Change PHP Max Input Vars, Godaddy WordPress Hosting & More

One of the most common questions we get asked at Bluehost is: Can I change the PHP settings for my account? The answer is: Yes, you can modify the PHP Max Input Vars (maximum variable per page) and max_execution_time (maximum execution time) settings for your account. You can also change the upload_max_filesize (maximum file size) and post_max_size (maximum post size)

You’ll want to make these changes if you’re experiencing any of the following issues:

• Too many variables: If you’re running a site that gets a TON of traffic and you’ve maxed out the PHP Max Input Vars for your account, then the bot/user will start experiencing technical errors (or worse) when posting on your site. Typically, this occurs because WordPress (the most popular CMS) limits the number of POST vars to 40. To solve this, you can either change your hosting to support more PHP vars or change the settings for your account.
• Variable posts: If you notice that some of your blog posts are behaving strangely (e.g., they’re breaking the layout or contain errors) then this is most likely caused by too many variables. When a bot/user posts a new content item on your blog it will use a ton of variables (usually around 40). While this can be useful for engaging your audience, if you’re using a free blog platform like WordPress then it’s likely you’ll want to keep your variables under 20 to ensure that you don’t encounter any issues.
• Slow loading time: If you’ve maxed out the execution time and your site is taking a long time to load, then this is most likely because of the aforementioned issue with too many variables. When a bot/user makes an edit on your site it has to save it first, which means the server has to execute the UPDATE statement multiple times. There are a few things you can do to fix this, such as changing the settings for your account or upgrading your hosting. Either way, this issue is most likely to happen if you’ve maxed out the PHP Max Input Vars for your account.
• Too many errors: If you’re experiencing a TON of errors when trying to access your website (especially while editing) then this is most likely caused by too many variables as well. WordPress has a nasty habit of inserting some errors into your code when you have a lot of JavaScript (or other dynamically-loaded content) on your site. These errors only appear when a bot/user visits your site, so if this happens frequently then you may want to consider changing your hosting provider or opting for a different blogging platform.
• Missing posts: If you notice that some of your posts are missing, then this is most likely caused by an issue with the database (the information stored on the server). If this happens frequently then it could mean that someone is trying to hack your site. You can either change your password or opt for a different blogging platform.
• Out-of-date software: If you’re constantly experiencing out-of-date software when trying to access your site (e.g., using an old version of Internet Explorer) then this could mean that someone is trying to hack your site. To prevent this from happening you can either change your password or update the software you’re using to access the server. You might also want to look into adding some security measures (e.g., a login firewall) to prevent any unwanted connections while you’re working on your site.
• Too many redirects: If you’re constantly getting redirected to an external site when accessing your own, then this could mean that someone is trying to hack your site. To prevent this from happening you can either change your password or update the software you’re using to access the server. You might also want to look into adding some security measures (e.g., a login firewall) to prevent any unwanted connections while you’re working on your site.
• Too many 404 errors: If you’re constantly getting 404 errors while accessing your site (i.e., all the pages on your site can’t be found) then this is most likely caused by an issue with the database. To fix this you can either change your password or update the software you’re using to access the server. You might also want to look into adding some security measures (e.g., a login firewall) to prevent any unwanted connections while you’re working on your site.
• Too many 500 Server errors: Like 404 errors, getting a ton of 500 Server errors (which is an internal server error) when trying to access your site is most likely caused by an issue with the database. Like 404 errors, these are very hard to track down and fix. The only way to prevent this is from fixing the database issue itself. To do this you can either change your password or update the software you’re using to access the server. You might also want to look into adding some security measures (e.g., a login firewall) to prevent any unwanted connections while you’re working on your site.

Once you’ve made the necessary changes, it’s a good idea to test your site by using a different username and password. This will ensure that everything is working correctly before you make the changes permanent. You can also use a different blogging platform or switch to self-hosting to ensure that you’re not putting your WordPress site at risk.

Why Does My Site Keep Re-Directing To The App Store?

One of the most frustrating things about running a WordPress-based website is getting redirected to the App Store every few minutes. We get it, Apple. You’ve finally figured out how to make the whole browsing experience frustrating. With your new iOS 12 browser, it’s harder than ever for users to leave the App Store and come back. The problem is that Apple is preventing any traffic from leaving their walled garden. Here’s how it works:

When you try to access a page on our website, you’ll notice that it takes you to the App Store instead of the page you were actually trying to reach. The reason why is because we use a plugin (i.e., add-on software) called Ghostery that blocks unwanted scripts (e.g., those from social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter) from running on our site. The thing is, the plugin doesn’t know that the App Store is actually a web portal, so when someone clicks on a link to an online store from our blog post, the plugin thinks it’s an ad and blocks it. This leads to a never-ending series of redirects that frustrates the hell out of anyone that tries to access our site from a mobile device.

While we can’t control what other developers do with their apps, we can change how ours work. The good news is that Ghostery has an iOS App Store shortcut that you can drag to your Home screen. This will allow you to quickly access the App Store from anywhere on your phone.

When you access the App Store from a web browser on your phone, you’ll notice that there are tons of ads for products you might want to buy. However, you won’t be able to leave the App Store without buying something, which Apple considers to be a form of digital commerce. This is something they don’t want you to do, so it’s broken out of the app into its own section of the web browser.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this blog post has helped you understand how to change your PHP settings on a Godaddy WordPress Hosting account. Sometimes, you just need a little help getting started. If this is the case, feel free to reach out to us via our contact form or give us a call at 1-866-331-9988. Additionally, if you found this article valuable then you might also want to check out our Beginner’s Guide to Self-Hosted WordPress, which explains each step of the process in plain English.