HTTP 413 Payload Too Large — Meaning, Causes & How to Fix
The request body is larger than the server is willing or able to process.
- Code
- 413
- Name
- Payload Too Large
- Class
- 4xx Client Error
- Specification
- RFC 9110 §15.5.14 (“Content Too Large”)
- Cacheable by default
- Only with explicit Cache-Control / Expires
What HTTP 413 means
413 means the request body is bigger than the server accepts. RFC 9110 renamed it from “Payload Too Large” to “Content Too Large”. If the limit is temporary, the server may add Retry-After.
Common causes
- Uploading a file larger than the limit.
- nginx
client_max_body_size(1 MB by default). - PHP
upload_max_filesize/post_max_size. - Request size limits in a CDN, WAF or API gateway.
How to fix it
For site owners
- Raise the limit at every layer: CDN, proxy (nginx/Apache), and the app runtime.
- Validate file size in the browser first so users get a friendly message.
For visitors & developers
- Compress or resize the file, or upload it in chunks.
SEO impact
No SEO impact: it concerns uploads, not page views.
Example 413 response
HTTP/1.1 413 Content Too Large
Content-Type: text/html
Connection: closeRelated status codes
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Open HTTP Status Codes tool →All status codesFrequently asked questions
What does HTTP 413 mean?
HTTP 413 Payload Too Large is a 4xx Client Error status code. The request body is larger than the server is willing or able to process.
How do I fix 413 in nginx?
Increase client_max_body_size (e.g. client_max_body_size 20M;) in the http, server or location block, then reload nginx. Check PHP or app limits too.
Which specification defines 413?
It is defined in RFC 9110 §15.5.14 (“Content Too Large”).
Is a 413 response cacheable?
Not by default. A 413 response is only stored by caches when it carries explicit freshness information such as Cache-Control: max-age or Expires.