How to Gear up the "Link You Followed Has Expired" Error in WordPress

When you manage a site, yous will come beyond dissimilar issues that y'all demand to fix. One of the most common ones is that the link you're following has expired. That's why in this article, we volition show you how to fix the "Link yous followed has expired" error in WordPress.

Why does the "Link you followed has expired" error occur in WordPress?

The link you followed has expired is a standard WordPress error that occurs when:

  • Uploading custom themes and plugins to the site via admin panel
  • Your theme is incompatible with the PHP version

This normally happens when the maximum file size or maximum memory in your server isn't configured properly. Let'south take a closer look.

File Limit Restriction

Most WordPress hosting companies limit the server's PHP limits for security and functioning-optimization purposes. For example, if hosting has configured 10MB as the max upload size for your server, when yous endeavor to upload a theme, plugin, or file larger than i MB, y'all will get the link expired fault.

The link you followed has expired

On top of that, hosting services also define a specific fourth dimension for each PHP execution. If the upload process takes more than time than what they have configured, you will see the "Link you followed has expired" error in the admin section.

Incompatible PHP

If the PHP version of your WordPress site isn't compatible with your theme, you will go this mistake. This doesn't happen very oftentimes considering theme and plugin developers unremarkably make certain that their products are compatible with the nigh popular PHP versions. However, if you are trying to upload an outdated theme or plugin, you may have PHP incompatibility issues.

To gear up these bug, just raise the PHP limits configured by your spider web hosting company or update the PHP version.

How to Fix the "Link You Followed Has Expired Fault" in WordPress

The expert news is in that location are several ways to solve this issue. In this section, we'll show y'all dissimilar ways to fix the "Link you lot followed has expired" error in WordPress:

  1. Editing the theme'south functions.php file
  2. Via the .htaccess file
  3. Editing the php.ini file
  4. PHP version
  5. Hosting visitor

Let's have a look at each method so you tin can pick the all-time one for you.

NOTE: Earlier starting, we recommend you create a total fill-in of your site and use a child theme. You can either create one or use a child theme plugin.

1) Editing the functions.PHP file

Past adding some extra code to your theme's functions.php file, you will exist able to increase the execution limits and avoid this error. Let's run into how you tin edit your functions.php file to increase the upload_max_size, post_max_size, and max_execution_time.

  • upload_max_size: The maximum file size you lot're allowed to upload
  • post_max_size: Defines the maximum size for all the information that a post contains including text, images, and and so on
  • max_execution_time: It's the maximum time a script is allowed to run before information technology's aborted even if it'south not completed

To practice this, there are ii options:

  • Through the WordPress theme editor
  • Using a plugin

Permit's take a closer look at each method.

i.one) Edit functions.php file via Theme Editor

First, open your WordPress admin dashboard and get to Appearance > Theme Editor.

wordpress theme editor

On the correct-hand side, you will run across the theme proper noun and the files you can edit.

theme files

Past default, WordPress volition load the way.css. Merely expect for the functions.php file and select it.

fix the link you followed has expired error in wordpress - functions.php file

After that, copy the code from below to increase the upload_max_size, post_max_size, and max_execution_time.

@ini_set( 'upload_max_size' , '100M' );
@ini_set( 'post_max_size', '100M');
@ini_set( 'max_execution_time', '300' );

And then, paste information technology at the end of your functions.php file and update it.

fix the link you followed has expired error in wordpress - update functions.php

That's information technology! By increasing the limits you set the main causes of the "Link you lot followed has expired" fault in WordPress.

one.2) Edit functions.php using a plugin

If you're not comfortable straight editing core files, you can utilise a plugin. In our experience, Code Snippets is the best tool to add code and it'south complimentary.

First, you need to install and activate the plugin on your site.

fix the link you followed has expired error in wordpress - install code snippets

After that, yous will see the plugin'southward settings on the left-hand side. Under Snippets, click Add New.

add a new snippet

Proper name your snippet and paste the post-obit code:

@ini_set( 'upload_max_size' , '100M' );
@ini_set( 'post_max_size', '100M');
@ini_set( 'max_execution_time', '300' );

Please notation that these are reference values, you may need to adapt for your site.

raise limits

Finally, save information technology and so the code runs server-wide.

That'southward how you can run custom PHP snippets on your WordPress site and avoid the "Link yous followed has expired" fault.

2) Edit the .htaccess File

You lot tin can edit the .htaccess file from the Theme Editor, so you will need an FTP client or a dedicated file managing director plugin. For this demonstration, nosotros'll use an FTP client.

Start, you need to locate the .htacess file. Go to the public_html folder and you will meet information technology there.

htaccess file

Now it'south time to change information technology to fix the "Link you lot followed has expired error" on your WordPress site.

2.1) Increase Limit

The first thing you need to do is increase some PHP limits, so copy the post-obit lawmaking:

php_value upload_max_filesize 100M
php_value post_max_size 100M
php_value max_execution_time 300
php_value max_input_time 300

Go along in mind that you may need dissimilar values on your site, so conform them accordingly.

2.2) Edit the File

Now let's paste these values in the .htaccessouthward file. To edit the file, right-click on information technology and press View/Edit.

edit file

FileZilla will open up the file on the text editor you have installed. Then, paste the code we've just copied in the footer and save it.

htaccess file updated

After that, upload the file back to the server and press Yeah in the pop-up.

upload file back to the server

That's it! By increasing the limits for data transfer and file uploading, y'all accept stock-still the "Link you followed has expired" result.

3) PHP.Ini File

If you don't want to edit your functions.php or .htaccess file, you tin solve this error by increasing the limits via the php.ini file. You can either edit the existing one or create a brand new php.ini file.

Get-go, check your root folder to see if the php.ini file exists. If you already have it on your server, you tin can edit information technology, otherwise, open up whatever text editor and paste the code from below.

upload_max_filesize = 100M
post_max_size = 100M
max_execution_time = 300

fix the link you followed has expired error in wordpress - php.ini file pasted

Later on that, relieve the file and call information technology php.ini .

At present that yous have created a php.ini file, you need to upload information technology to your website'south root. To do this, y'all can use an FTP Client, via the cPanel's file director, or using a dedicated file manager plugin. For this demonstration, we'll use an FTP Client.

Once you accept established a connection betwixt your server and the FTP customer, open the public_html folder and upload the php.ini file you accept merely created.

upload php.ini file

That's it! Yous have successfully changed your server's default upload_max_size , post_max_size , and max_execution_time .

Delight make certain that the file name is correct and that y'all upload it to the correct destination, otherwise, it won't work.

four) Update the PHP Version

When you employ an outdated PHP version, you can expect the "Link you followed expired" mistake on your site. If WordPress is not compatible with your PHP version, yous'll take a difficult time running your website smoothly. WordPress recommends using PHP seven.4 or greater equally well every bit MySQL v.6 or MariaDB x.1 for adept performance.

fix the link you followed has expired error in wordpress - wordpress minimum server requirements

If you are running an older PHP version, you should consider updating information technology. The expert news is that almost cPanel hosting providers and managed WordPress hosting providers include this feature. And so to update your PHP version, log in to your control console and click PHP Configuration under Software.

fix the link you followed has expired error in wordpress - php configuration

There you lot will see the version yous're currently using and y'all can just select the PHP version you want from the dropdown. Then, printing Update to apply it server-wide.

fix the link you followed has expired error in wordpress - update php

Within some seconds, your server will be running on the selected PHP version.

As you tin come across, changing the PHP version is straightforward but if you need help, you can always contact your hosting's support specialists.

Some hosting companies such as Kinsta and WP Engine include this feature in their account dashboards, so you can modify your PHP version right from there.

NOTE: Go on in listen that some of your installed themes/plugins may not be compatible with the PHP version yous program to use, so before updating the PHP version, run some compatibility tests using PHP Compatibility Checker to avert other issues.

v) Contact Your Hosting Visitor

If none of the above solutions help you set up the "Link you lot followed has expired" error on your WordPress site, you should contact your web hosting provider. Their back up squad will aid you lot solve the issue and arrange the server restrictions.

Last Recommendations

Continue The Values Low As Possible

Only change the values if you need to. For example, if you lot have to upload a file that's larger than the limit, you will have to increase information technology. Notwithstanding, y'all may want to change it dorsum to the previous levels after that.

WordPress is the almost popular CMS and more than 30,000 sites get hacked every day. Keeping these values high is risky because hackers can easily upload files of any size, execute them, and accept command of your website. On top of that, the long execution time may affect your site's performance and bandwidth usage. So to protect your website from hackers and continue it functioning-optimized, you lot should keep a low PHP execution time.

Modify the Kid Theme, Not the Parent

Every bit mentioned above, we don't recommend modifying your parent theme. Instead, y'all should customize the child theme. This is considering if yous edit the parent theme, every time you update information technology, your existing files will be overridden so you will lose all the customizations. When you utilize a kid theme, even so, the updates on the parent theme don't touch on your modifications.

If you don't know how to create a kid theme, have a look at this step-by-step guide.

Make Certain You Have a Backup

Fixing the "Link you followed has expired" error involves editing your theme files, WordPress cadre files, or making changes to your PHP versions. To go on your data safe, y'all should create a total fill-in of your site and store it in a safer location (not on your server), then if anything goes wrong, you can restore your site.

Conclusion

All in all, if you upload large files via the admin panel and your theme is incompatible with the PHP version, you may encounter issues.

In this guide, we've shown several means to fix the "Link yous followed has expired" error in WordPress:

  • Through the functions.php file
  • Via .htaccess file
  • Editing the PHP.ini file
  • Updating the PHP version
  • Contacting your hosting visitor

All these methods are uncomplicated and piece of cake to follow even if you are a beginner. If yous don't want to use any third-party tools, you tin can edit the functions.php file either from the Theme Editor or with Code Snippets. Alternatively, if you don't desire to add extra code to your site, follow the .htaccess method.

Alternatively, the php.ini method is also convenient and quick, whereas if yous're experiencing compatibility issues with PHP, you should update to the latest PHP version for the all-time functioning.

Finally, if you don't experience comfortable with any of those methods, contact your hosting visitor and ask them to fix it for yous.

If you lot liked this mail service, you may exist interested in the following guides:

  • How to Fix Maximum Execution Time Exceeded Fault in WordPress
  • WordPress Update Failed Mistake: How to Prepare it

Which method did you apply to fix the expired link issue? Practice you lot know of any other mode? Permit usa know in the comments section below.