If you’ve encountered the “The link you followed has expired” error in WordPress Hosting, you’re not alone. This common issue usually appears when trying to upload a theme, plugin, or media file via the WordPress dashboard. Fortunately, it’s not difficult to fix — and this guide will walk you through several proven methods to resolve it quickly.

🔍 What Causes the Error?

This error typically occurs due to server-side limitations set in your hosting environment. Most commonly, it’s related to:

  • Low PHP upload file size limit

  • Short PHP maximum execution time

  • Low post max size limit

These settings control how large a file you can upload and how long a process can run before the server times out.

Method 1: Increase Limits via .htaccess

If your server uses Apache, you can modify the .htaccess file in the root directory of your WordPress site.

  1. Connect via FTP or use File Manager in cPanel.

  2. Locate and open the .htaccess file.

  3. Add the following lines at the end:

php_value upload_max_filesize 64M
php_value post_max_size 64M
php_value max_execution_time 300
php_value max_input_time 300

  1. Save and re-upload the file.

🔄 Then try uploading the theme or plugin again.

Method 2: Edit php.ini (if accessible)

If your hosting provider gives access to the php.ini file:

  1. Open or create a php.ini file in your site’s root.

  2. Add or adjust the following values:

upload_max_filesize = 64M
post_max_size = 64M
max_execution_time = 300

  1. Save and apply changes. You may need to restart PHP via your hosting panel.

Method 3: Modify functions.php (Temporary Fix)

You can also insert PHP directives into your theme’s functions.php file as a quick workaround:

@ini_set('upload_max_size', '64M');
@ini_set('post_max_size', '64M');
@ini_set('max_execution_time', '300');

⚠️ Use this method only temporarily. A theme update or switch may override the changes.