Fix The Link You Followed Has Expired

The “The Link You Followed Has Expired” error in WordPress usually appears when trying to upload:

• 📦 WordPress themes
• 🔌 WordPress plugins
• 🧩 large files in the dashboard

Instead of completing the upload, WordPress displays a message saying:

“The link you followed has expired. Please try again.”

This issue typically occurs because server upload limits are too low, preventing large files from uploading.

Fortunately, the problem can be fixed by increasing PHP upload limits in your hosting configuration.

⚡ Quick Fix (Try These First)

Before applying advanced fixes, try these quick solutions:

1️⃣ Refresh the upload page
2️⃣ Upload the file again
3️⃣ Clear browser cache
4️⃣ Check file size of plugin or theme

If the problem continues, follow the fixes below.

⚠️ Why This Error Happens

The error usually occurs due to low server limits.

Common causes include:

• Low PHP upload_max_filesize
• Low post_max_size
• Low memory_limit
• Hosting server restrictions

Large themes or plugins often exceed these limits.

🔍 Step-by-Step Fix Guide

Follow these methods to solve the problem.

🔧 1. Increase PHP Upload Limit in wp-config.php

You can increase upload limits by editing the wp-config.php file.

Steps:

1️⃣ Open your hosting File Manager or FTP
2️⃣ Locate the file:

public_html/wp-config.php

3️⃣ Add this line before the final line in the file:

define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');

This increases memory available for uploads.

⚙️ 2. Edit PHP Limits in .htaccess

You can also increase limits in the .htaccess file.

Add the following code:

php_value upload_max_filesize 256M
php_value post_max_size 256M
php_value max_execution_time 300
php_value max_input_time 300

Save the file and try uploading again.

🧩 3. Increase Limits in php.ini

If your hosting allows it, edit the php.ini file.

Add or update these values:

upload_max_filesize = 256M
post_max_size = 256M
memory_limit = 256M
max_execution_time = 300

These settings allow WordPress to upload larger files.

📂 4. Upload Plugin or Theme via FTP

If dashboard uploads fail, you can upload files manually.

Steps:

1️⃣ Extract the plugin or theme ZIP file
2️⃣ Connect to your website using FTP or File Manager
3️⃣ Upload files to:

For plugins:

wp-content/plugins/

For themes:

wp-content/themes/

After uploading, activate it from the WordPress dashboard.

🖥️ 5. Ask Hosting Support to Increase Limits

Some hosting providers restrict PHP configuration.

If none of the above methods work, contact hosting support and ask them to increase:

• upload_max_filesize
• post_max_size
• memory_limit

They can adjust these limits quickly from the server.

🔐 Prevent Upload Errors in WordPress

Follow these best practices:

✔ Keep PHP upload limits high enough
✔ Avoid uploading extremely large files
✔ Use optimized themes and plugins
✔ Regularly update WordPress core

These steps help prevent upload errors in the future.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

🔗 Related WordPress Fix Guides

You may also find these helpful:

• Fix “Error Establishing a Database Connection” in WordPress
• Fix “Too Many Redirects” Error After Installing SSL
• Fix cURL Error 28 Connection Timeout in WordPress

These troubleshooting guides solve other common WordPress errors.

The “The Link You Followed Has Expired” error usually occurs when WordPress cannot upload large files due to server restrictions.

By increasing PHP upload limits, adjusting memory settings, or uploading files via FTP, you can quickly fix the problem and install themes or plugins successfully.

Once fixed, WordPress uploads will work normally again.