The Big File Uploads plugin (formerly Tuxedo Big File Uploads), used to increase max upload size so you can upload any size file to WordPress, is now being developed and supported by Infinite Uploads!

One of our goals with Infinite Uploads was to simplify and change the way people manage and scale large media with WordPress. Simple migration for a huge existing uploads directory and fully automated cloud architecture with enterprise scaling solutions starting at $9 per month was a giant leap forward.

But with big uploads directories and infinite scalability comes bigger files. There are workarounds if you have server access, but uploading a large file through the WordPress uploader often results in either a file size error or a timeout error.

In looking for solutions, we came across a promising free plugin on WordPress.org. Developer Trevor Anderson resolved both issues with an incredibly lightweight plugin. It adds a field to increase the Maximum Upload Size limit with a recommended max upload size based on the temp uploads directory set by your hosting provider and activates file chunking to resolve server timeouts. It’s simple, effective, and quite smart (well done, Trevor). 💪

Chunking (Functional and Fun To Say)

It’s important to note that file chunking and the way uploads are processed is the real magic here. There are a lot of plugins that claim to increase the max upload file size but only add a rule to the php.ini or .htaccess file. This method will not work if the rule is set by your host and does not change your server configuration.

Big File Uploads processes the files before passing them off to the WordPress uploader, completely by-passing limits set by your server. It works with Nginx, Apache, and even cloud services like Cloudflare. Pretty cool, right?

Not only that, but Big File Uploads is already active on +30,000 sites and has a 5-star rating. It’s obviously working and the right fit but there were a few open feature requests and open support tickets we knew we could help resolve. So instead of reinventing the wheel we reached out to Trevor with an offer to continue development and support.

While Infinite Uploads is fairly new, our team is responsible for developing and scaling massive enterprise cloud services including the API for Smush Pro’s image optimization service – now with nearly 2 million active users. We are honored to be trusted to take Big File Uploads to the next level with continued maintenance and support.

So what’s the plan?

This is not a bait and switch. We are active members of the WordPress community and are always looking for ways to participate that make sense with who we are as a brand. Big File Uploads is a perfect fit. Big File Uploads is a solution that fits our user base and Infinite Uploads provides a healthy option for scaling large media.

The Plugin Formerly Known As Tuxedo

Big File Uploads will remain a stand alone free plugin on the WordPress.org repository. It works with many different hosts and cloud providers. We will continue development based on user feedback. We have no plan to make a premium or pro version.

Big File Uploads 2.0

Version 2.0 has been released. Not much has changed under the hood and we are keeping the plugin lightweight. That said, we’ve made some pretty noticeable changes to the user interface, added the ability to set upload limits based on user role (thank you @explorier for the suggestion), and our media scan utility for visualizing file usage and making storage decisions.

If you’re already a Big File Uploads user, your current settings will migrate and will continue to function without any change.

Custom Upload Limits By User Role

To set upload limits based on user role, toggle on the “Customize by user role” option on the Big File Uploads settings page. A list of all the users with upload permissions will appear, including user roles created by third-party plugins like WooCommerce, LMS and membership plugins. Big File Uploads will have all roles set to the default maximum upload size set by your server. Increase or decrease the max upload size for each role and click save to adjust the permissions.

When a user goes to upload a file in the WordPress dashboard, the new limit will display under the WordPress uploader and they will only be able to upload files that do not exceed the limit in the settings.

Big File Uploads + Infinite Uploads

As a sibling product to Infinite Uploads we baked in a few small integrations. Offloading large media files to dedicated, scalable, and optimized cloud storage is best practice when it comes to managing media. If you are uploading large files directly to your server without a media cloud in place, Infinite Uploads is the perfect companion plugin. Combine Big File Uploads and Infinite Uploads and you can upload any size file without worrying about crazy overages or slowing down your servers. Infinite Uploads is built to scale and can handle monster uploads.

As a bonus, Big File Uploads detects when Infinite Uploads is active and hides the media usage utility to keep your dashboard from getting cluttered with duplicate features. As was mentioned earlier, Big File Uploads plays well with most hosts and cloud services – it just has a few special integrations for Infinite Uploads. 

Big Support

Finally, we are committed to excellent support. From day one we have worked to respond to every support request in under 24 hours and our goal is to do the same with Big File Uploads. Submit a ticket on WordPress.org or through our support form right here on Infinite Uploads and a member of our team will get back to you.

Closing Thoughts

Thank you to Trevor for building this little gem and keeping it up to date and supported over the past 5 years. Big File Uploads 2.0 is now available for download in the repository. Install it, take it for a spin, and tell us what you think. If you are already a Big File Uploads user, we want to hear from you. The plan is to keep it light, simple, and free but we are always open to suggestions that make sense and will add value.

Post a comment , tag @infiniteuploads on twitter, or submit a support request and we’ll get back to you – we’re all 👂’s.

Enjoy!