Fortunately, you can troubleshoot this issue by following a few simple steps. In some cases, you\u2019ll just need to contact your web host to get it fixed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this post, we\u2019ll take a closer look at the \u201cUpload: Failed to write file to disk\u201d error and its main causes. We\u2019ll then show you three simple ways to fix this problem. Let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What does the \u201cUpload: Failed to write file to disk\u201d error mean in WordPress?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn plain terms, the \u201cUpload: Failed to write file to disk\u201d error means the server-side PHP process handling your upload couldn\u2019t write the file to its destination on the server. It isn\u2019t unique to WordPress \u2014 any PHP-based upload can fail the same way \u2014 but in WordPress it typically appears when you\u2019re uploading media files. There are a few possible causes, the most common one being incorrect file permissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every file and folder on your WordPress site comes with a set of permissions. These are controlled by the web server and determine which site users can access and edit your files and folders. The standard WordPress scheme is 755 for folders and 644 for files, per WordPress\u2019s file permissions documentation<\/a><\/span>. If your uploads directory is set more restrictively, or its ownership is wrong, the server can\u2019t write new files there, and media uploads fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHowever, this error could also be caused by a problem with the server\u2019s temporary directory<\/a><\/span>, where PHP stages uploads. In fact, \u201cFailed to write file to disk\u201d is one of PHP\u2019s own documented upload error codes<\/a><\/span> (UPLOAD_ERR_CANT_WRITE), alongside \u201cMissing a temporary folder\u201d (UPLOAD_ERR_NO_TMP_DIR): if PHP can\u2019t write to its temporary directory, the upload fails. It\u2019s also possible that you\u2019ve reached the disk space limit provided with your hosting plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNext, we\u2019ll take a closer look at these possible causes. We\u2019ll also walk you through a solution for each scenario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n ![\"Ad](\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/blog2018\/assets\/img\/lazy-loading-transparent.webp\")
<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n \n \n Skip the Stress\n <\/h2>\n \n Avoid troubleshooting when you sign up for DreamPress. Our friendly WordPress experts are available 24\/7 to help solve website problems \u2014 big or small.\n <\/p>\n\n \n Check Out Plans <\/a>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nHow to fix the \u201cUpload: Failed to write file to disk\u201d error in WordPress (3 ways)<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHere are the three fixes, in the order we recommend trying them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Correct your file permissions (755 for folders, 644 for files).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Empty (or relocate) the WordPress temporary folder.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Free up disk space or upgrade your hosting plan.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
As always, we recommend that you perform a backup of your site<\/a><\/span> before proceeding. That way, if something goes wrong, you can restore your site to an earlier version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n1. Change the file permissions<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAs we mentioned earlier, the \u201cUpload: Failed to write file to disk\u201d error is likely caused by incorrect file permissions. Before changing anything, you can confirm the diagnosis from inside WordPress: go to Tools<\/span> > Site Health<\/span>, open the Info<\/span> tab, and expand the Filesystem Permissions<\/span> section. If your uploads directory shows \u201cNot writable,\u201d you\u2019ve found your culprit. To fix the permissions, you can contact your hosting provider and ask them to do it for you. Alternatively, you can do this yourself by accessing your site\u2019s root directory.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFirst, you\u2019ll need to connect to your site via a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) client<\/a><\/span> such as FileZilla<\/a><\/span>. You can also access your site\u2019s directory through the file manager in your hosting account.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you have a DreamHost account, start by navigating to Websites<\/span> > Files<\/span> in the sidebar. Then locate your domain and click on the Manage Files <\/span>button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Accessing](\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThis will take you to the file manager. To access your site\u2019s directory, you can open the folder labeled with your domain name. Inside, locate the wp-content<\/span> folder and right-click on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNext, select File permissions<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn the pop-up window, go to the Numeric value<\/span> field and enter \u201c755\u201d in the corresponding box. (Permission needs can vary by host and server configuration, so confirm with your hosting provider if 755 doesn\u2019t resolve the issue.) Next, you can select the Recurse into subdirectories<\/span> and Apply to directories only <\/span>options and click on OK<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nYou have now set the correct file permissions for all subdirectories inside the wp-content <\/span>folder. This includes the uploads<\/span> folder, which is where your uploaded media files are stored.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHowever, you\u2019ll also need to set the correct permissions for the files within those folders. To do this, you can right-click on the wp-content<\/span> folder again and select File permissions<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn the Numeric value<\/span> field, type in \u201c644\u201d. Then select the Recurse into subdirectories<\/span> and Apply to files only <\/span>options, and click on OK<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDon\u2019t worry if you\u2019re still unable to upload files to your site after checking your file permissions. There are a couple of other things you can do to resolve the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Empty the WordPress temporary folder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If changing the file permissions doesn\u2019t solve the problem, you may need to empty your temporary folder. WordPress processes your media uploads in PHP<\/a><\/span>. Per PHP\u2019s documentation on POST method uploads<\/a><\/span>, uploaded files are stored by default in the server\u2019s temporary directory (the upload_tmp_dir location in php.ini) and are then moved to their final destination \u2014 in WordPress\u2019s case, your uploads folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIf the temporary folder is full, WordPress won\u2019t be able to write your files to disk until you\u2019ve emptied it. On web hosting plans, you typically can\u2019t reach the server\u2019s temporary directory over SFTP. However, you can simply contact your hosting provider<\/a><\/span> and ask them to empty the folder for you, and then check to see if the error has been resolved. On a VPS or dedicated server, a user with sudo or shell access can clear the temporary folder directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAlternatively, you can try to resolve this issue by defining a new location for WordPress to store your media (instead of the temporary folder). First, you\u2019ll need to connect to your site via an SFTP client or the file manager. Then locate the wp-config.php<\/span> file, right-click on it, and select View\/Edit<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nNext, you\u2019ll need to paste in the following code<\/a><\/span> right before the line that reads \u201cThat\u2019s all, stop editing! Happy publishing\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\ndefine(‘WP_TEMP_DIR’, dirname(__FILE__) . ‘\/wp-content\/temp\/’);<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nSave your changes, then navigate to the wp-content<\/span> folder, open it, and create a new folder inside it called temp<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhen you\u2019re done, you can return to your website and try to upload an image. If the file disk error was caused by the temporary folder, the issue should now be resolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Free up disk space or upgrade your hosting plan<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe disk error could also be a sign that you\u2019ve outgrown your current hosting plan. For example, if you\u2019ve been adding a lot of content to your site, including media files, new pages, and plugins, you might have used up all the disk space available in your account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your web host may be able to tell you how much disk space you have left. If you\u2019re a DreamHost client, you can check your storage usage by logging into your hosting account and opening the Servers & Usage<\/span> page, which displays CPU, RAM, and storage usage for your Web Hosting plan in visual graphs. You can also click the View Disk Usage<\/span> link under Other Active Services<\/span> on the Manage Account page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019re near your limit, free up the space you already have before paying for more. Delete old backup archives that plugins have stored on the server, remove unused plugins and themes, clear built-up caches, rotate or delete old log files, and compress oversized images. DreamHost\u2019s disk usage best practices<\/a><\/span> guide walks through each of these steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIf cleanup doesn\u2019t get you comfortably under your limit, your site legitimately needs more ongoing storage, and it might be time to upgrade to a more advanced hosting plan<\/a><\/span>. This will give your site more room to grow. Compare your current storage cap and usage against what each candidate plan lists, and choose one with meaningfully more space. For a WordPress site that also wants hands-off management, DreamPress<\/a><\/span>, DreamHost\u2019s managed WordPress hosting, is worth weighing, but choose it for the managed features rather than storage alone: DreamHost\u2019s Web Hosting<\/a><\/span> tiers reach 100 GB, more than the smaller DreamPress plans, and each plan\u2019s storage and current pricing are listed on its page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nHow to stop the error from coming back<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nIf the error keeps returning, one of three things is usually drifting. Disk usage may be climbing again (check the Servers & Usage page), the temporary directory may be filling up (ask your host to confirm and clear it), or your file permissions may be changing (re-run the Site Health check under Tools<\/span> > Site Health<\/span> > Info<\/span>).<\/p>\n\n\n\nPrevention is mostly housekeeping. Store backups off-server instead of in your hosting account, and make the cleanup steps from fix #3 (images, logs, caches, unused plugins and themes) a regular habit rather than a one-time rescue.<\/p>\n\n\n
However, this error could also be caused by a problem with the server\u2019s temporary directory<\/a><\/span>, where PHP stages uploads. In fact, \u201cFailed to write file to disk\u201d is one of PHP\u2019s own documented upload error codes<\/a><\/span> (UPLOAD_ERR_CANT_WRITE), alongside \u201cMissing a temporary folder\u201d (UPLOAD_ERR_NO_TMP_DIR): if PHP can\u2019t write to its temporary directory, the upload fails. It\u2019s also possible that you\u2019ve reached the disk space limit provided with your hosting plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, we\u2019ll take a closer look at these possible causes. We\u2019ll also walk you through a solution for each scenario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Here are the three fixes, in the order we recommend trying them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n As always, we recommend that you perform a backup of your site<\/a><\/span> before proceeding. That way, if something goes wrong, you can restore your site to an earlier version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we mentioned earlier, the \u201cUpload: Failed to write file to disk\u201d error is likely caused by incorrect file permissions. Before changing anything, you can confirm the diagnosis from inside WordPress: go to Tools<\/span> > Site Health<\/span>, open the Info<\/span> tab, and expand the Filesystem Permissions<\/span> section. If your uploads directory shows \u201cNot writable,\u201d you\u2019ve found your culprit. To fix the permissions, you can contact your hosting provider and ask them to do it for you. Alternatively, you can do this yourself by accessing your site\u2019s root directory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, you\u2019ll need to connect to your site via a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) client<\/a><\/span> such as FileZilla<\/a><\/span>. You can also access your site\u2019s directory through the file manager in your hosting account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have a DreamHost account, start by navigating to Websites<\/span> > Files<\/span> in the sidebar. Then locate your domain and click on the Manage Files <\/span>button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This will take you to the file manager. To access your site\u2019s directory, you can open the folder labeled with your domain name. Inside, locate the wp-content<\/span> folder and right-click on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, select File permissions<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the pop-up window, go to the Numeric value<\/span> field and enter \u201c755\u201d in the corresponding box. (Permission needs can vary by host and server configuration, so confirm with your hosting provider if 755 doesn\u2019t resolve the issue.) Next, you can select the Recurse into subdirectories<\/span> and Apply to directories only <\/span>options and click on OK<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You have now set the correct file permissions for all subdirectories inside the wp-content <\/span>folder. This includes the uploads<\/span> folder, which is where your uploaded media files are stored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, you\u2019ll also need to set the correct permissions for the files within those folders. To do this, you can right-click on the wp-content<\/span> folder again and select File permissions<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Numeric value<\/span> field, type in \u201c644\u201d. Then select the Recurse into subdirectories<\/span> and Apply to files only <\/span>options, and click on OK<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t worry if you\u2019re still unable to upload files to your site after checking your file permissions. There are a couple of other things you can do to resolve the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If changing the file permissions doesn\u2019t solve the problem, you may need to empty your temporary folder. WordPress processes your media uploads in PHP<\/a><\/span>. Per PHP\u2019s documentation on POST method uploads<\/a><\/span>, uploaded files are stored by default in the server\u2019s temporary directory (the upload_tmp_dir location in php.ini) and are then moved to their final destination \u2014 in WordPress\u2019s case, your uploads folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the temporary folder is full, WordPress won\u2019t be able to write your files to disk until you\u2019ve emptied it. On web hosting plans, you typically can\u2019t reach the server\u2019s temporary directory over SFTP. However, you can simply contact your hosting provider<\/a><\/span> and ask them to empty the folder for you, and then check to see if the error has been resolved. On a VPS or dedicated server, a user with sudo or shell access can clear the temporary folder directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alternatively, you can try to resolve this issue by defining a new location for WordPress to store your media (instead of the temporary folder). First, you\u2019ll need to connect to your site via an SFTP client or the file manager. Then locate the wp-config.php<\/span> file, right-click on it, and select View\/Edit<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, you\u2019ll need to paste in the following code<\/a><\/span> right before the line that reads \u201cThat\u2019s all, stop editing! Happy publishing\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n define(‘WP_TEMP_DIR’, dirname(__FILE__) . ‘\/wp-content\/temp\/’);<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Save your changes, then navigate to the wp-content<\/span> folder, open it, and create a new folder inside it called temp<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re done, you can return to your website and try to upload an image. If the file disk error was caused by the temporary folder, the issue should now be resolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The disk error could also be a sign that you\u2019ve outgrown your current hosting plan. For example, if you\u2019ve been adding a lot of content to your site, including media files, new pages, and plugins, you might have used up all the disk space available in your account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your web host may be able to tell you how much disk space you have left. If you\u2019re a DreamHost client, you can check your storage usage by logging into your hosting account and opening the Servers & Usage<\/span> page, which displays CPU, RAM, and storage usage for your Web Hosting plan in visual graphs. You can also click the View Disk Usage<\/span> link under Other Active Services<\/span> on the Manage Account page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re near your limit, free up the space you already have before paying for more. Delete old backup archives that plugins have stored on the server, remove unused plugins and themes, clear built-up caches, rotate or delete old log files, and compress oversized images. DreamHost\u2019s disk usage best practices<\/a><\/span> guide walks through each of these steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If cleanup doesn\u2019t get you comfortably under your limit, your site legitimately needs more ongoing storage, and it might be time to upgrade to a more advanced hosting plan<\/a><\/span>. This will give your site more room to grow. Compare your current storage cap and usage against what each candidate plan lists, and choose one with meaningfully more space. For a WordPress site that also wants hands-off management, DreamPress<\/a><\/span>, DreamHost\u2019s managed WordPress hosting, is worth weighing, but choose it for the managed features rather than storage alone: DreamHost\u2019s Web Hosting<\/a><\/span> tiers reach 100 GB, more than the smaller DreamPress plans, and each plan\u2019s storage and current pricing are listed on its page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n If the error keeps returning, one of three things is usually drifting. Disk usage may be climbing again (check the Servers & Usage page), the temporary directory may be filling up (ask your host to confirm and clear it), or your file permissions may be changing (re-run the Site Health check under Tools<\/span> > Site Health<\/span> > Info<\/span>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prevention is mostly housekeeping. Store backups off-server instead of in your hosting account, and make the cleanup steps from fix #3 (images, logs, caches, unused plugins and themes) a regular habit rather than a one-time rescue.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n How to fix the \u201cUpload: Failed to write file to disk\u201d error in WordPress (3 ways)<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
1. Change the file permissions<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Accessing](\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2021\/08\/a89189d2-c5fc-47ab-9c4b-94e513bd4725_Upload-Failed-to-write-file-to-disk-DreamHost-7.jpg.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Locating](\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2021\/08\/f31a8f14-44d1-49ad-b245-eebb9430a7a3_Upload-Failed-to-write-file-to-disk-DreamHost-1.jpg.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Changing](\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2021\/08\/a45dca38-476d-4a6a-9346-16bf7e753f38_Upload-Failed-to-write-file-to-disk-DreamHost-5.jpg.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Changing](\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2021\/08\/9baaf0a1-7679-4373-8da7-4af28c2407e9_Upload-Failed-to-write-file-to-disk-DreamHost-2.jpg.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n2. Empty the WordPress temporary folder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Editing](\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2021\/08\/05b83eec-8c4b-4cc4-a2bb-9a7fc86d9230_Upload-Failed-to-write-file-to-disk-DreamHost-8.jpg.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Creating](\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2021\/08\/a1a6311d-07ac-47c7-8c85-7dc807a2c7b1_Upload-Failed-to-write-file-to-disk-DreamHost-9.jpg.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. Free up disk space or upgrade your hosting plan<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to stop the error from coming back<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n