Unable to upload any files from WordPress dashboard. Showing the following error. How can it be solved?

If you are unable to upload files to your WordPress dashboard and encountering the error “An error occurred in the upload. Please try again later.”, here are some possible causes and solutions:

1. Check File Permissions

Ensure that your wp-content/uploads folder has the correct permissions.

• Connect to your website via FTP or File Manager in your hosting control panel.
• Navigate to wp-content/uploads/
• Set file permissions to 755 or 775 for directories and 644 for files.
• If using FTP, right-click the folder > Select File Permissions > Apply to all subdirectories.

2. Increase PHP Upload Limits

Sometimes, file upload errors occur due to low PHP limits. Update your php.ini or .htaccess file:

• Add/update the following lines in .htaccess (located in the root WordPress directory): php_value upload_max_filesize 64M php_value post_max_size 64M php_value max_execution_time 300 php_value max_input_time 300
• If you have access to php.ini, modify: upload_max_filesize = 64M post_max_size = 64M max_execution_time = 300

3. Disable Plugins and Themes

A faulty plugin or theme might be causing the issue.

• Temporarily disable all plugins and try uploading again.
• If the problem is resolved, re-enable plugins one by one to identify the conflicting one.
• Switch to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four) to see if the issue persists.

4. Check for WebP Support

Since you’re trying to upload a .webp file, check if your server supports WebP images:

• Some older PHP versions or WordPress installations may not support WebP.
• Try uploading a JPEG/PNG image to see if the issue is specific to WebP.

5. Check Disk Space

If your hosting account has low disk space, file uploads may fail.

• Check available storage in your hosting control panel.
• Delete unnecessary files if needed.

6. Enable Debugging Mode

To see detailed error messages:

• Edit your wp-config.php file and add: define('WP_DEBUG', true); define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true); define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false); @ini_set('display_errors', 0);
• Check the debug.log file under wp-content/debug.log for error details.

7. Clear Cache & Browser Data

• Clear WordPress cache (if using cache plugins like WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache).
• Clear browser cache and try again.
• Try uploading in incognito mode or a different browser.

8. Check Server Logs

• If you have access to your hosting server logs (cPanel > Logs > Error Log), check for any errors related to file uploads.

9. Contact Hosting Support

If none of the above solutions work, contact your web hosting support and provide them with:

• The error message
• Steps you’ve tried
• WordPress version and PHP version

After trying these solutions, your file upload issue should be resolved. 🚀