PHP max execution time: increase for long scripts
Increase PHP max_execution_time limit for long-running scripts, imports, or batch processing.
UnderHost NOC
Network Operations
PHP's max_execution_time limits how long a script can run (default 30 seconds). If a script takes longer, PHP kills it and displays "Maximum execution time exceeded" error.
Default limits by environment
- Shared hosting: Usually 30 seconds (cannot change)
- Cloud VPS: Usually 300 seconds (can increase)
- Dedicated servers: Often 300+ seconds (full control)
How to increase max execution time
Method 1: .htaccess (shared hosting)
php_value max_execution_time 300 # 5 minutesMethod 2: wp-config.php (WordPress)
define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
set_time_limit(300); # 5 minutesMethod 3: php.ini (VPS/Dedicated)
max_execution_time = 300 # 5 minutesThen restart PHP: sudo systemctl restart php-fpm
Per-script timeout override
Inside a specific PHP file, increase timeout for just that script:
<?php
set_time_limit(600); // 10 minutes for this script only
// rest of your code
?>If a script regularly times out at 30 seconds, increasing to 300 seconds just delays the problem. Optimize the script itself: use database indexes, cache results, process in smaller batches, or use a background job queue.
Related: Timeout errors | Memory limit errors
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