Increasing file upload limits in Hestia CP

Hestia CP is a powerful, user-friendly control panel that streamlines everything from site management and SSL deployment to cron jobs and database administration. By default, Hestia often sets the PHP upload limit (upload_max_filesize) to 2MB—a threshold that is typically too low for modern CMS platforms or media-heavy sites. Fortunately, you can easily adjust this limit directly through the dashboard.

Step-by-step configuration

1. Log in to your Hestia CP dashboard.
2. Click on the Server Settings (gear icon) in the top navigation bar.
3. Locate the Apache2 service in the list.
4. Hover over it and click Edit.
5. Select the Configure PHP button to open the settings interface.

Navigating to PHP configuration within the Hestia

6. Locate the upload_max_filesize directive and increase the value from 2M to your desired limit (e.g., 64M, 128M, or 256M).

Updating the file upload threshold

7. Ensure the Restart checkbox is selected and click Save.

The control panel will automatically validate the configuration and restart the web service to apply your new settings instantly.

Pro-tips

• The golden rule: Always ensure that post_max_size is set to a value equal to or greater than upload_max_filesize. If post_max_size is smaller, your uploads will still fail regardless of the file size limit.
• Recommended values: For most WordPress or Laravel sites, 64M or 128M provides a good balance between functionality and server resource protection.
• Troubleshooting: If the changes don't appear to take effect, clear your browser cache (Ctrl + Shift + Delete) or check if you have an active OPcache that needs a manual reset.