One of the most common headaches for Active eCommerce store owners is hitting an upload wall. You try to add a high-resolution product image, upload a downloadable digital product, or push an APK bundle from the Add-on Manager, and suddenly you get a 413 Request Entity Too Large error or a silent failure. This almost always comes down to PHP and web server upload limits that are set too low.

Let's walk through exactly what controls these limits and how to raise them safely on a Hostiso server, whether you use DirectAdmin or cPanel.

Why This Happens in Active eCommerce

Active eCommerce is a Laravel-based application, so uploads are governed by a few layers working together:

  • PHP — controlled by upload_max_filesize and post_max_size.
  • Web server (LiteSpeed) — controlled by a maximum request body size setting.
  • Execution time & memory — large files need max_execution_time and memory_limit to be generous enough to process the upload.

If any one of these is smaller than the file you're uploading, the request fails. The goal is to make them all comfortably larger than your biggest expected upload (product galleries, seller documents, or app builds).

Pro Tip: Match your limits logically. If you set upload_max_filesize to 64M, make sure post_max_size is equal or larger (e.g., 80M), since the POST request wraps the entire upload plus form data.

Step 1: Raise the PHP Limits

You can adjust PHP values directly from your control panel's PHP settings interface — no SSH needed.

In DirectAdmin

  1. Log in to DirectAdmin.
  2. Go to Account Manager → PHP Settings (or Extra Features → Select PHP Version → Options).
  3. Locate and update these values:
    • upload_max_filesize → 128M
    • post_max_size → 128M
    • memory_limit → 256M
    • max_execution_time → 300
  4. Click Save.

In cPanel

  1. Log in to cPanel.
  2. Open MultiPHP INI Editor under the Software section.
  3. Select your domain from the dropdown.
  4. Switch to Editor Mode (or use Basic Mode toggles) and set:
upload_max_filesize = 128M\npost_max_size = 128M\nmemory_limit = 256M\nmax_execution_time = 300
  1. Click Apply.

Step 2: Add a Custom php.ini or .user.ini (Optional Backup Method)

If the panel settings don't stick, you can force them at the application level. Active eCommerce's public entry point is usually in the public folder, so place the file there.

Accessing File Manager

DirectAdmin: Go to System Info & Files → File Manager, then navigate to your domain's document root (often domains/yourdomain.com/public_html/public).

cPanel: Go to Files → File Manager, then open public_html/public (or wherever Active eCommerce's public folder lives).

Create a file named .user.ini and add:

upload_max_filesize = 128M\npost_max_size = 128M\nmemory_limit = 256M\nmax_execution_time = 300
Caution: Changes to .user.ini can take a few minutes to apply due to PHP's user ini cache. Give it up to 5 minutes before testing again.

Step 3: Fix the LiteSpeed Request Body Limit

Even with PHP set correctly, LiteSpeed Web Server enforces its own maximum request body size. On Hostiso, LiteSpeed reads standard PHP directives well, but if you still see 413 Request Entity Too Large, add an override via .htaccess.

Open the .htaccess file inside your Active eCommerce public folder (the same one containing the Laravel rewrite rules) and add at the top:

<IfModule Litespeed>\nSecRuleEngine off\n</IfModule>\n\nphp_value upload_max_filesize 128M\nphp_value post_max_size 128M\nphp_value memory_limit 256M

Because Hostiso runs LiteSpeed, these php_value lines are honored just like Apache directives — no separate config reload needed. If you're on a Cloud VPS with full LiteSpeed admin access, you can also raise the global Max Request Body Size under Tuning in the WebAdmin console.

Step 4: Check the Active eCommerce Admin Settings

Active eCommerce sometimes has its own image/upload validation. After adjusting server limits:

  1. Log in to your Active eCommerce Admin Panel.
  2. Go to System → System Update or Settings and confirm no custom max file size is set lower than your server value.
  3. Clear the application cache from System → Cache Reset so new limits are recognized.

Step 5: Verify Your New Limits

Create a quick test file to confirm PHP picked up the changes. In File Manager, create info.php in your public folder with:

<?php phpinfo(); ?>

Visit https://yourdomain.com/info.php and search for upload_max_filesize. It should read 128M. Once confirmed, delete this file immediately — leaving phpinfo() public is a security risk.

Pro Tip: On Hostiso's NVMe storage, large product image uploads and their thumbnail generation finish fast because disk I/O isn't the bottleneck. Combined with LiteSpeed caching, your store stays responsive even during bulk product imports.

Still Failing? Quick Troubleshooting Checklist

  • Cleared browser cache? Sometimes an old JS validation error persists.
  • Correct public folder? Make sure your .user.ini and .htaccess are in the folder Active eCommerce actually serves from.
  • Storage permissions: Ensure storage/ and public/uploads are writable (typically 755 for folders, 644 for files).
  • CloudLinux limits: On shared plans, extremely large memory settings may be capped by your account's LVE limits. Hostiso's plans are tuned generously, but contact 24/7 support if you need a bump.

FAQs

What file size should I set the limit to?

For most stores, 128M is plenty for product images and digital downloads. If you sell large files (video courses, big software), set it to match your largest expected file plus a 20% buffer.

Why does the change work in phpinfo but the store still errors?

That usually means LiteSpeed's request body limit or Active eCommerce's own cache is the culprit. Add the .htaccess directives from Step 3 and run Cache Reset in the admin panel.

Do I need a VPS for large uploads?

Not necessarily. Hostiso's Shared Hosting plans handle typical Active eCommerce stores comfortably. If you're regularly uploading very large files or running heavy bulk imports, a Cloud VPS gives you full control over LiteSpeed and PHP tuning.