WordPress HTTP error image upload: You know the old saying: a picture is worth a thousand words. The explanation for this is less poetic than the saying but fascinating. Compared to words, our brain processes images at a faster rate, so they can easily transmit a multitude of information. , including very abstract ideas. On websites, images tell stories, complement your content, create an atmosphere, and define your brand.
So it’s not hard to see why not being able to upload images is every website admin’s nightmare. Also, reading a vague and useless message, like “HTTP error”, can make the whole problem even more frustrating.
In this article, we will walk you through the various causes and methods to address the HTTP error that occurs when uploading images to WordPress. You can also use these methods if you get this error while uploading videos, PDF, and any other WordPress compatible media files.
How to check the WordPress HTTP error image upload problems
There can be many possible causes of this problem, which is why WordPress displays such a vague message: HTTP error. Since this does not bring you closer to the solution, you have to be analytical and look for the culprit in several places. However, before you start panicking and investigating, make sure the problem isn’t just temporary.
Sometimes the HTTP error occurs due to server failures and a loss of internet connection. Both resolve on their own so here’s how to determine if these are temporary issues.
Checking for temporary WordPress HTTP error image upload problems
If you get an HTTP error message, the first thing to do is just wait a few minutes and then try uploading the media file again. If the file loads without errors, the problem is resolved.
If the previous step failed, try uploading a smaller image or media file. If you upload it successfully, you know that the problem was the size of the file. To avoid further problems, reduce the dimensions of the original image or change the file format. Upload it again. You can also try changing the image format if the problem persists .
If the problem persists, proceed to the browser-related tests. Try refreshing the page and reloading the image or media files. If your login session has expired, log into the dashboard and refresh the page by pressing the reload button or the “F5” key on your keyboard. Try reloading the file.
Note that despite its popularity and widespread use, Google Chrome has been known to have issues with image loading. Change your browser to Firefox, for example, and reload the image. Also, clear the cache after completing each of these steps and try reloading the image or media file.
Clearing the cache after each step will allow you to identify exactly what is causing the problem.
Read more: How to fix the “Sorry, this file type is not permitted for security reasons” error in WordPress
Checking your plugins and theme
WordPress HTTP error image upload: Sometimes the plugins you use, or even the theme itself, could be to blame for the HTTP error. Thorough testing is important for all possible causes.
The plugins that are prone to causing HTTP errors are usually security or image optimization plugins, so be sure to check them out first. Deactivate the plugins one by one, and after deactivating each one, try uploading an image or media file.
As soon as the image upload process is successful, you can identify the last deactivated plugin as the source of the error.
To check the WordPress theme, make sure to backup your site first. Then change your theme to a default theme (for example Twenty-Twenty). If the issue is resolved later, please report it to the developers of your theme.
Read more: How to fix err_too_many_redirects wordpress error
How do I fix the WordPress HTTP error image upload problem?
1. Update your browser.
WordPress HTTP error image upload: This is the advice I get every time I ask Apple for help: Have you tried turning your computer on and off? It can be frustrating to hear, but the advice is solid. You need to make sure that any problem you are having is not a temporary error.
Similarly, the first thing you need to do to fix the HTTP image upload error is to refresh your browser and try to upload the file again. Sometimes a temporary problem with Wi-Fi or with your hosting provider can prevent a file from uploading successfully. In this case, once you update your browser, you should be able to load it without any problem.
2. Rename the file.
WordPress HTTP error image upload: If the browser update doesn’t work, the simplest solution is to rename the file you are trying to upload. You may receive the HTTP error message because the file name contains special characters, such as apostrophes, semicolons, or symbols from international languages.
After renaming the file, try uploading it again. If you’re still getting the HTTP error, then you’ve wasted at least a few seconds and can move on to the next step.
3. Change the file size.
If you are still getting the WordPress HTTP error image upload message, the problem may be that your image file is too large.
To ensure it is below the maximum upload file size, you can resize and compress the image using several image optimization plugins or free tools like Squoosh.
4. Temporarily disable plug-ins.
Certain WordPress plugins can cause the error WordPress HTTP error image upload on your site. Image optimization and security plugins are to blame for this generic message.
If you recently uploaded a new plugin and you only see the HTTP image upload error, try disabling that plugin. If this doesn’t resolve the error, try disabling your plugins one by one.
If the HTTP error goes away after disabling a plugin, you may need to find an alternative to use on your site. Or you can contact the plugin developer to fix this bug.
If the HTTP error doesn’t go away, go ahead, re-enable the plugins and try the next step.
Read more: How to fix the error sorry you are not allowed to access this page. wordpress
5. Change to a default theme.
If it’s not a plugin requesting the WordPress HTTP error image upload, then it could be your WordPress theme. This is especially true if you have just downloaded and activated a new theme and are now getting the HTTP error.
In this case, you can create a backup of your site. Then move on to a predetermined theme, like this year. Topic twenty-one.
If this fixes the HTTP error, then you can either stick with this default theme, find another theme that doesn’t require this error, or contact the developer of your original theme and ask them to fix it.
6. Increase the PHP memory limit.
You may see a WordPress HTTP error image upload because you have exceeded the PHP memory limit. This means that your server does not have enough memory available for the upload process to complete successfully.
The good news is that to increase this memory limit, you only need to add a single line of code to your wp-config.php file. Follow these steps:
- Log in to the hosting control panel.
- Open File Manager .
- located wp-config.php file and right-click to edit it.
- Scroll down to the end of the file to the line that says / * That’s it, stop editing! Happy blog. * /
- Just before this line, add the following code: define (‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘256M’);
Once you save your changes, the PHP memory limit will now increase to 256MB, which is the recommended limit. Now you can go back to the WordPress admin panel and try uploading the file again. If you still see the HTTP error, go to the next step.
7. Update the PHP version.
WordPress recommends that your host accept PHP 7.4 or higher. If you are not using the latest version of PHP, you are not only compromising your site, but you can also cause a WordPress HTTP error image upload to your site.
Most hosts make this upgrade process as easy as possible. While the process may differ slightly depending on the hosting provider, it will look like this. These are the three steps to update your version of PHP with a2hosting.
- Connect to the control panel.
- Scroll down to the section called “Software.”
- Then press Select PHP version and select the latest version compatible with your host.
Make sure you are running the latest version of PHP and then try uploading the file again. If you still see the WordPress HTTP error image upload, go to the next step.
8. Edit the .htacess file.
WordPress uses two PHP modules for image processing: Imagick and GD Library. If too few resources are allocated to Imagick, you may get a WordPress HTTP error image upload on your site. This is probably especially true if you are using shared hosting, as a limited amount of resources is allocated to multiple sites running on the same server.
To correct this error, you can add a line of code to your .htaccess file that tells Imagick to use a single thread, rather than multiple threads, to process images. Follow the steps below.
- Log in to the hosting control panel.
- Open File Manager .
- Click on collapsible public_html .
- Open the folder named “wordpress”.
- located .htaccess file and right-click to edit it.
- Scroll to the bottom of the file and add the following line of code: MAGICK_THREAD_LIMIT 1
After saving the changes, go back to the administrator panel and try to load the media file. If the HTTP error is not resolved, try the next step.
9. Change the default image editor.
If you are still getting the WordPress HTTP error image upload, the problem may be that Imagick is running out of resources on your server. In this case, you can make the other PHP mode for image processing, GD Library, your default editor.
To do this, you will need to add specific code to your theme’s functions.php file. Follow these steps:
- Log in to the hosting control panel.
- Open File Manager. Open your foldable wp-content.
- Open your folding themes .
- located functions.php file and right-click to edit it.
- Scroll to the bottom of the file and paste the following code snippet.
function wpb_image_editor_default_to_gd( $editors ) {
$gd_editor=”WP_Image_Editor_GD”;
$editors = array_diff( $editors, array( $gd_editor ) );
array_unshift( $editors, $gd_editor );
return $editors;
}
add_filter( ‘wp_image_editors’, ‘wpb_image_editor_default_to_gd’ );
After saving your changes, try uploading the media file again. If you still get the HTTP error, remove the code you added to the functions.php file. Then proceed to the next step.
10. Contact your hosting provider.
For any type of error, contacting your hosting provider is always an option, but should be considered a last resort.
If you tried the steps above and still see WordPress HTTP error image upload, the cause may be from your server and not from your website. Contacting your provider can solve the problem or provide valuable information.
Read more: How to fix “installation failed: Could not create directory”
Image loading without errors in WordPress
A WordPress HTTP error image upload can be frustrating due to its lack of specificity. The good news is that you can often correct the error without adding any code or spending a lot of time troubleshooting.
Final thoughts
Now you are ready to retell thousands of new stories with every image you add to your website.
While this guide cannot cover all the possible causes of a WordPress HTTP error image upload, chances are you will find the solution to your problem here. Keep this tutorial on your bookmarks, so you can quickly deal with this relatively common problem when it arises.
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