When I searched around for articles on how to edit php settings on Managed WordPress, there were no great articles. I ended up creating my own.
Managed WordPress hosting does not have a File Manager, it is a bare bones hosting that gives you FTP access [this allows you to use a program to connect to your files], and access to phpmyadmin — the WordPress Database.
The reason someone might want to change their php settings, is if they were running a Theme like Divi, Beaver Builder, Avada, or even plugins like Elementor and Visual Composer. These are very common and popular Themes and Plugins. The issue is that the hosting does not automatically provide enough memory to run these common Themes and Plugins. Basically, the technology has surpassed the quality of server you get when you purchase hosting.
Luckily there is an easy fix. It takes 4 steps; 1] Download an FTP program, 2] Connect to FTP, 3] create a .ini file, and 4] edit .ini file to include your needs.
1. Download an FTP program.
I recommend FileZilla. To download and install Filezilla, head over to their website, //filezilla-project.org. Make sure you download the ‘Client’ and select the FREE version. I have known too many people over my years that have paid for FileZilla, when they did not need to.
2. Connect to FTP.
First, find your FTP information.
You will need to visit your hosting provider for this one. So make your way to GoDaddy.com. Once logged in, click your name on the top right, and select ‘My Products’ from the dropdown menu.
On the products page, scroll down until you find ‘Managed WordPress’. Click ‘Manage All’ to the right of Managed WordPress.
After you click Manage all, you will either be on a page that shows a couple boxes, with Overview in them. If so, click Overview. If you have more than 5 sites, you will see a list of your sites, with 3 horizontal … to the right. Click the horizontal … dots and select ‘Overview’.
Look up on the top left, you should see Overview, Backups, Tools, and Settings. Make sure you are on Settings. On the left-hand side of your page, under the box labeled ‘Production Site’, find where it says ‘SFTP/SSH Details’. Click View to the right.
These are the credentials you will simply copy/paste into FileZilla. You need 4 total. These are; Hostname, Username, Password, and Port. Unlike traditional FTP, this is SFTP and uses port 22. Make sure you use port 22.
To login to FileZilla, simply copy and paste all 4 credentials into the top of your FileZilla, as shown below. Click Quick Connect when finished.
3. Create a .ini file
Normally, I would ask you to create a php.ini file. However, since you are doing this for GoDaddys Managed WordPress, create a file called .user.ini — yes there is a period before user.
To create .user.ini, you will need to be logged into FileZilla. Once logged in, the top 3 folders on the bottom right-hand side are wp-admin, wp-content, and wp-includes, followed by all the files. The file .user.ini may not be created yet, so look to see if you have it or not. If not, simply create a new file using filezilla.
To create a file, simply select the VERY FIRST folder in FileZilla, on the bottom-right. On a PC, right click the folder named … and select ‘create file’. You will be asked to name your file. Name it .user.ini and do not mispell it.
Once created, you will still need to edit it, to change your php settings. Find the file in FileZilla, right-click that filename .user.ini, and select ‘view/edit’.
This will open up a blank text editor on your computer. Normally, this is just Notepad.
The rest is easy, I will give you the code to copy and paste into your .user.ini file, and that will work with most major Themes and Plugins.
4. Edit .ini file to suit your needs
The major php variables we need to change are the following:
memory_limit = 256M
upload_max_filesize = 256M
post_max_size = 256M
max_execution_time = 300
max_input_vars = 2500
The above variables should be changed by simply copying / pasting the entire code above, from memory_limit, all the way down to 2500 after max_input_vars, and pasting into your text editor.
These are all important values, and will save your skin if you keep having problems with Themes like Divi, Avada — or Plugins like Visual Composer, Elementor, etc.
Copy and paste those into your Notepad, and then click File — Save.
Once you Save, you have one last step. Go back to FileZilla, just open it back up. You will immediately be prompted with a question to overwrite your existing file. Click yes.
Once you uploaded back to FileZilla, you are all done! Flush the Cache on Managed WordPress, and now all your php settings have changed to higher values.
If you would like more in-depth instructions, visit us at //digitallythrive.com/blog/how-to-change-php-settings-on-managed-wordpress/