{"id":560,"date":"2026-09-21T08:04:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T08:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/packetra.com\/knowledgebase\/?post_type=ht_kb&p=560"},"modified":"2026-09-21T08:04:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T08:04:12","slug":"how-to-directadmin-manage-php-variables","status":"publish","type":"ht_kb","link":"https:\/\/packetra.com\/knowledgebase\/kb\/how-to-directadmin-manage-php-variables\/","title":{"rendered":"How to DirectAdmin \u2013 Manage PHP Variables"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A .user.ini file lets you override PHP settings for your site without editing the server configuration. This guide walks you through creating one in your public_html directory and adding common PHP directives on your Packetra hosting.<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article applies only to Packetra <\/strong>account holders. It assumes you already logged into DirectAdmin. Don’t have a hosting account yet? Check out our Shared Hosting<\/strong><\/a> or WordPress Hosting<\/strong><\/a>. Already have one? Log in<\/strong><\/a> to your portal. Click the DirectAdmin hosting service, then click the “Log in to DirectAdmin<\/strong>” button on the content page to follow the guide below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find the System Info & Files Section<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First, open the System Info & Files dropdown in the Control Panel navigation. Select the File Manager <\/strong>button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

FileManager Opens<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

You will be redirected to your DirectAdmin File Manager, this is where you manage files for your domain\/s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Locate your Public_HTML Directory<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Traverse by selecting domains > [your domain] > public_html<\/strong> on the left panel. This is where your website files live, and where a .user.ini<\/strong> placed here will apply to the whole site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Create the .user.ini File<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

From the blue top panel, click New File<\/strong>. Name it .user.ini<\/strong> (note the leading dot) and confirm. The new file will appear in your public_html directory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"FileManager<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Add Your PHP Directives<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Select the .user.ini<\/strong> file and open it in the editor. Add the settings you want to change, one per line. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

memory_limit = 512M\nupload_max_filesize = 128M\npost_max_size = 128M\nmax_execution_time = 300\nmax_input_time = 300\nmax_input_vars = 5000<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Save the file. Your changes take effect within a few minutes. PHP caches .user.ini files (300 seconds by default), so there may be a short delay before the new values are live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Check Your Configuration with phpinfo (Optional)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
To confirm your changes applied, create a file named phpinfo.php<\/strong> in public_html and add the following line:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<?php phpinfo(); ?><\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Now visit [yourdomain.tld]\/phpinfo.php<\/strong> in your browser to see your full active PHP configuration, including the values you just set. Delete this file once you are finished<\/strong>, as it exposes server details that should not be left public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
That is it, you now know how to manage your PHP settings with a .user.ini file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Frequently Asked Questions<\/strong>

Where should the .user.ini file go?<\/strong>
Place it in your domain’s public_html folder to apply settings site-wide. You can also drop a .user.ini into any subfolder to apply settings to just that directory.

My change is not taking effect. Why?<\/strong>
PHP caches .user.ini for about 300 seconds, so wait a few minutes and reload. If a setting still won’t apply, it may be one that can’t be changed at this level, such as directives that are locked to the system configuration.

Do I need to restart anything?<\/strong>
No. Save the file and the changes are picked up automatically once the cache refreshes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Good to Know<\/strong>
A .user.ini file only controls per-directory and per-user PHP directives, so common settings like memory_limit, upload_max_filesize, post_max_size, and the max_* limits work well here. Placing the file in a subdirectory scopes those settings to that folder only, which is handy for a single app. Always remove any phpinfo.php file after you’ve checked your configuration. Run into any issues? Open a support ticket through the client portal<\/strong><\/a> and our team will help you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A .user.ini file lets you override PHP settings for your site without editing the server configuration. This guide walks you through creating one in your public_html directory and adding common PHP directives on your Packetra hosting. 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