the WordPress Error “Post-Processing the Image Failed Likely because the Server Is Busy …” //

Sometimes, the Media Library might display the following error: This issue may also arise when you upload an image to the Media Library from a Gutenberg block or page builder widget. :

“Post-processing failed because the server is too busy or lacks sufficient resources. You might try uploading a smaller image. Maximum size suggested is 2500 pixels strong>

Even though the file is smaller than 2500px, this error could still occur.

This error occurs because WordPress 5.3+ does not recognize large images.

Users can upload images straight from a camera. Images with digital cameras that have a sensor greater than 6 megapixels (MP), will often yield images of over 2500 pixels along the long edge. These images have a much higher resolution than is commonly required for the internet. A 2K monitor has a width of only 2560 pixels. The width of a 4K monitor is 3840 pixels. Your website visitors will use a screen resolution that is smaller than the most common. WordPress will reduce images larger than 2500 pixels in the longest dimension and save them as the “Full-sized” version.

You wouldn’t read this post if that process were perfect. How do you fix it?

Basic Troubleshooting

Double-check the most common causes before you go any further. While they won’t solve the problem, it is a good idea to have them in place just in case.

1. Is the image bigger than 2500 pixels along the long edge? If yes, reduce its size before uploading.
2. 
   Upload in another web browser.
   
3. Look at your filename. On a side note, generally I prefer rename files to use filenames that are representative of the image’s usage context and content, e.g., header-my-page-name.jpg for the header image of a given page, footer-background.jpg for a footer background (go figure), or about-mr-lastname.jpg for a headshot on an About page. Filenames are not created from the camera. There are no unicode characters or random characters that have been transferred from other file systems.
4. Perform a hard refresh on the edit page you are interested in (where the editor is visible, and not the publicly published page). A hard refresh is typically Control + F5 (Chrome), Control + Shift+ R (Firefox or Edge), Command + R (Safari).
5. Clear your browser’s cache for at least the site you are interested in.

Common Fixes

1. You can bypass the check for large images. This seems to be the best solution for me. It’s technically a workaround, not a solution. Add the following to the functions.php of your WordPress theme or child theme: add_filter( 'big_image_size_threshold', '__return_false' );
2. Install and activate the WordPress plugin ‘Disable BIG Image’ Threshold’ plugin. This plugin implements the above fix, and may be more convenient to some people.

If That Doesn’t Work: “Advanced Troubleshooting”

These advanced options may take a little longer, give you more access or have a greater impact on site uptime.

ADs

1. You can use GD Library to process images instead of ImageMagick. The following code should be added to your WordPress theme’s function.php. add_filter(‘wp_image_editors’, function($editors) {
   
   return [‘WP_Image_Editor_GD’, ‘WP_Image_Editor_Imagick’];
   
   })
2. Verify that your upload limit is set. Each account is usually limited to uploading a maximum file size of 10MB-128MB by the web server. Is your maximum file upload size set to a small amount, perhaps in the vicinity of the size of your large images, e.g. 1-2MB? You will need to contact your host regarding this setting. This value can be set in your php.ini and.htaccess files, but most values in those files will be overridden by the web server’s settings.
3. You should check the memory usage of your hosting account. Your account may have been subject to high traffic, or has been involved in CPU-intensive activities like backups, or other memory-intensive tasks. This is rarely the case, but it’s worth checking.
4. Change your PHP version. You should be careful as the PHP version change could cause problems with the site’s functionality. This should only be done if you have access to the PHP settings or are able to get technical support from your host. If the average turnaround time for tickets is longer than a few minutes, or if your site is experiencing unacceptable downtime, you shouldn’t submit a ticket. ).
5. Switch to a basic WordPress theme, and retest the upload process. If you’re not in production yet, it is best to first move your site to a staging host and then test there.

Thoughts?

If you have a different solution, I would love to know. Drop me a comment below. Thanks!

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