using for that domain, which is the fastest way to rule out a caching or wrong-domain mix-up if a setting doesn't seem to apply.
If you manage plugin or extension toggles (like enabling imagick or opcache) rather than INI values, that's done in Select PHP Version (the CloudLinux PHP Selector), not MultiPHP INI Editor.
When to contact support
If you've raised upload_max_filesize, post_max_size, and memory_limit and an upload or script still fails the same way, or a directive you set in Editor mode doesn't seem to take effect, open a ticket from the portal. Support can take a closer look at what's happening on the account.