There are advantages and drawbacks to using an open-source platform like WordPress. It’s flexible and infinitely scalable , but it also requires you to be comfortable with a certain amount of technical work. This is especially relevant when it comes to performing troubleshooting and resolving some of the errors that commonly arise when you’re using the platform.

On occasion, you’ll run into an error advising that you’ve hit your site’s “ PHP memory limit .” This could be confusing at first, especially since you won’t know what caused the problem or how to fix it.

Fortunately, this issue is one of the simplest ones to resolve and should be achievable even for relatively new WordPress users.

In this knowledge base article, we’ll explain what a WordPress memory limit error is, discuss why it might occur on your WordPress site, and walk you through some of the options for fixing it.

Let’s get to work!

What Is the WordPress Memory Limit Error?

WordPress is a pretty stable platform, but it isn’t immune to errors. There are a number of common issues you might run across, such as the infamous ‘ White Screen of Death ’ or a site stuck in ‘maintenance mode.’

The good news is that most WordPress errors aren’t difficult to troubleshoot and fix. All the same, they can be intimidating to newcomers, especially since they offer little information about what’s gone wrong and how to approach solving the problem.

This brings us to one of the most frequently encountered issues – the WordPress memory limit error. This can also be known as a ‘PHP memory limit error’, and it typically appears as a single line of text on a blank page, like this:

fatal error: allowed memory size of 67108864 bytes exhausted

The error can occur in a number of different circumstances. However, it’s most likely to appear when you take specific types of actions on your site, such as:

Just like anything else, your website requires a certain amount of memory in order to store all of its data. This includes its database and files, all of your content, code added by plugins and themes, and more.

This memory is provided by your hosting server . When you purchase a hosting plan, your site is allocated a specific amount of resources, including the memory used to store your site and enable it to function smoothly for visitors.

As your site grows larger or you start using more complex plugins and scripts, you may eventually hit your memory limit. When it comes to WordPress, this means you’ll end up seeing a PHP memory limit error and won’t be able to complete the action you were trying to take.

How To Fix the WordPress Memory Limit Error (2 Methods)

Unlike many common errors, the WordPress memory limit issue is simple to troubleshoot. It has a very clear cause, so you won’t have to go through a whole lot of trial and error if you want to figure out how it can be fixed.

Instead, there are really only two ways forward when you’ve hit a PHP memory limit on your website. You can increase the amount of memory allocated to your site, or you can opt for a hosting plan that offers more space. Let’s explore when and how you’d want to use either of these methods.