PHP limits how long a request can spend executing a script. Raising max_execution_time gives the affected PHP request more script time, provided another runtime or proxy limit does not end it first.

The limit is the max_execution_time setting, in seconds. It can be raised for a whole server or site in php.ini, for one directory in .htaccess or .user.ini, or for one script with ini_set() or set_time_limit().

Check the value through the website rather than the command line, because CLI PHP has no limit by default and can load a different php.ini file.

Related: How to find PHP configuration files
Related: How to increase PHP memory limit
Related: How to increase PHP maximum execution time in cPanel

Steps to increase PHP maximum execution time:

Use php.ini on a server you manage, .htaccess or .user.ini when you can change only the site's own files, or a line of code when one script needs more time.

Change PHP maximum execution time limit in php.ini

The paths and service name below are for PHP 8.4 with PHP-FPM on Debian 13, and app.example.test stands for your own site.

A phpinfo() page shows server details to anyone who can reach it, so delete it as soon as the check is done.

  1. Create a file named info.php in the site's document root using your text editor. 
    $ sudoedit /var/www/app.example.test/public/info.php
    info.php
    <?php phpinfo();
  2. Open https://app.example.test/info.php in a browser and find the Server API and Loaded Configuration File rows.

    With the Apache module, Server API shows Apache 2 Handler and the file is /etc/php/8.4/apache2/php.ini. Use that path in the next steps and reload apache2 instead of php8.4-fpm.

  3. Back up the php.ini file shown on that page. 
    $ sudo cp /etc/php/8.4/fpm/php.ini /etc/php/8.4/fpm/php.ini.bak
  4. Open the php.ini file in your text editor. 
    $ sudoedit /etc/php/8.4/fpm/php.ini
  5. Replace the max_execution_time value with the number of seconds the script needs. 
    max_execution_time = 300

    A value such as 300 allows five minutes. Setting 0 removes the limit, so a stuck request can tie up a worker indefinitely.

    max_input_time is a separate limit on reading uploaded and posted data before the script starts.
    Related: How to increase the PHP file upload limit

  6. Save the file and close the editor.
  7. Reload PHP-FPM to apply the new value. 
    $ sudo systemctl reload php8.4-fpm

    Related: How to manage the PHP-FPM service with systemctl
    Related: How to manage the Apache web server service

  8. Refresh the info.php page and confirm the max_execution_time row shows the new value.

    If the old value still shows, a PHP-FPM pool file in /etc/php/8.4/fpm/pool.d, a .user.ini file, or an Apache php_value line is overriding php.ini.

  9. Delete the info.php page. 
    $ sudo rm /var/www/app.example.test/public/info.php
  10. Retry the import, report, or export that failed and confirm it finishes without the Maximum execution time exceeded error.

    If it still ends early with a timeout or gateway error, PHP-FPM's request_terminate_timeout or a web-server or proxy timeout is a separate limit that ended it first.

Change PHP maximum execution time limit in .htaccess or .user.ini

.htaccess works with the Apache module and .user.ini with PHP-FPM and other FastCGI setups, so check which one the site uses first. On cPanel hosting, set the limit in cPanel instead.

  1. Create a file named info.php in the application directory using your text editor.
    info.php
    <?php phpinfo();

    A phpinfo() page shows server details to anyone who can reach it, so delete it as soon as the check is done.

  2. Open the page in a browser and note the Server API row.
  3. Add this line to .htaccess in the application directory when Server API shows Apache 2 Handler.
    .htaccess
    php_value max_execution_time 300

    On FPM/FastCGI this line makes Apache return a 500 Internal Server Error, so use .user.ini there.

  4. Add this line to .user.ini in the application directory when Server API shows FPM/FastCGI.
    .user.ini
    max_execution_time = 300
  5. Refresh the info.php page and confirm the first value in the max_execution_time row shows the new limit.

    A .user.ini change can take up to five minutes to appear. The second value, Master Value, stays at the php.ini setting.

  6. Delete the info.php page.
  7. Retry the import, report, or export that failed and confirm it finishes without the Maximum execution time exceeded error.

    If it still ends early with a timeout or gateway error, PHP-FPM's request_terminate_timeout or a web-server or proxy timeout is a separate limit that ended it first.

Change PHP maximum execution time limit in a PHP script

set_time_limit() raises the limit only for the request that runs the script, so the rest of the server keeps its setting.

  1. Add this line near the top of the script, before the slow work starts. 
    set_time_limit(300);

    On WordPress, add the line to wp-config.php above the line that loads wp-settings.php.

    In a long loop, call set_time_limit(30); inside the loop instead, because each call restarts the timer and gives each batch a fresh time window.

    If the host disables set_time_limit(), use ini_set('max_execution_time', '300'); instead. A host that sets the limit with php_admin_value ignores both.

  2. Retry the import, report, or export that failed and confirm it finishes without the Maximum execution time exceeded error.

    If it still ends early with a timeout or gateway error, PHP-FPM's request_terminate_timeout or a web-server or proxy timeout is a separate limit that ended it first.

Share this guide