The “Request-URI Too Long” error in Apache occurs when a client sends a URL that exceeds the server’s predefined length limit. This issue can prevent users from accessing specific pages and is typically encountered in applications that pass large amounts of data in the URL.

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Causes of the Request-URI Too Long Error

1. Excessive Query Parameters: Too many parameters in the URL can exceed the allowed limit.
2. Long URLs in Web Applications: Some applications construct long URLs dynamically, leading to this issue.
3. Misconfigured Server Settings: Apache’s default configuration may restrict long URLs.
4. Proxy Server or Load Balancer Limitations: Intermediate servers may impose their own limits on URI lengths.
5. Security Restrictions: Some security modules, like mod_security, can block long request URIs.

How to Fix the Request-URI Too Long Error

1. Increase the Apache URI Length Limit

Modify the LimitRequestLine directive in your Apache configuration file to increase the allowed request length.

1. Open the Apache configuration file (httpd.conf or apache2.conf):

   sudo nano /etc/apache2/apache2.conf  # Debian/Ubuntu
   sudo nano /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf  # CentOS/RHEL

2. Add or modify the following line:

   LimitRequestLine 8190

   The default value is 8190 bytes (8 KB). You can increase it to 16384 (16 KB) or higher if necessary.

3. Restart Apache to apply the changes:

   sudo systemctl restart apache2  # Debian/Ubuntu
   sudo systemctl restart httpd  # CentOS/RHEL

2. Increase the Header Field Limit

The LimitRequestFieldSize directive controls the maximum size of an HTTP request header field. If you have long URLs with headers, increasing this value may help.

1. Open the Apache configuration file:

   sudo nano /etc/apache2/apache2.conf  # Debian/Ubuntu
   sudo nano /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf  # CentOS/RHEL

2. Add or modify the following line:

   LimitRequestFieldSize 16384

3. Restart Apache:

   sudo systemctl restart apache2  # Debian/Ubuntu
   sudo systemctl restart httpd  # CentOS/RHEL

3. Check and Modify Web Application Code

• If your application is passing too much data via GET requests, consider switching to POST requests, which do not have strict length limitations.
• Optimize URL structures to minimize unnecessary parameters.
• Use cookies or sessions to store large amounts of data instead of passing them in the URL.

4. Configure Proxy Servers or Load Balancers

If your server is behind a proxy or load balancer, update its settings to allow longer URIs.

For Nginx:

proxy_buffer_size 16k;
proxy_buffers 4 32k;
proxy_busy_buffers_size 64k;
large_client_header_buffers 4 16k;

For HAProxy:

option http-buffer-request
max-header-size 32768

After making changes, restart the respective service:

sudo systemctl restart nginx  # For Nginx
sudo systemctl restart haproxy  # For HAProxy

5. Disable or Modify mod_security Rules

If mod_security is enabled, it might be blocking long request URIs. To check if it’s causing the issue, temporarily disable it:

sudo a2dismod security2  # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo systemctl restart apache2  # Restart Apache

If disabling mod_security resolves the issue, consider customizing its rules instead of turning it off permanently.

Conclusion

The “Request-URI Too Long” error in Apache is typically caused by excessive URL length, often due to misconfigured applications, overly long query strings, or limitations in proxy settings. Fortunately, this issue can be resolved through several effective strategies:

• Increasing relevant Apache and server-side limits (e.g., LimitRequestLine, LimitRequestFieldSize)

• Optimizing URL structures and GET request payloads in your applications

• Adjusting NGINX or Apache reverse proxy configurations

• Reviewing WAF (Web Application Firewall) or ModSecurity rules that might trigger the rejection

At AvaHost, our hosting environment is designed to be flexible and developer-friendly. Whether you’re on a shared hosting plan or managing your own VPS / dedicated server, you have full control over server configurations to address such issues.