⚠️ Fixing “Allowed Memory Size of Bytes Exhausted” in cPanel

This PHP error happens when a script consumes more memory than what is allowed by the server configuration.

Example error message:

🔍 Why This Happens

• The memory_limit in PHP is set too low.

• Large files (images, datasets, backups) consume extra memory.

• Too many WordPress/Drupal plugins installed.

• Poorly optimized PHP code or memory leaks.

🛠️ Solutions

1. Increase PHP Memory Limit

Option A: Edit php.ini (root or local account)

1. Open php.ini.

2. Find (or add) this line:

   memory_limit = 256M

3. Save and restart Apache/LSAPI if needed.

Option B: Edit .htaccess (in site root)

Add this line:

Option C: Use cPanel’s MultiPHP INI Editor

1. Log into cPanel.

2. Go to Software → MultiPHP INI Editor.

3. Select your domain.

4. Set:

   memory_limit = 256M

5. Save changes.

2. Deactivate Unused Plugins (WordPress-specific)

1. In File Manager, go to:

   public_html/wp-content/

2. Rename the plugins folder → plugins-old.

3. Create a new empty folder named plugins.

4. Reload the site.

   • If it works → issue is plugin-related.

   • Restore the original folder and enable plugins one by one.

3. Optimize PHP Code

• Free memory with unset() after using large variables:

  unset($largeArray);

• Use pagination instead of loading large datasets at once.

• Compress/resize images before upload.

💡 Additional Tips

• Monitor usage with top, htop, or cPanel Resource Usage.

• Limit memory-hogging cron jobs.

• Keep your CMS/plugins/themes updated.

• Always back up before applying changes.

✅ After increasing memory and optimizing, reload the site — the error should disappear.