What does "upload" mean here?
To upload is to send a file from your computer to your website. File Manager in cPanel has an Upload button for this. cPanel is the control panel of your hosting account.
Common reasons uploads fail
- Your account is out of disk space.
- The file is too big for one upload.
- Your internet dropped or is slow.
- A browser add-on or old cache gets in the way.
- The folder does not allow writing because of wrong permissions.
- The file name has odd characters.
Steps to find the cause
- Check your space. In cPanel, look at the Disk Usage number on the right side of the home page. If it is full, delete files you do not need. Take a backup first.
- Check the file size. Try a very small file, such as a short text file. If that works, the large file is the problem.
- For large files, compress them into a zip file first. Upload the zip, then use Extract in File Manager.
- Rename the file. Use only letters, numbers, dashes and underscores. Remove spaces and symbols.
- Refresh the page and try again. Make sure you are still logged in.
- Open a private or incognito browser window and try there. This avoids add-ons and old saved data.
- Try another browser, such as Chrome or Firefox.
- Check folder permissions. Right-click the folder and choose Change Permissions. Folders usually work with 755. Files usually work with 644. Do not use 777, because it is unsafe.
- Use FTP as another way. An FTP program like FileZilla can upload big files more safely.
Tip: Permissions are numbers that say who may read, write or run a file. 755 and 644 are the normal safe values on shared hosting.
Still not working?
Note the exact error message and the file size. Then open a support ticket. You can also check that your service is active in the client area.
Quick recap
- Check free disk space first.
- Zip big files and extract them on the server.
- Use simple file names.
- Try another browser or FTP.
- Send support the exact error if it persists.