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Limit Checker

WordPress plugin to log and test PHP configuration limits (memory, upload size, max_input_vars, execution time).

by Mohamad · github.com/rahmanzadehm1/limit-checker

★ 1stars

Install

Download source zip No release zip yet

This is the repository archive. It installs, but the folder name will carry the branch suffix and updates will not flow.

Install straight from GitHub with WP-CLI:

wp plugin install https://github.com/rahmanzadehm1/limit-checker/archive/refs/heads/main.zip
No built-in updater. New versions won't appear under Dashboard → Updates. Install new releases yourself, or let Git Updater track the repository.
Readme github.com/rahmanzadehm1/limit-checker ↗

WordPress plugin that logs PHP configuration limit issues and provides admin tests for common php.ini settings.

Features

  • Logs only PHP limit-related events (no unrelated PHP notices or warnings)
  • Site-wide detection for post_max_size violations and upload limit errors
  • Admin page with color-coded PHP settings, status badges, and recommended values
  • One AJAX test button per tracked setting
  • Dynamic test payloads based on current php.ini values (limit + overrun)
  • Rolling log file (last 20 entries)
  • Clear logs button (shown only when logs exist)

Requirements

  • WordPress 5.0+
  • PHP 7.4+
  • cURL extension (recommended for large post_max_size / upload_max_filesize tests on high limits)

Installation

  1. Clone or download this repository
  2. Place the plugin folder in wp-content/plugins/ (rename the folder to limit-checker if needed)
  3. Activate Limit Checker in WordPress admin
  4. Open Limit Checker in the admin menu

Tracked PHP settings

Setting Description
max_input_vars Maximum number of input variables per request
memory_limit Maximum memory per script
post_max_size Maximum POST body size
upload_max_filesize Maximum uploaded file size
max_execution_time Maximum script runtime in seconds

Recommended values (WordPress hosting guidelines)

Setting Recommended Acceptable Below recommended
max_input_vars ≥ 3000 ≥ 1000 < 1000
memory_limit ≥ 256M ≥ 128M < 128M
post_max_size ≥ 64M ≥ 32M < 32M
upload_max_filesize ≥ 64M ≥ 32M < 32M
max_execution_time ≥ 120s or 0 (unlimited) ≥ 30s < 30s

Settings below the recommended threshold show a Recommended: … hint in the admin table.

How tests work

Each test sends a value slightly above the current limit:

Setting Overrun rule
max_input_vars max(50, 5% of limit) extra fields
post_max_size / upload_max_filesize max(1 KB, 1% of limit) extra bytes
max_execution_time max(2s, 10% of limit) extra CPU time (busy-loop; sleep() is not counted by PHP on most hosts)
memory_limit Allocates memory in 1 MB chunks until PHP errors

Large payload tests (> 12 MB) are sent server-side via cURL when the browser cannot handle them reliably.

Log file

Logs are stored at:

wp-content/limit-check-log.log

This file is git-ignored. Only PHP limit messages are written.

Log entry types

Type Meaning
TEST Result of an admin test button
DETECT Automatic detection on a site request
E_ERROR, E_WARNING, PHP, … Real PHP errors caught by the plugin handler

Example:

[2026-06-24 21:30:00] [TEST] max_execution_time test started (ini limit: 30 s)...
[2026-06-24 21:30:30] [E_ERROR] Maximum execution time of 30 seconds exceeded in ...

Site-wide logging

The plugin logs limit issues across the site when PHP reports them or when they can be detected at runtime:

Limit Logged automatically?
memory_limit Yes — on memory exhaustion
max_execution_time Yes — when PHP enforces a fatal timeout
post_max_size Yes — when CONTENT_LENGTH exceeds the limit
upload_max_filesize Yes — on UPLOAD_ERR_INI_SIZE uploads
max_input_vars Partial — when PHP emits a matching warning after WordPress loads

Some limits (post_max_size, max_input_vars) may be enforced by PHP before WordPress loads; those are only logged when the request reaches the plugin.

Project structure

limit-checker/
├── limit-checker.php       # Main plugin file
├── assets/
│   ├── css/admin.css       # Admin table styles
│   └── js/admin.js         # AJAX test UI
├── README.md
└── .gitignore

Changelog

  • 1.9.3 — Real max_execution_time test via CPU busy-loop; recommended value hints in settings table
  • 1.9.2 — Dynamic test overrun; site-wide post_max_size detection; cURL tests for large payloads
  • 1.9.1 — Log timestamp fix; upload/execution test improvements; color-coded settings table
  • 1.9.0 — Log only PHP limit errors; fix test buttons; git-ready structure
  • 1.8 — Added test buttons
  • 1.7 — Reload button (removed in 1.9.0)
  • 1.6 — 20-line log cap
  • 1.5 — Clear log button

Author

Mohamad

License

GPL-2.0-or-later (WordPress plugin standard)