How to Change Settings in the php.ini File

What is php.ini?

PHP is the language many websites use to run. The php.ini file is a small text file that holds PHP's settings. Think of it as a control panel made of plain text. Each line sets one rule, such as how big an uploaded file may be.

Common settings you may want to change

Setting	What it does
`memory_limit`	How much memory one script may use
`upload_max_filesize`	The biggest file a visitor may upload
`post_max_size`	The biggest amount of form data allowed
`max_execution_time`	How many seconds a script may run

Steps

Warning: a wrong setting can break your site. Take a backup of the file first.

Log in to your hosting control panel. Your welcome email tells you where.
Open the File Manager.
Go to the folder of your website. This is often called public_html.
Look for a file named php.ini. If it is not there, create a new file with that name.
Right-click the file and choose Copy to make a backup copy.
Right-click the original and choose Edit.
Find the line you want to change, or add a new line at the bottom. For example:

memory_limit = 256M
upload_max_filesize = 64M
post_max_size = 64M
max_execution_time = 300

These lines allow more memory, bigger uploads and longer-running scripts. The letter M means megabytes.

Click Save Changes.
Reload your website and check that it still works.

Checking that the change worked

Create a file called info.php with this content:

<?php phpinfo(); ?>

Open it in your browser. It lists every PHP setting. Delete the file afterwards, because it shows private details.

Tip: Some hosting plans use a different place for PHP settings, such as a PHP selector in the control panel. Some servers also limit how high a value can go. Ask Hostvento support if your change has no effect.

Quick recap

php.ini holds the settings for PHP.
Back up the file before you edit it.
Change one value at a time and save.
Test your site and remove any info.php file you made.
Ask support if the change does not apply.