How to set the PHP script memory limit in an .htaccess file

This article describes how to change the memory limit for PHP scripts by using the memory_limit directive in an .htaccess file.

Using the memory_limit directive

By default, a PHP script can allocate up to 128 megabytes of memory. You can modify this limit by changing the memory_limit directive in an .htaccess file.

To change the memory limit for PHP scripts, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your account using SSH.
2. Use a text editor to add the following line to the .htaccess file. Replace xxx with the new memory limit value that you want to set, in megabytes:

   php_value memory_limit xxxM

3. Save the changes to the .htaccess file and exit the text editor.
4. To verify that the new setting is active, create a PHP test file that contains the following code in the same directory where the .htaccess file is located:

   <?php phpinfo(); ?>

5. Load the test file in your web browser, and then search for the name of the directive. The Local Value column should display the new setting that you specified in the .htaccess file.

More Information

• To view a complete list of PHP directives, please visit http://www.php.net/manual/en/ini.list.php.
• For more information about the memory_limit directive, please visit http://www.php.net/manual/en/ini.core.php#ini.memory-limit.