Managing PHP Settings in DirectAdmin

What are PHP settings?

PHP settings (php.ini directives) control how PHP behaves on your hosting account. Common settings include:

Upload limits: Maximum file upload size
Memory limits: How much RAM PHP scripts can use
Execution time: How long scripts can run before timing out
Error reporting: What errors are displayed or logged
Session settings: Cookie and session behaviour

Common PHP settings you might need to change

Setting	Default	Recommended	Purpose
upload_max_filesize	8M–32M	64M–128M	Maximum single file upload size
post_max_size	8M–32M	128M–256M	Maximum POST request size
memory_limit	128M–256M	256M–512M	PHP script memory allocation
max_execution_time	30–60s	120–300s	Maximum script runtime
max_input_time	60s	120–300s	Maximum input parsing time

Method 1: Using .user.ini file (recommended)

The easiest way to change PHP settings at 0724 Hosting is using a .user.ini file.

Step 1: Create .user.ini file

Log in to DirectAdmin
Go to File Manager
Navigate to your website root (public_html)
Click Create New File
Name it .user.ini (include the dot at the start)
Click Create

Step 2: Add PHP settings

Edit the .user.ini file and add your settings:

upload_max_filesize = 128M
post_max_size = 128M
memory_limit = 512M
max_execution_time = 300
max_input_time = 300

Save the file. Changes apply within 5 minutes (PHP caches .user.ini files).

Notes about .user.ini

Applies to the directory and subdirectories: Place in website root to affect entire site
Cache time: Changes take up to 5 minutes to apply
Per-directory: Can create .user.ini in specific folders for different settings
PHP-FPM required: Works with PHP-FPM handler (standard at 0724 Hosting)

Method 2: Using php.ini file (alternative)

Some servers allow custom php.ini files in the website root.

Creating php.ini

In File Manager, navigate to public_html
Create a file named php.ini
Add your settings in the same format as .user.ini
Save the file

Note: php.ini may not work on all servers. Use .user.ini if php.ini has no effect.

Method 3: Using .htaccess (for specific PHP handlers)

If using mod_php (less common), you can set PHP values in .htaccess:

php_value upload_max_filesize 128M
php_value post_max_size 128M
php_value memory_limit 512M
php_value max_execution_time 300

Warning: .htaccess PHP directives cause 500 errors if using PHP-FPM. Use .user.ini instead.

Method 4: Using ini_set() in PHP code

Set PHP values programmatically in your PHP scripts:

<?php
ini_set('upload_max_filesize', '128M');
ini_set('post_max_size', '128M');
ini_set('memory_limit', '512M');
ini_set('max_execution_time', '300');
?>

Limitations: Some settings cannot be changed with ini_set(). File-based methods are more reliable.

Common PHP setting use cases

Increasing WordPress upload limit

WordPress shows "Maximum upload file size" in Media → Add New. To increase it:

Create .user.ini in your WordPress root:

upload_max_filesize = 128M
post_max_size = 128M

Important: post_max_size must be equal to or larger than upload_max_filesize.

Fixing "Maximum execution time exceeded"

If WordPress updates, plugin installations, or backups timeout:

max_execution_time = 300
max_input_time = 300

This allows scripts to run for 5 minutes instead of 30 seconds.

Resolving "Allowed memory size exhausted"

If PHP runs out of memory:

memory_limit = 512M

WordPress typically needs 256M–512M for complex sites with many plugins.

Enabling error logging

To log PHP errors for debugging:

log_errors = On
error_log = /home/username/domains/yourdomain.co.za/error.log
display_errors = Off

Replace the path with your actual account path (found in DirectAdmin → Account Info).

Disabling dangerous functions

For security, disable risky PHP functions:

disable_functions = exec,passthru,shell_exec,system,proc_open,popen

Warning: Some plugins (e.g., backup plugins) require these functions. Only disable if you are certain they are not needed.

Viewing current PHP settings

Method 1: phpinfo() script

Create a file named info.php in your public_html folder
Add this content:

<?php phpinfo(); ?>

Visit https://yourdomain.co.za/info.php in your browser
You will see all PHP settings and their current values

Security tip: Delete info.php after checking settings (it exposes server configuration).

Method 2: WordPress Site Health

In WordPress admin:

Go to Tools → Site Health
Click the Info tab
Expand Server section
View current PHP settings and limits

PHP settings that cannot be changed

Some PHP settings are controlled by the server administrator and cannot be changed by users:

open_basedir: Restricts file access to specific directories (security)
allow_url_fopen: Controls remote file access
safe_mode: Deprecated security feature (removed in PHP 5.4+)
Certain function restrictions: Server-level security policies

If you need changes to these settings, contact 0724 Hosting support.

Troubleshooting PHP settings

Settings not applying

If your changes have no effect:

Wait 5 minutes: .user.ini is cached for up to 5 minutes
Check file location: Ensure .user.ini is in the correct directory
Verify PHP handler: .user.ini requires PHP-FPM (standard at 0724 Hosting)
Check syntax: Ensure no typos in setting names or values
View phpinfo(): Confirm current settings with phpinfo script

500 Internal Server Error after changes

If the website shows a 500 error:

Syntax error: Check .user.ini or .htaccess for typos
Invalid directive: Some settings are not allowed in user-level configuration
Wrong method: php_value directives in .htaccess cause errors with PHP-FPM
Fix: Remove or rename .user.ini/.htaccess temporarily to restore site

Upload limit not increasing

If WordPress still shows old upload limit:

Check both settings: Ensure upload_max_filesize AND post_max_size are increased
Clear cache: Clear WordPress cache and browser cache
Server limits: Contact support if server-level limits are lower than your settings
LiteSpeed cache: Flush LiteSpeed cache in WordPress admin

Scripts still timing out

If scripts timeout despite increased max_execution_time:

Web server timeout: Separate from PHP timeout (typically 300s at 0724 Hosting)
Plugin/theme limits: Some code overrides PHP settings
Database queries: Slow database queries cause timeouts regardless of PHP limits
External services: API calls to external services can timeout independently

Recommended PHP settings for WordPress

Optimal .user.ini configuration for most WordPress sites:

; File uploads
upload_max_filesize = 128M
post_max_size = 128M

; Memory and execution
memory_limit = 256M
max_execution_time = 300
max_input_time = 300

; Sessions
session.gc_maxlifetime = 1440

; Error handling (disable in production)
display_errors = Off
log_errors = On

Settings for WooCommerce sites

WooCommerce sites with many products need higher limits:

upload_max_filesize = 256M
post_max_size = 256M
memory_limit = 512M
max_execution_time = 600
max_input_vars = 5000

Security considerations

Never enable display_errors in production

Displaying errors exposes sensitive information to visitors:

; Good (production)
display_errors = Off
log_errors = On

; Bad (development only)
display_errors = On

Be cautious with large limits

Memory limits: Setting memory_limit too high (>1GB) can cause server resource issues
Execution time: Very long timeouts (>600s) may allow abuse or indicate inefficient code
Upload limits: Extremely large uploads (>500M) can fill disk space quickly

PHP settings for different hosting plans

Default limits by 0724 Hosting plan:

Entry-level plans: 128M memory, 30s execution, 32M upload
Mid-tier plans: 256M memory, 60s execution, 64M upload
Premium plans: 512M memory, 120s execution, 128M upload
Reseller plans: Custom limits (set per customer)

You can increase these limits using .user.ini within your account's resource allocation.

PHP-FPM vs mod_php

0724 Hosting uses PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager) for better performance:

Feature	PHP-FPM	mod_php
Performance	Faster, more efficient	Slower
Configuration file	.user.ini or php.ini	.htaccess or php.ini
Changes apply	Within 5 minutes (cached)	Immediately
Resource usage	Lower memory footprint	Higher memory usage

At 0724 Hosting: All accounts use PHP-FPM. Use .user.ini for configuration changes.

Getting help with PHP configuration

If you need assistance adjusting PHP settings, troubleshooting configuration errors, optimising PHP performance, or determining appropriate limits, contact 0724 Hosting support. We can help diagnose issues, recommend optimal settings, and adjust server-level limits if needed.

What are PHP settings?

Common PHP settings you might need to change

Method 1: Using .user.ini file (recommended)

Step 1: Create .user.ini file

Step 2: Add PHP settings

Notes about .user.ini

Method 2: Using php.ini file (alternative)

Creating php.ini

Method 3: Using .htaccess (for specific PHP handlers)

Method 4: Using ini_set() in PHP code

Common PHP setting use cases

Increasing WordPress upload limit

Fixing "Maximum execution time exceeded"

Resolving "Allowed memory size exhausted"

Enabling error logging

Disabling dangerous functions

Viewing current PHP settings

Method 1: phpinfo() script

Method 2: WordPress Site Health

PHP settings that cannot be changed

Troubleshooting PHP settings

Settings not applying

500 Internal Server Error after changes

Upload limit not increasing

Scripts still timing out

Recommended PHP settings for WordPress

Settings for WooCommerce sites

Security considerations

Never enable display_errors in production

Be cautious with large limits

PHP settings for different hosting plans

PHP-FPM vs mod_php

Getting help with PHP configuration

Need PHP help?

Need hosting support in South Africa?

Managing PHP Settings in DirectAdmin

What are PHP settings?

Common PHP settings you might need to change

Method 1: Using .user.ini file (recommended)

Step 1: Create .user.ini file

Step 2: Add PHP settings

Notes about .user.ini

Method 2: Using php.ini file (alternative)

Creating php.ini

Method 3: Using .htaccess (for specific PHP handlers)

Method 4: Using ini_set() in PHP code

Common PHP setting use cases

Increasing WordPress upload limit

Fixing "Maximum execution time exceeded"

Resolving "Allowed memory size exhausted"

Enabling error logging

Disabling dangerous functions

Viewing current PHP settings

Method 1: phpinfo() script

Method 2: WordPress Site Health

PHP settings that cannot be changed

Troubleshooting PHP settings

Settings not applying

500 Internal Server Error after changes

Upload limit not increasing

Scripts still timing out

Recommended PHP settings for WordPress

Settings for WooCommerce sites

Security considerations

Never enable display_errors in production

Be cautious with large limits

PHP settings for different hosting plans

PHP-FPM vs mod_php

Getting help with PHP configuration

Related guides

Need PHP help?

Need hosting support in South Africa?