Mentioning WordPress, we definitely think of the most powerful content management system which serves 33% of websites in every corner of the world. It proves the leading position in the CMS industry thanks to its flexibility and feature-rich capability.
However, every benefit has its trade-off. There are still annoying errors that occur while using WordPress. Somehow, visitors can see a white screen of death while visiting your site. Some of your posts suddenly return to 404 not found pages or you’re not able to establish a database connection in WordPress.
Have you ever heard of “HTTP error”? It’s encountered when you try to upload images or videos to your WordPress media library but fail. What causes this mistake? How can you fix it? Are there any methods for non-techies?
The good thing is that you always have multiple solutions to solve a specific WordPress issue. To explore the answers to these questions, let’s take a look at the 7 easy ways to help you fix the HTTP error in WordPress.
- What Causes the HTTP Problem When Uploading Images?
- 1 Refresh the Page
- 2 Switch the Browser or Clear Your Browser Cache
- 3 Rename the File
- 4 Resize the File Size
- 5 Temporarily Deactivate Plugins and Theme
- 6 Check the PHP Version
- 7 Increase PHP Memory Limit
What Causes the HTTP Problem When Uploading Images?
HTTP image upload error occurs when there is a problem with your file uploading process. WordPress will display a message saying “HTTP error” right under the file name.
In fact, WordPress won’t tell you exactly what’s wrong with your files or your site. It simply shows an “HTTP error” notice and your job is attempting to figure out what’s happening by trying one by one solution. As a result, it can leave many of you puzzled.
There are a few possible reasons to refer, including a temporary glitch in the server, PHP memory limitation, or an old version of PHP. An improper file name also contributes to the HTTP file upload problem.
Although HTTP image upload trouble doesn’t pose a serious threat to your website security, it can interrupt your workflow. You add an illustration to your content while writing a blog. However, you fail to upload the file. You need to decide between continuing jotting down your ideas or stopping to fix the mistake.
Whatever the reason is, the following methods will help you troubleshoot and fix the HTTP file upload issue on your WordPress site. We arrange them in order of difficulty as well.
#1 Refresh the Page
A technical glitch on your server might prevent images from being uploaded. The first and easiest thing you can do is to refresh the page. This common solution applies to every error happening on technical devices, right? ? Similarly, when something goes wrong with our handphone or TV, we often restart it to see if it works again.
We have the reason behind this action. The connection between the server and your WordPress site might have been temporarily denied. Consequently, the process of uploading images is interrupted.
After reloading the page and waiting for a few minutes, you can upload the file again now.
#2 Switch the Browser or Clear Your Browser Cache
Sometimes, the message of HTTP error appearing in your file upload process doesn’t relate to internal website problems but your browser. You might see this problem in Google Chrome more often than in other ones.
As simple as the previous suggestion, all you need to do is switch to another web browser such as Safari (for iOS users only), Firefox, or Opera.
If you still see the error after changing the browsing tool, try clearing its cache before thinking of other methods. You need to:
- Click the 3-dot icon on your Chrome sidebar and choose History
- Select the Clear Browsing Data option
- Set the time range to “All Time” to remove everything
- Hit the Clear Data button
That’s it! Refreshing your page to double-check whether it works. If not, moving to the next method.
#3 Rename the File
Checking the name of your uploads is something all WordPress users can do without any technical knowledge. A proper file name not only helps optimize your image SEO but also reduces the chance of an HTTP issue happening.
WordPress never allows files that contain special characters in their names, like punctuation marks, apostrophes, and semicolons. However, there is no problem with dashes.
Please note that you’re permitted to adjust the name of your WordPress file after uploading. To do so, you have to remove it from the Media Library, change the name on your computer, then reupload it.
#4 Resize Your File Size
WordPress media-file-size limits will be different from site to site, depending on your servers and hosting providers. To check it, you can go to Media → Add New and the maximum file upload is shown on that page.
You’re enabled to resize your file by reducing the MB or decreasing the width and height. It’s recommended to enlarge your WordPress maximum upload file size too. You can use image optimization plugins to auto-resize images already added to your Media Library.
When reducing the sizes of images manually, make sure you check their quality before re-adding there. In some cases, too small files will be broken and make it hard for users to view.
#5 Temporarily Deactivate Plugins and Theme
Once installing and activating a plugin or theme, you insert an image from local devices to your content and start seeing this issue. Image optimization or security plugins come as the most common sources.
To resolve, you’re required to switch your theme or deactivate the plugin. Some WordPress site owners also decide to delete them to prevent further annoyance.
Removing a plugin is simple. For themes, we recommend you create a backup of your site or build a staging site then make changes there. If the error is fixed, you can do the same with the main site. If not, you can save it from unnecessary modification.
#6 Check the PHP Version
Outdated WordPress core platform, PHP, themes, and plugins create vulnerability holes for malware to attack and destroy your site. It will steal all your data, delete pages, and even shut the whole site down.
Apart from security issues, the old version of PHP can cause the HTTP image upload error. You need to get the latest version of PHP, 7.3 or greater.
You should check with your host to ensure they are using PHP version 7.3 and above. In cPanels, you have the right to check the PHP version by going to the “Software” section and opening the “Select PHP Version.” Then ticking on PHP versions that are available to you.
#7 Increase PHP Memory Limit
Last but not least, the lack of PHP memory causes not only the HTTP mistake but some other issues such as the 503 service unavailable. You have 3 ways to increase available PHP memory: making changes in the wp-config.php file, in cPanels, and in the .htaccess file.
The simplest solution is editing the wp-config.php file which requires you to enter the following line to your wp-config.php file. This will helps to raise the maximum memory to 256MB:
define ('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
Don’t Let HTTP Image Upload Error Frustrate You
Despite coming as an easy-to-solve problem, HTTP image upload error might affect your working flow and the site performance if you don’t fix it immediately.
Since WordPress doesn’t show exactly what causes the mistake, you should try multiple methods to see which works.
You can simply reload the page, switch the browser, or clear your browser cache. If the issue doesn’t come from these factors, double-check your file name and its size. It’s possible for you to temporarily deactivate plugins and themes, update the PHP version, or increase the PHP memory limit.
Are there any methods that we’ve missed? Share with us in the comment box below.
