---
title: "Fixing Import Install upload failures"
url: https://phatdev.net/en/docs/sl-migrations/how-to-handle-import-install-upload-launch-issues
lang: en
updated: 2026-10-20
alternate:
  vi: https://phatdev.net/docs/sl-migrations/how-to-handle-import-install-upload-launch-issues
markdown: https://phatdev.net/en/docs/sl-migrations/how-to-handle-import-install-upload-launch-issues.md
---

# Fixing Import Install upload failures

Part of the doc set: [SL Migrations](https://phatdev.net/en/docs/sl-migrations.md)

> The archive upload fails or the import will not run.

## Import Install cannot upload / launch

## Symptoms

- Dragging and dropping the archive onto the import page → the spinner never finishes
- The upload fails with a `413 Request Entity Too Large` error
- The upload finishes but clicking Continue does nothing

## Causes + fixes

### 1. PHP upload limits

PHP has these limits:
- `upload_max_filesize` - maximum file size
- `post_max_size` - maximum POST request size
- `memory_limit` - RAM per request

**Fix**: raise these values. How you do it depends on the hosting:
- **Shared hosting**: use cPanel → MultiPHP INI Editor, or add a `.user.ini` in the web root
- **VPS**: edit the PHP-FPM `php.ini` and reload
- **Managed hosting**: contact support

Reference values:
```ini
upload_max_filesize = 2G
post_max_size = 2G
memory_limit = 1024M
max_execution_time = 600
```

### 2. Web server limits (Nginx/Apache)

Nginx has a default `client_max_body_size` of 1 MB. Apache has `LimitRequestBody`.

**Fix**: contact your hosting provider to raise this limit, or change it yourself if you have access.

### 3. Upload through FTP/SFTP instead of the web

For a large archive (>1GB), uploading through the web is not practical. Upload through FTP/SFTP into the `wp-content/backups-slm/import/` folder, then go to **SL Migrations → Import → From Server** and pick the uploaded file.

### 4. Browser tab closed / network drop

The upload was cancelled midway. The plugin leaves a temporary file behind.

**Fix**: delete the temporary file in the `backups-slm/import/` folder and upload again.

### 5. Permissions on the `import/` folder

The folder is not writable → the upload fails.

**Fix**: set `755` on the folder, with the web server user as owner.

## Errors after the upload finishes

If the upload finishes but clicking **Continue** gives no response:
- Open DevTools (F12) → Console and look for JS errors
- Network tab → look at the AJAX response from `admin-ajax.php`
- Check the web server's error log
- Raise `max_execution_time` (a large import needs >300s)

## See also

- [Import Install](https://phatdev.net/en/docs/sl-migrations/import-install)
- [Server timeout](https://phatdev.net/en/docs/sl-migrations/how-to-handle-server-timeout-issues)