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Trying to upload something big — a backup archive, a chunky video, a migration file, a fat plugin/theme zip — and WordPress is throwing an “exceeds the maximum upload size” error? This guide covers exactly how to lift that limit on our hosting, and the one big gotcha that catches almost everyone: CloudFlare’s 100MB cap.
💡 Heads-up: WordPress and CloudFlare have separate upload limits. You might raise the WordPress side perfectly and still get blocked at 100MB — because that one is CloudFlare. Both are easy to deal with once you know where to look.
📁 Quick vocab:
- Upload limit — the biggest single file WordPress (or your CDN) will let you send to the server.
- WP Maximum Upload File Size — the WordPress plugin we recommend for raising the limit (up to 1GB).
- CloudFlare 100MB cap — a hard limit CloudFlare puts on uploads when they’re proxying your site. It is not our limit.
- Temporary CloudFlare bypass — a short-term workaround we can apply for you so a single large upload can get through. Removed afterwards for security.
🤔 Why Upload Limits Even Exist
By default, WordPress (and most hosting setups) caps how big a single uploaded file can be. We set a sensible default for everyone — enough for normal media and most plugin/theme zips, but small enough to stop runaway uploads from chewing through resources.
If you’re hitting the limit, it’s almost always one of two things:
- The WordPress upload limit — fixed with a plugin in about 60 seconds.
- The CloudFlare 100MB cap — fixed with a quick support ticket (we apply a temporary bypass).
🔼 Raising The WordPress Upload Limit
On our hosting, the cleanest way to raise the WordPress upload limit is the WP Maximum Upload File Size plugin. It’s the one we’ve tested extensively against our stack and it’s the one we recommend.
✅ How to do it (60 seconds):
- Log into your WordPress site (wp-admin).
- Go to Plugins → Add New.
- Search for WP Maximum Upload File Size.
- Click Install Now, then Activate.
- Open the plugin’s settings page (it adds itself under the Settings menu).
- Pick the upload size you want — it goes all the way up to 1GB.
- Save. Done — try your upload again.
There are other plugins that claim to do the same thing — some work, some don’t play nicely with managed hosting stacks. We picked this one because it actually works on our setup without weird side effects.
⚠️ Important: Raising the WordPress limit to 1GB does not get you past the CloudFlare 100MB cap. If you’re using CloudFlare as your CDN, keep reading — there’s a separate ceiling and a different fix.
☁️ The CloudFlare 100MB Trap
Here’s the bit that catches almost everyone out: if your domain is using CloudFlare as its CDN, CloudFlare itself enforces a 100MB maximum upload size on the free plan (and the lower paid plans). It doesn’t matter how high you set the WordPress limit — the file gets blocked by CloudFlare before it ever reaches your site.
So if you’ve installed the plugin, set it to 1GB, and you’re still seeing uploads fail somewhere between 100MB and your new limit — that’s CloudFlare, not us, not WordPress.
💡 Quick test: If the upload fails at suspiciously close to 100MB and your domain’s CDN is set to CloudFlare in your dashboard — it’s the CloudFlare cap.
🛠️ How To Get A Large File Past CloudFlare
You don’t have to ditch CloudFlare to upload a big file. We can put a temporary bypass in place that routes your upload around the CloudFlare proxy just long enough for you to send your file. Then we re-secure it afterwards (leaving the bypass in place permanently isn’t great for security, so we don’t).
✅ The process:
- Open a support ticket letting us know you need to upload a file larger than 100MB. Include the domain.
- We apply the temporary CloudFlare bypass to that domain.
- You upload your file (template, migration archive, video, whatever).
- Reply to the ticket to let us know the upload is done.
- We remove the bypass and your domain goes back to running fully through CloudFlare like normal.
It’s a small bit of back-and-forth, but it means you keep all the CloudFlare benefits (caching, DDoS protection, fast TLS) every other day of the year, and just open a small window for the one upload that needs it.
❓ Which Limit Is Actually Blocking Me?
Quick decision table so you don’t waste time fixing the wrong thing:
| What you’re seeing | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Upload fails almost immediately, error mentions “exceeds maximum upload size” | WordPress upload limit | Install WP Maximum Upload File Size plugin and raise it |
| Upload runs for a while, then fails around the 100MB mark | CloudFlare 100MB cap | Open a ticket for a temporary CloudFlare bypass |
| Upload fails with a 413 / “Request Entity Too Large” error | Either limit (depends on size) | Check WP limit first, then CloudFlare if file is over 100MB |
| Upload hangs / times out without a clear error | Connection / network rather than a limit | Try a wired connection, then open a ticket if it persists |
⚠️ Troubleshooting
🛑 Plugin installed but the limit didn’t actually change? Make sure you went into the plugin’s settings page and saved a new value — installing it alone doesn’t do anything. Then go to Media → Add New and check the limit shown under the upload box.
🛑 Upload fails right around 100MB even after the plugin? That’s CloudFlare doing it, not WordPress. Open a ticket for the temporary bypass — see the section above.
🛑 Big upload keeps timing out? Browsers and flaky connections can struggle with very large multipart uploads. Try a wired connection if you can. If you’re uploading a migration archive, consider splitting it (most migration plugins have a “split into parts” option).
❓ FAQs
What’s the default WordPress upload limit on your hosting?
We set a sensible default that’s plenty for normal media and most plugin/theme installs. If you need it bigger, just install the WP Maximum Upload File Size plugin — it goes up to 1GB.
Why do I need a plugin to change it — can’t I just edit php.ini?
On managed hosting like ours, direct edits to php.ini or .htaccess upload directives often get overwritten or ignored. The plugin is the cleanest, most reliable way to set the limit and have it actually stick.
Is the WP Maximum Upload File Size plugin free?
Yes. It’s a free plugin from the official WordPress plugin directory — search for it under Plugins → Add New inside your WordPress site.
Can I just turn CloudFlare off to upload a big file?
You could, but that’s a heavier lift than just asking us for the temporary bypass — and it removes all your CloudFlare protections (caching, DDoS, etc.) during that time. The bypass is the cleaner option.
How long does the CloudFlare bypass stay in place?
Just long enough for your one upload. Once you reply to the ticket telling us it’s done, we re-secure the domain. We don’t leave it open long-term because it’s not great for security.
Will the bypass break my site or change anything visible?
No — visitors won’t notice. CloudFlare’s caching for your normal page content stays in place; the bypass just changes how very large uploads are routed.
Does the CloudFlare 100MB cap also apply if I’m using a different CDN?
No — it’s a CloudFlare-specific limit. If you’ve picked a different CDN provider in your dashboard, the 100MB cap doesn’t apply to you. The WordPress upload limit still does though.
Can I upload a 2GB backup somehow?
Not in one go through the WordPress media uploader — even the plugin caps at 1GB. For very large files, the better approach is to split the file (most backup/migration plugins offer this), or talk to us about getting it onto the server another way.
Why doesn’t WordPress just allow huge uploads by default?
Because runaway uploads can chew through server resources, time out other requests, and cause more problems than they solve. A sensible default protects everyone — and the plugin is there for when you genuinely need more.
I raised the limit but the Media Library still shows the old number?
Try a hard refresh of the wp-admin page (Ctrl+F5 / Cmd+Shift+R). If it still shows the old number, double-check you saved the new value in the plugin’s settings page.
Does any of this apply to NTCloud subdomains?
NTCloud is a different platform with its own setup. This guide is for our pbn.ltd hosting only. NTCloud users should check the NTCloud-specific documentation for upload-related questions.
What if my upload fails and I have no idea which limit it hit?
Use the decision table further up the article — it matches symptoms to the likely cause. If you’re still stuck, open a support ticket and we’ll take a look.
✅ Quick Summary
- WordPress has its own upload limit — raise it with the WP Maximum Upload File Size plugin (up to 1GB).
- CloudFlare has a separate 100MB cap that applies if you’re using it as your CDN.
- For files over 100MB on CloudFlare, open a support ticket — we apply a temporary bypass while you upload, then re-secure it afterwards.
- Fails at ~100MB = CloudFlare. Fails immediately = WordPress. Use the decision table if you’re unsure.
- Very large files (>1GB) are usually best split into parts using your backup/migration plugin.
🎉 That’s it. Plugin for the WordPress side, support ticket for the CloudFlare side, and you can upload pretty much anything you need to.