How to Edit php.ini Settings with the MultiPHP INI Editor

Sometimes the fix for a hosting problem isn’t the PHP version but its settings — the upload limit is too low, memory runs out, or scripts time out. cPanel’s MultiPHP INI Editor lets you adjust these safely, without editing files by hand. Here’s how.

What the INI Editor controls

PHP’s behaviour is governed by a set of directives — how much memory a script can use, how big an upload it accepts, how long it may run. The INI Editor exposes the ones you’re most likely to need in a simple form, so you can change them per domain without touching a config file.

Opening the editor in Basic mode

1. In cPanel, open MultiPHP INI Editor under the Software section.
2. Choose Editor Mode: Basic (it usually defaults here).
3. Select your domain from the dropdown.
4. You’ll see toggles and fields for the common settings.

The settings you’ll actually change

• upload_max_filesize: the largest file a single upload can be. Raise this if you can’t upload a theme or large media.
• post_max_size: must be equal to or larger than the upload size, or uploads still fail. People often forget this one.
• memory_limit: how much memory a script can use. Raise to 256M if you hit “memory exhausted” errors.
• max_execution_time: how long a script may run, in seconds. Raise to 300 for big imports or updates that time out.

Set the value, click Apply, and it takes effect for that domain.

A worked example

Say you can’t upload a 40MB theme. Set upload_max_filesize to 128M and post_max_size to 128M as well, then bump max_execution_time to 300 so a large upload has time to finish. Apply, refresh your upload page, and the new limit is live.

Advanced mode

Switching to Advanced mode exposes the full list of PHP directives for those who need a specific one not shown in Basic. Only change settings you understand — the Basic settings cover the vast majority of real needs.

Why this beats editing files by hand

You can set these values in a php.ini file or via .htaccess, but those methods are error-prone and can trigger a 500 error if the syntax is slightly off. The INI Editor applies changes cleanly and reversibly, which makes it the recommended approach on our hosting.

If a setting you need appears capped or won’t change, it may be limited at the server level — send us a ticket and we’ll raise it for you.