WordPress errors don’t happen too often, given the stable codebase. What’s more, when something does pop up to dampen your day, it’s explicit. The 414 Request-URI Too Large error, for one, tells you exactly what the problem is. From there, you can attempt to fix it.
Much like many other WordPress errors, there are some specific steps you can take to resolve it. In short, you’ll need to adjust some configuration settings to allow for longer URLs. Once you’re finished, the error will be too.
In this article, we will walk you through how to fix the 414 Request-URI Too Large error. It will include the tools and skills you’ll need to solve the problem and list some “pre-steps” before getting under the hood.
Check out our video guide to fixing the 414 Request-URI Too Large error:
What the 414 Request-URI Too Large Error Is (And Why It Happens)
The 414 Request-URL Too Large error is a configuration issue. It’s one of the 400 error codes. They’re troublesome because it often means there’s a critical issue somewhere between your browser and a server.
In this case, a 414 error means that the URL is too long for the server to process, so it throws an exception. This could be an issue when using Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) codes to track conversions. These links can get long depending on the parameters you set, and if they reach the maximum limit of your site’s configuration, you’ll see the error.
As with many WordPress errors, there are many more things going on under the hood to cause a 414. In fact, you can group the causes into three distinct areas:
- Converting a POST request to a GET request with query information that is too long. This is a developer-specific issue that happens at the coding level.
- A redirect loop. We’ve talked about the best practices for redirects in a previous post. If you get into a redirect loop, the resulting URLs get too long, and the error will appear.
- The server could be under attack, and a 414 error at this point will be the least of your worries.
Before we move on, it’s worth noting that for all intents and purposes, a URI and a URL are the same things. While there are some distinct differences between the two, we’re going to use “URL” here to keep things straightforward.
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What You’ll Need to Fix the 414 Request-URI Too Large Error
If you’ve encountered the 413 Request Entity Too Large error in the past, you’ll find a 414 error to be similar. Of course, the names show their similarities, as they’re next to each other in the official standards and have almost identical descriptions.
Given this, the list of tools and skills you’d use for fixing a 413 will be the same for a 414 too:
- Administrative access to your server
- One of the many Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) clients available
- The right skills to use SFTP and navigate your server
- A clean and current backup on hand in case you need to restore
- A text editor, though this might not be necessary for you
If you’re a Kinsta customer, you’ll find your SFTP credentials within the MyKinsta dashboard, along with some other handy functionality to get into your server:
It’s also worth noting that we will connect through SFTP here because it’s more secure (hence the name).
What to Do Before You Begin Resolving the 414 Request-URI Too Large Error
Before you crack open the hood on your server and set it to work, you may want to carry out some “pre-steps” first. It could be that there’s a simple workaround that doesn’t involve you tinkering with your configuration files.
What’s more, these checks should be carried out at some point regardless, so getting them taken care of now will help in the long run.
First, a WordPress plugin might generate long URLs as part of its functionality. Full-featured, all-in-one security plugins can be a prime candidate here, especially if they offer lots of functionality.
It’s hard to know at a glance whether a plugin could be at fault, but it’s worth investigating its specific settings for a dedicated option to restrict the length of URLs. If so, toggling this could solve the 414 error within seconds.
Under normal circumstances, though, there are a few other tasks you can carry out to help you diagnose the error:
- Check your server logs for mentions of the error or any other identifying entries.
- Your browser developer tools may give you some indication of the error’s cause — especially your Console.
- Reach out to the site owner or developer (if it’s not you) and let them know the error exists. It could be that they will have a fix or can advise you further on what to do.
Of course, you may want to contact both the site and plugin developers anyway if you’ve found that a plugin is at fault. Even so, if you’ve exhausted all of your outreach and top-level checks, it’s time to venture on.
How to Fix the 414 Request-URI Too Large Error (In 3 Steps)
Once you have your tools together, you’ll need a plan. The fix for the 414 Request-URI Too Large error is to alter a server configuration file. As such, there are three steps you can take.
Let’s start by getting into your server and figuring out which type of server you have.
1. Log In to Your Server (And Determine Your Server Type)
You have to get into the server before you work on it, and this is where your SFTP skills come into play.
We’ve outlined how to get into your site through SFTP in the past, and once you’re in, you’ll need to figure out what type of server you have. There are two main types: Apache and Nginx.
It could be that you already know which server type you run. If so, you can skip to the next step.
If you’re struggling, here’s a quick tip: look for a .htaccess file. It’s found in the root of your server, and if you can see it, this means you’re running an Apache server. Nginx servers use a different configuration file.
That said, it could be that you’re running an Apache server that doesn’t yet have a .htaccess file. As such, there are two other methods you could use:
- Carry out a domain lookup using the Whois Domain Tools site: This might tell you the type of server you’re using, although it’s not a foolproof method.
- Check with your hosting provider about the server type you use. Of course, your host is going to know what server you run. Kinsta customers will always use Nginx servers, although other providers may use Apache or a mix. It’s best to open a ticket with your host to check before you poke around in your site’s backend.
When you’ve determined which type of server you use, you can head onto the next step and find your configuration file.
2. Find the Server Configuration File and Open It in Your Text Editor
As we noted, Apache servers use a .htaccess file for basic server configuration, and it will be located in your root directory. This isn’t the file you need to fix the 414 Request-URI Too Large error, though.
In this case, you’ll need to go deeper into your advanced configuration settings. These are found not at your site’s root folder but the server’s root.
When you log into your site through SFTP, you’ll often come to a directory that contains all of your sites (along with some other files). In many cases, you can go up a couple of levels to a server root directory:
This will give you a few more directories to traverse. Among them will be the etc folder:
The full path of the configuration file will be /etc/apache2/apache2.conf.
For Nginx servers, the process is similar. It’s one we’ve covered in part within our article on adjusting the maximum upload size in WordPress. The path to the configuration file will be /etc/nginx/nginx.conf.
Once you’ve located your file, open it in your favorite text editor. At this point, you’re ready to adjust it.
3. Adjust the Configuration File To Allow for Longer URLs
Much like how Apache and Nginx servers have different configuration files, they also have different settings to adjust. Regardless of your server type, though, you’ll need to open it in an editor if you haven’t already done so. Our preferred approach is to download the file to your computer, work on it, and upload it back to the server.
For Apache configuration files, look for the LimitRequestLine setting, or add it to the bottom of your file if it’s not there:
For the value, use at least 128000. If you need to go higher than this, keep to multiples of two (i.e. the next value should be 256000).
For Nginx servers, you’re looking for the large_client_header_buffers setting. Here, you’ll see two values relating to number and size. For example, large_client_header_buffers 4 8K. The only figure you need to alter here is the size — you can go from 8K to around 128K, although you may need to increase this further (again in multiples of two).
Once you’re done, save your changes and upload your configuration file back to your server. At this point, check your site again, and the 414 Request-URI Too Large error should have gone.
The 414 Request-URI Too Large error may be annoying, but luckily, it tells you exactly what the problem is. 🤷♀️ Learn how to fix it here 👇Click to Tweet
Summary
WordPress errors often have a similar approach for resolving them. You’ll often need to diagnose the error first, though. In the case of the 414 Request-URI Too Large error, the problem is clear: the URLs being passed to the server are too big.
To fix it, you’ll need to change your Apache or Nginx server settings. This doesn’t take too long, and once you’re done, you should be back up and running. While we can’t speak for other hosts, Kinsta’s support team is on hand 24/7 to help you get over the 414 Request-URI Too Large error if you’re stuck. In fact, we’re here whenever you need our help and guidance, so you can get back to running your site.
Ошибка 414 или Error 414 Request URI Too Large — почему она возникает и как ее устранить простому пользователю или владельцу собственного сайта. Начнем с того, что это довольно редкая, не распространенная ошибка. В оригинале ее название — Request URI Too Large.
Вы можете столкнуться с ошибкой 414 в случае, когда адрес, который Вами запрашивается, слишком длинный. Серверу не удается его растолковать, в результате чего, на своих экранах вы видите данную ошибку.
Стоит заметить, что любой запрос условно делится на две составляющие:
- Заголовок;
- Тело.
В нормальных условиях в заголовке содержится только общая информация. Это значит, что он по своей природе не может быть слишком длинным. Тело же в свою очередь наоборот содержит всю основную часть запроса. Каким бы длинным и ёмким не было тело, сервер воспринимает это за норму и ошибка 414 не должна возникать. Так что в большинстве случаев причиной данной неполадки является именно заголовок и сбои в нем.
Как избавиться от ошибки 414?
Обычному пользователю никак. Если во время сёрфинга в Интернете вы столкнулись с этой нераспространенной проблемой, вы абсолютно бессильны. Нужно просто ждать, пока администраторы злосчастной страницы исправят ситуацию. Единственное, что доступно обычному пользователю – написание запроса в техническую поддержку.
Каковы действия должен совершить владелец сайта для того, чтобы исправить ошибку 414?
- Попытаться исключить ошибку непосредственно в коде ресурса.
- Сделать больше допустимый размер заголовка. За это отвечает 3 параметра, которые необходимо разместить в http:
- сlіеnt_bоdу_buffеr_sіzе — отвечает за размер тела;
- сlіеnt_hеаdеr_buffеr_sіzе — отвечает за обычные заголовки;
- lаrgе_clіеnt_hеаdеr_buffеrs — отвечает за большие заголовки.
В случае с ошибкой 414 нам необходимо работать с последней строкой. Стандартно размер заголовка = 8kb. Вносим изменения в последнюю строку – дописываем 8 (пробел) 64k. Точно такие же исправления необходимо сделать в каждой строке перед секцией под названием «сервер». Теперь перезагружаем ресурс, ошибка 414 должна уйти. Если нет, то это означает, что вы сделали что-то неправильно.
Напоследок хотелось бы заметить, что если вы совсем не разбираетесь в системе nginx, то не делайте никаких изменений самостоятельно. Так вы не только не решите проблему, но и рискуете встретиться с другими ошибками в дальнейшем. В таком случае лучше обратиться к специалистам, для них справиться с этим не составит особого труда.
Дальше по теме…
Have you ever encountered a 414 request URI too long error on your WordPress website?
The error is usually caused when there is a critical error between your web browser and a server. You’ll see this error when clicking on a link or any action performed by a WordPress plugin.
In this article, we will show you what is the ‘414 request URI too long’ error and how to fix it.
What is 414 Request URI Too Long Error?
A 414 request URI too long error occurs when a URL or an action you’re requesting is too long for the server to handle.
Do note that there is a difference between URI and URL. A URI or Uniform Resource Identifier can be a resource’s name, location, or both. On the other hand, a URL or Uniform Resource Locator can only be the location of a resource.
Both terms are usually used interchangeably because URL is part of URI. However, the 414 error can be triggered by both components, so let’s look at the causes.
What Causes 414 Request URI Too Long Error?
You might see the 414 error when you click on the link, and the server is unable to process it because it’s too long.
One situation where a link might to very long is using UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters. If you’re using UTM codes to track conversions on your WordPress website and there are a lot of parameters in the URL, then it can cause this error.
Another situation that can cause a 414 error is a redirect loop. This is when a misconfiguration or a setting in a WordPress plugin causes a lot of redirect requests.
As a result, you get incredibly long URLs and 414 requests URI too long error.
Similarly, some plugins can also generate lengthy URIs as part of their functionality. You’re most likely to encounter this error if you have all-in-one WordPress security plugins installed on your site.
In a rare event, a developer-side issue can also trigger a 414 error when a POST request converts into a GET request with query information being too long. Lastly, cyber attacks on your website server can also result in 414 URI too long issues.
That said, let’s see how you can fix the 414 error on your WordPress website.
Fixing 414 Request URI Too Long Error
A quick way to fix this issue is by increasing the size of the URI your website server can process.
Before we move forward, we recommend creating a WordPress backup. That’s because fixing the 414 error involves editing the website configuration files. In case anything goes wrong, you’ll have a backup copy of your site ready to restore.
For more details, please see our guide on how to backup a WordPress site.
Determine if Your Website is Using Apache or Nginx
First, you’ll need to find out the type of server your WordPress website is using. There are 2 main types of servers, which includes Apache and Nginx.
A simple way to do that is by opening your site in a browser. After that, you can right-click on the homepage and select the ‘Inspect’ option.
Next, you’ll need to switch to the ‘Network’ tab at the top.
From here, you can select any element under the Name column. After that, you will need to scroll down to the ‘Response Headers’ section and see the ‘Server’ details.
This will show you whether your site is using Nginx or Apache.
If you’re still unsure which server type to use, then you can reach out to your WordPress hosting provider to get more details.
Once you’ve determined the server type, let’s look at how to fix the 414 request URI too long error for Apache and Nginx.
Fixing 414 Request URI Too Long Error in Nginx
First, you’ll need an FTP or file transfer protocol client to access website configuration files.
There are many FTP clients you can use. For this tutorial, we will use Filezilla. If you need help setting up FTP and accessing website files, then please see our guide on how to use FTP to upload files to WordPress.
Once you’re logged in, you’ll need to download the ‘nginx.conf’ file. You can access this by following this path: /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
After locating the file, go ahead and download it on your computer and then open it in a notepad software.
From here, you can search for large_client_header_buffers 4 8K settings. If it’s not there, then simply add it to the end of the file.
You will see 2 sets of values, which relate to a number and size. Simply edit the size from 8K to 128K. This will increase the URI size and allow the site server to process long URLs.
Once you’re done, simply save the text file and reupload it to your website using the FTP client.
For more details, please see our guide on how to use FTP to upload files to WordPress.
Fixing 414 Request URI Too Long Error in Apache
If you’re using the Apache server type, then the process is similar to that of Nginx. First, you’ll need an FTP client to access website files.
Once you’re logged in, you’ll need to locate the ‘apache2.conf’ file. Simply head to the following path using the FTP client: /etc/apache2/apache2.conf
Next, you’ll need to download the file and open it in notepad software.
After that, you can look for LimitRequestLine 128000 settings. If you don’t see one, then simply add it to the end of the file.
Usually, LimitRequestLine is set to 128000. However, you can increase this to 256000 or higher to remove the 414 error. Just make sure that the value you set is a multiple of 2.
Once you’re done, simply upload the file back to the website using the FTP client. This should help resolve the 414 error on your WordPress website.
We hope this article helped you learn about what is 414 request URI too long error and how to fix it. You may also want to see our guide on WordPress security and the most common WordPress errors.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
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Editorial Staff at WPBeginner is a team of WordPress experts led by Syed Balkhi with over 16 years of experience in WordPress, Web Hosting, eCommerce, SEO, and Marketing. Started in 2009, WPBeginner is now the largest free WordPress resource site in the industry and is often referred to as the Wikipedia for WordPress.
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If you request a very large URL in Apache web server, then it may give “414 Request URI too large” error message. By default, Apache supports URLs with up to 8177 characters, but sometime users even get error with ~4000 characters in URL. In this article we will look at how to fix 414 request URI too large error in Apache.
By default, Apache server supports up to 8177 characters in a URL. However, if you need to request large URLs, or are getting errors with smaller URLs itself, then you need to increase the request size limit in Apache.
You can do this by setting LimitRequestLine and LimitRequestFieldSize directives.
1. Open Apache Configuration File
Apache configuration file is located at one of the following locations, depending on your Linux distribution.
/etc/apache2/httpd.conf/etc/apache2/apache2.conf/etc/httpd/httpd.conf/etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf
Open terminal and run the following command to open Apache configuration page.
$ sudo vi /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf
If you make changes in Apache server configuration file, it will be applicable for all websites/domains that you run on your Apache web server.
Also read : How to Enable Apache Server Status Dashboard
Apache Restrict Access by IP in Virtual Host
If you are running multiple websites on Apache server, using virtual host, then open the virtual host configuration file of the website (e.g www.website.com) for which you want to deny access to IP. Let’s say your virtual host configuration file is located at /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/website.conf
$ sudo vi /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/website.conf
Also read : Apache Restrict Access to URL by IP
2. Increase URI limit
To fix 414 Request URI too large error, you need to set LimitRequestLine directive.
If you want to increase URL limit to 10000 characters (bytes), add the following lines to your server configuration or virtual host file.
LimitRequestLine 10000
If you also want to increase maximum header length supported by Apache to 4000 characters, then add the following line to server configuration or virtual host file.
LimitRequestFieldSize 4000
Basically, you need to specify the required number of bytes after LimitRequestLine and LineRequestFieldSize directives.
Also read : How to Enable HTTP2 in Apache
3. Restart Apache web server
Restart Apache web server to apply changes.
# service httpd restart OR # systemctl restart httpd OR # sudo service apache2 restart
Now when a user tries to request a long URL they will not get “414 Request URI too long” error.
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