Quick Solution to Max Execution Time Fatal Error in WordPress

By Anila Anwar Jun 17, 2025 8

"Fatal Error: Max Execution Time Exceeded."It means a script on your site is running excessively long to complete. The server stops it to avoid crashing.

Do not stress; this is a frequent problem. You can fix it in only a few steps.

What causes Max Execution Time Exceeded error?

WordPress loads pages, plugins, or themes using scripts.

Servers, though, place a cap on how long a script may run.

Should a script move too long, the server finishes it and shows this problem

Normally, it happens when:

A plugin or theme takes too long.
An update is either sluggish or stalled.
Approach 1: Change the .htaccess file.
For many users, this is the simplest approach.

Steps include:

For the .htaccess file, see towards the root directory.

Right-click and select Edit.

Save the file and update your website.
This instructs your server to let scripts run for 300 seconds instead of 30 or 60.
Approach two: php.ini file edit
Try this if .htaccess fails.

Steps:

In your root directory, find a php.ini file
Find out if it does; if not, create one.
Include this line:
Save it and upload it.
Since some shared hosts forbid this, verify with your hosting company if you don't notice any changes.

Approach 3: Change wp-config.php

Here you can also maintain the time duration.

Actions:

Begin opening the wp-shape.php file located in your root folder.
Insert this line before the one that says "That's all, end editing!"
Save the document.
This feature raises the execution time limit.

Still Not Working

Should any of these approaches fail, contact your hosting company.

Recommend that they up your server's max_execution_time setting.

From the server settings, they can accomplish it.

This problem is often connected to How WordPress Keeps Logging Out Fix Find Simple?, which we've explained in detail here.

Final Thought

Though it sounds horrific, the "Fatal Error: Maximum Execution Time Exceeded" is simple to correct. Simply raise the execution time. Alternatively, ask your host for assistance. Following these basic procedures, your site should run again, without catastrophic errors.