Maximum File Size Upload Limits

Understanding the maximum file size you can upload to your dotCanada.com hosting account is important when managing your website content. This guide explains the default limits, how they vary by upload method, and how you can modify these limits if needed.

Default File Size Upload Limits

Your dotCanada.com hosting account has several different file size limits depending on which method you use to upload files:

Upload Method Default Maximum Size Best For
cPanel File Manager 150 MB Small to medium-sized files, quick uploads
FTP/SFTP Unlimited* Large files, multiple files, entire websites
PHP (through web applications) 128 MB CMS uploads, form submissions, plugins
Email Attachments 25 MB Sharing documents via email

* While there is no hard limit for FTP uploads, practical limits exist based on connection stability and time. Very large files (>2GB) may require special handling.

Understanding Different Upload Limits

cPanel File Manager Limits

The cPanel File Manager has a default upload limit of 150 MB per file. This limit is set by cPanel itself and applies to the web-based file uploader. This means:

  • Individual files larger than 150 MB will fail to upload
  • You can upload multiple files, each up to 150 MB
  • For larger files, you should use FTP instead

FTP/SFTP Upload Limits

FTP and SFTP protocols don't have inherent file size limitations imposed by dotCanada.com. This means:

  • You can technically upload files of any size
  • Practical limitations exist based on:
    • Your internet connection speed and stability
    • Available disk space in your hosting account
    • Time constraints (very large files may take hours to upload)
  • For files over 2GB, special FTP clients may be required due to protocol limitations

PHP Upload Limits

PHP upload limits affect uploads through web applications like WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, or custom web forms. By default, these limits are set to:

  • upload_max_filesize: 128 MB
  • post_max_size: 128 MB
  • memory_limit: 256 MB
  • max_execution_time: 300 seconds (5 minutes)

These limits determine how large files can be when uploaded through:

  • WordPress media uploader
  • Contact form attachments
  • CMS plugin or theme installers
  • Any custom PHP script that handles file uploads
Note: The upload limit for PHP applications is determined by the lowest value among several PHP settings: upload_max_filesize, post_max_size, memory_limit, and max_execution_time. If any one of these values is too low, it will restrict uploads even if the others are higher.

How to Check Your Current Upload Limits

Checking PHP Upload Limits

  1. Create a PHP file with the following content: 
    <?php phpinfo(); ?>
  2. Upload this file to your hosting account (name it info.php or similar)
  3. Access it through your browser (e.g., yourdomain.com/info.php)
  4. Search for the following values:
    • upload_max_filesize
    • post_max_size
    • memory_limit
    • max_execution_time
  5. These values show your current PHP upload limits
  6. For security reasons, delete this file after checking

Checking FTP/SFTP Limits

There is no built-in way to check FTP upload limits since they're not explicitly set. The practical limits depend on your hosting plan's disk space allocation.

Increasing Upload Limits

You can increase PHP upload limits using either of these methods:

Method 1: Using cPanel's MultiPHP INI Editor
  1. Log in to your cPanel account at https://{hostname}.mysecureservers.com:2087
  2. Search for "MultiPHP INI Editor" or find it in the SOFTWARE section
  3. Click on MultiPHP INI Editor
  4. Select your domain from the dropdown menu
  5. Modify the following values:
    • upload_max_filesize (increase to your desired limit, e.g., 256M)
    • post_max_size (should be slightly larger than upload_max_filesize, e.g., 260M)
    • memory_limit (should be larger than post_max_size, e.g., 512M)
    • max_execution_time (increase for larger uploads, e.g., 600)
  6. Click Apply to save your changes
Method 2: Using .htaccess File
  1. Access File Manager in cPanel
  2. Navigate to your website's root directory (usually public_html)
  3. Look for an existing .htaccess file or create a new one
  4. Edit the file and add these lines: 
    php_value upload_max_filesize 256M
php_value post_max_size 260M
php_value memory_limit 512M
php_value max_execution_time 600
php_value max_input_time 600
  5. Save the changes
Important: If your site uses PHP-FPM or some other PHP handlers, the .htaccess method may not work. In that case, use the MultiPHP INI Editor method.

Some content management systems have their own upload limits that you may need to adjust:

WordPress
  1. After increasing your PHP limits as described above, you might also need to adjust WordPress itself
  2. Add this line to your wp-config.php file: 
    define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
  3. For multisite installations, also add: 
    define('WP_MAX_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M');
Joomla
  1. Log in to your Joomla administrator panel
  2. Go to System > Global Configuration
  3. Click on the Server tab
  4. Look for "Maximum Upload Size" and adjust it
  5. Click Save
Drupal
  1. Log in to your Drupal administrator panel
  2. Go to Configuration > Media > File System
  3. Adjust the "Maximum Upload Size" field
  4. Click Save Configuration

For exceptionally large files that exceed what's practical to upload in one piece:

File Splitting
  1. Split the large file into smaller chunks using tools like:
    • 7-Zip or WinRAR on Windows
    • The "split" command on Mac/Linux
  2. Upload the smaller parts via FTP
  3. Reassemble the file on the server using:
    • File extraction tools if you used an archive format
    • The "cat" command via SSH if you have SSH access
Using a Specialized FTP Client

Some FTP clients handle large files better than others:

  • FileZilla has good support for resuming interrupted transfers
  • WinSCP offers options for splitting large file transfers into chunks
  • CuteFTP has advanced transfer options for large files

Best Practices for File Uploads

  1. Use the right method for the job:
    • cPanel File Manager for small, quick uploads
    • FTP for large files or bulk uploads
    • CMS uploaders for content that belongs in your website
  2. Optimize before uploading:
    • Compress images using tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim
    • Use video compression for media files
    • Consider lossy compression for very large files where quality is less critical
  3. Monitor your disk space:
    • Check your available disk space before uploading large files
    • Clean up unnecessary files regularly
    • Consider upgrading your hosting plan if you consistently need to upload large files
  4. Use a stable internet connection:
    • Wired connections are more reliable than wireless for large uploads
    • Use FTP clients that support resuming interrupted transfers

Troubleshooting Upload Issues

Common Error Messages and Solutions

  • "File exceeds upload_max_filesize directive":
    • The file is larger than your PHP upload_max_filesize setting
    • Increase the limit as described above or use FTP instead
  • "The uploaded file exceeds the MAX_FILE_SIZE directive that was specified in the HTML form":
    • The form has its own file size restriction
    • Check for MAX_FILE_SIZE in your HTML form code
  • "Request Entity Too Large":
    • Your web server has additional limits that need adjustment
    • Contact support for assistance with server-level configurations
  • "413 Request Entity Too Large":
    • Similar to above, this is a web server limit
    • Use FTP instead of web-based uploads
  • "Connection timed out" (FTP):
    • Your upload is taking too long
    • Use an FTP client with resume capability
    • Consider splitting the file into smaller parts
Need Higher Limits? If you consistently need to work with files larger than our default limits allow, consider upgrading to a hosting plan with more resources. Contact our sales team to discuss options that better suit your needs.
Security Note: Very large upload limits can potentially be exploited by malicious users. We recommend setting limits only as high as you actually need for your legitimate use cases.

If you need assistance with file uploads or have questions about size limits, please contact our support team.

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