{"id":31557,"date":"2021-08-25T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-25T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dhblog.dream.press\/blog\/?p=31557"},"modified":"2025-05-21T23:51:27","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T06:51:27","slug":"how-to-fix-upload-failed-wordpress-error","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-upload-failed-wordpress-error\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Fix the \u201cUpload: Failed to Write File to Disk\u201d Error in WordPress (3 Ways)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you encountering the \u201cUpload: Failed to write file to disk\u201d error message when uploading files in WordPress? Whether you\u2019re trying to add images or videos to your site, this message can be very frustrating, as it prevents you from sharing your amazing visuals with your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, you can troubleshoot this issue by following a few simple steps. In some cases, you\u2019ll just need to contact your web host to get it fixed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, we\u2019ll take a closer look at the \u201cUpload: Failed to write file to disk\u201d error and its main causes. We\u2019ll then show you three simple ways to fix this problem. Let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Causes the \u201cUpload: Failed to Write File to Disk\u201d Error in WordPress<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cUpload: Failed to Write File to Disk\u201d error message typically comes up when you\u2019re trying to upload media files to your WordPress site. There are a few possible causes, the most common one being incorrect file permissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every file and folder on your WordPress site comes with a set of permissions. These are controlled by the web server and determine which site users can access and edit your files and folders. Thus, if the permissions are incorrect, you may be unable to perform certain actions on your site, such as uploading images to your media library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, this error could also be caused by other issues, including a full WordPress temporary folder<\/a><\/span>. It\u2019s also possible that you\u2019ve reached the disk space limit provided with your hosting plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, we\u2019ll take a closer look at these possible causes. We\u2019ll also walk you through a solution for each scenario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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How to Fix the \u201cUpload: Failed to Write File to Disk\u201d Error in WordPress (3 Ways)<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now, let\u2019s look at three easy ways to fix this disk error in WordPress. As always, we recommend that you perform a backup of your site<\/a><\/span> before proceeding. That way, if something goes wrong, you can restore your site to an earlier version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Change the File Permissions<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As we mentioned earlier, the \u201cUpload: Failed to write file to disk\u201d error is likely caused by incorrect file permissions. If you want to check these permissions, you can contact your hosting provider and ask them if they can do it for you. Alternatively, you can do this yourself by accessing your site\u2019s root directory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, you\u2019ll need to connect to your site via a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) client<\/a><\/span> such as FileZilla<\/a><\/span>. You can also access your site\u2019s directory through the file manager in your hosting account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have a DreamHost account, start by navigating to Websites<\/span> > Files<\/span> in the sidebar. Then locate your domain and click on the Manage Files <\/span>button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Accessing<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This will take you to the file manager. To access your site\u2019s directory, you can open the folder labeled with your domain name. Inside, locate the wp-content<\/span> folder and right-click on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, select File permissions<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Locating<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the pop-up window, go to the Numeric value<\/span> field and enter \u201c755\u201d or \u201c750\u201d in the corresponding box. Next, you can select the Recurse into subdirectories<\/span> and Apply to directories only <\/span>options and click on OK<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Changing<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You have now set the correct file permissions for all subdirectories inside the wp-content <\/span>folder. This includes the uploads<\/span> folder, which is where your uploaded media files are stored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, you\u2019ll also need to set the correct permissions for the files within those folders. To do this, you can right-click on the wp-content<\/span> folder again and select File permissions<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Numeric value<\/span> field, type in \u201c644\u201d. Then select the Recurse into subdirectories<\/span> and Apply to files only <\/span>options, and click on OK<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Changing<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t worry if you\u2019re still unable to upload files to your site after checking your file permissions. There are a couple of other things you can do to resolve the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Empty the WordPress Temporary Folder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If changing the file permissions doesn\u2019t solve the problem, you may need to empty your temporary folder. WordPress processes your media uploads in PHP<\/a><\/span>. This means that your images are first saved in a temporary folder on your web server before being transferred to your uploads folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the temporary folder is full, WordPress won\u2019t be able to write your files to disk until you\u2019ve emptied it. Unfortunately, you cannot access this temporary directory via SFTP.  However, you can simply contact your hosting provider<\/a><\/span> and ask them to empty the folder for you, and then check to see if the error has been resolved. If you have sudo users, you could ask them to clear your temporary folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alternatively, you can try to resolve this issue by defining a new location for WordPress to store your media (instead of the temporary folder). First, you\u2019ll need to connect to your site via an SFTP client or the file manager. Then locate the wp-config.php<\/span> file, right-click on it, and select View\/Edit<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Editing<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Next, you\u2019ll need to paste in the following code<\/a><\/span> right before the line that reads \u201cThat\u2019s all, stop editing! Happy publishing\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

define(‘WP_TEMP_DIR’, dirname(__FILE__) . ‘\/wp-content\/temp\/’);<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Save your changes, then navigate to the wp-content<\/span> folder, open it, and create a new folder inside it called temp<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Creating<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re done, you can return to your website and try to upload an image. If the file disk error was caused by the temporary folder, the issue should now be resolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Upgrade Your Hosting Plan<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The disk error could also be a sign that you\u2019ve outgrown your current hosting plan. For example, if you\u2019ve been adding a lot of content to your site, including media files, new pages, and plugins, you might have used up all the disk space available in your account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your web host may be able to tell you how much disk space you have left. If you\u2019re a DreamHost client, you can check your disk usage by logging into your hosting account and navigating to Billing & Account<\/span> > Disk Usage<\/span> in the side menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Checking<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve reached your disk space limit, you might need to upgrade to a more advanced hosting plan<\/a><\/span>. This will give your site more room to grow. We recommend getting in touch with your hosting provider to discuss the possibility of switching to a higher plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\tRelated Article<\/span>\n\t
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\n\t\t\tHow To Create A WordPress Plugin (Beginner\u2019s Guide)\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Additional WordPress Error Articles<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Do you want to learn how to resolve other technical issues on your site? We\u2019ve put together several tutorials to help you troubleshoot the most common WordPress errors<\/a><\/span>:<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n