How to Fix WordPress Memory Exhausted Error Increase PHP Memory

Have you ever encountered the “memory size exhausted” message on your website? If yes, then you’ll probably know that this single issue can bring your entire site to a halt.

If you are seeing this message, don’t panic. It’s one of the most common issues WordPress users face – and is completely fixable.

This fatal error simply means that a script on your site (usually from a plugin or theme) required more server memory (RAM) than your web hosting environment was configured to provide.

In this guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know to solve the “memory size exhausted” problem for good.

You’ll learn how to check your current WordPress memory limit and discover proven methods to increase it, whether by editing the wp-config.php file, the .htaccess file, or the master php.ini file.

Let’s get started!

How to Check Your Current PHP Memory Limit in WordPress

Before you can fix a memory exhausted error, you first need to identify your current limit. There are several ways to do this. 

1. Using the Site Health Tool in the WordPress Dashboard

The easiest and safest way for any user to check the PHP memory limit is directly within the WordPress dashboard. WordPress has a built-in “Site Health” tool that reports your website’s configuration and server environment.

To access it:

• Navigate to your WordPress admin area and go to Tools > Site Health.
• Click on the “Info” tab at the top of the page, which will reveal a series of expandable sections.
• Click on the “Server” dropdown, and you will see a detailed list of your server’s configuration.
• Look for the “PHP memory limit” entry to see the value configured for your site.

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2. Checking PHP Info or Server Configuration Files

If you want more information or can’t access the WordPress dashboard, you can create a phpinfo file. This method queries the server directly and displays the master PHP configuration.

To do this, you just need to create a new file named info.php in your website’s root directory using an FTP client or a file manager, and place the following single line of code inside it:

<?php phpinfo(); ?>

Save the file, then visit yourwebsite.com/info.php in your browser. You will see a detailed page with all PHP settings; search for memory_limit to find the current value.

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3. Identifying Memory Limit via Hosting Control Panel (cPanel, RunCloud, etc.)

Most modern hosting environments provide a graphical interface to view and manage server settings. In traditional control panels like cPanel, you might find this information under a “MultiPHP INI Editor” or “Select PHP Version” tool. 

On a more powerful platform like RunCloud, this information is even more accessible and transparent. Simply navigate to your Web Application > Settings within the RunCloud dashboard.

Here, you will see your current PHP version and its associated memory limit clearly displayed:

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How to Fix the WordPress Memory Exhausted Error (7 Proven Methods)

There are several ways to fix the WordPress Memory Exhausted error, ranging from simple configuration file edits to leveraging your hosting control panel. Let’s explore these methods in detail to help you get your WordPress site back on track.

1. Increase PHP Memory Limit via wp-config.php File

This is the standard WordPress method for increasing the memory available to your application. The wp-config.php file contains your site’s base configuration and is located in the root directory of your WordPress installation.

(Before editing, it is recommended that this file be backed up.)

First, you need to open the wp-config.php file either using your FTP client or the RunCloud File Manager. In this file, add the following line of code just before the line that says /* That’s all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */:

define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');

If needed, you can change 256 MB to a higher value, like 512 MB. This command instructs WordPress to override the default PHP memory limit for its own processes.

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2. Edit the .htaccess File to Raise Memory Limit

If editing wp-config.php doesn’t work, it may be because your hosting provider has locked that setting at the server level. In some Apache servers, you can also edit the .htaccess file, which is also located in your site’s root directory. This file controls server configurations for your specific directory.

Again, ensure you have a backup before proceeding. Open the .htaccess file and add the following line at the very end of the file:

php_value memory_limit 256M

Save the file and check if the error is resolved. 

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3. Modify the php.ini File on Your Server

The php.ini file is the master configuration file for PHP on your server. Modifying this file changes the memory limit for all PHP applications, not just WordPress, which makes it the most powerful method. However, on shared hosting, you typically do not have access to this file, so this method is primarily for users on a VPS or dedicated server where you have root or sudo privileges.

If you have server access, you must first locate the correct php.ini file, as its location varies significantly by Linux distribution and PHP version. For instance, on a server running Ubuntu or Debian with PHP 8.1 and Apache, the path is /etc/php/8.1/apache2/php.ini. If you’re using NGINX with PHP-FPM, the path would instead be /etc/php/8.1/fpm/php.ini. On distributions like CentOS or AlmaLinux, a common location is simply /etc/php.ini.

The most reliable way to find the exact path your web server is using is to check the “Loaded Configuration File” line within a phpinfo() page, as explained above. Once you have located and backed up the correct file, you will find and change the following line:

memory_limit = 256M

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4. Use the Hosting Control Panel or the RunCloud Dashboard to Increase Memory

The safest and most recommended method for novice users is to use the tools provided by your hosting provider or server management panel. These interfaces are designed to prevent the configuration errors that can occur when editing files manually. Most control panels have a section for managing PHP settings where you can select your domain and choose a new memory limit from a dropdown menu.

RunCloud excels at this, and it provides a dedicated and intuitive control for each web application. From your dashboard, go to Web Application > Settings, where you can easily adjust the PHP memory_limit with a simple input field. 

After you make the necessary changes, you can save the settings without any need for SSH or FTP.

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5. Deactivate Heavy or Poorly Coded Plugins

Sometimes, the problem isn’t the memory limit itself, but a single plugin consuming an excessive amount of resources. A poorly coded plugin or a feature-heavy one (like a page builder or a complex backup solution) can easily trigger a memory error by creating a memory leak or simply by performing a task that is too resource-intensive for your server’s configuration. 

In this case, increasing the memory limit will not solve the issue, and you will need to identify the specific component causing the issue without disrupting your live site.

Instead of resorting to the time-consuming method of deactivating all plugins on your live site, your first step should be to check the server logs. The NGINX error logs, for instance, often contain the exact PHP script path that triggered the fatal error.

Furthermore, a plugin that exhausts memory is frequently a slow-performing one; this is where RunCloud’s built-in slow script monitoring becomes invaluable. It helps you identify scripts that are taking too long to execute and are likely candidates for high memory usage.

Once you have identified a suspect, the safest way to confirm your diagnosis is in a non-production environment. Instead of deactivating plugins on your live site and risking further downtime, use RunCloud’s one-click staging functionality. This creates an identical, isolated copy of your site where you can safely deactivate the suspected plugin and test thoroughly without impacting your visitors. If the error disappears on the staging site, you’ve found your culprit and can proceed with deactivating or replacing it on your live production site.

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6. Optimize Images and Media Files to Reduce Memory Usage

One of the most common reasons for memory exhaustion is uploading large, high-resolution images. When you upload a picture, WordPress doesn’t just store it directly; it uses PHP to process it and create multiple smaller versions (thumbnails). This image processing is a very memory-intensive task, and a large file can easily push PHP past its limit.

To prevent this, always optimize and resize your images before uploading them to WordPress using a tool like Photoshop or an online image compressor. You can also use a WordPress plugin that optimizes images on the fly, but be mindful that the optimization plugin itself will also consume resources. By reducing the initial file size, you significantly decrease the amount of memory needed for processing.

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7. Upgrade Your Hosting Plan for Higher PHP Memory Allocation

If you have tried all the above methods and are still hitting memory limits, especially on a shared hosting plan, it may be time to upgrade. Shared hosting environments place strict, and often low, caps on resources like RAM to ensure stability for all users on the server. No amount of configuration file editing can overcome a hard limit imposed by your provider.

Upgrading to a VPS (Virtual Private Server) gives you dedicated resources and full control over your server environment. With RunCloud managing your VPS, you can easily set your PHP memory limit to 512 MB, 1GB, or whatever your applications require.

Wrapping Up: Best Practices to Prevent the WordPress Memory Exhaustion Error

In this post, we have shown you not only how to fix the WordPress memory exhausted error but also how to build a resilient and high-performing website. After fixing the error, you can optimize your site by implementing a couple of best practices to prevent this in the future.

One of the most powerful preventative measures is to reduce your server’s overall workload. Every time a visitor loads a page on your site, WordPress executes PHP scripts and queries the database, all of which consume memory. Caching drastically reduces this workload by storing and serving a static HTML version of your page, bypassing the need for most PHP executions.

With RunCloud, you can enable a highly optimized server-level solution like RunCache (NGINX FastCGI cache) with a single click. This immediately lowers your server’s memory and CPU usage and makes your site significantly faster. 

This is just one example of how RunCloud transforms server management from a reactive chore into a proactive strategy. 

Sign up for RunCloud today and experience a faster, more stable WordPress site.

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