It sounds like your server is blocking the upload due to PHP limits or a misconfiguration in Plesk, not because of the theme itself.
Here are the main things you should check:
✅ 1. Increase PHP Upload Limits in Plesk
Go to:
Plesk → Domains → PHP Settings
Increase these values:
- upload_max_filesize → 64M or 128M
- post_max_size → 64M or 128M
- memory_limit → 256M or 512M
- max_execution_time → 300
- max_input_time → 300
Restart FPM/Apache after saving.
✅ 2. Fix Permissions
Sometimes Plesk blocks writes.
Set correct permissions for:
/wp-content/themes/
Recommended:
- Folders → 755
- Files → 644
✅ 3. Check Error Logs
Plesk logs will tell you the exact cause:
Plesk → Logs → error_log
Look for:
- ModSecurity blocks
- PHP fatal errors
- Timeouts
- Permission denied errors
If ModSecurity is blocking, disable it temporarily for the domain:
Plesk → Domains → Web Application Firewall → Off
✅ 4. Use Theme Upload via cPanel + WP CLI (Most Reliable)
Upload the zip to:
/wp-content/themes/
and then run:
unzip theme.zip
Or via WP-CLI:
wp theme install theme.zip --activate
⚠️ 5. Internal Server Error = Server-Side Issue
It usually indicates:
- Missing PHP modules
- Low memory
- Corrupted .htaccess
- ModSecurity blocks
You can also reset .htaccess by resaving permalinks in WordPress.
⭐ If you still face issues...
You may need a developer to troubleshoot your Plesk + WordPress configuration properly.
Last edited by a moderator:
Nov 20, 2025 at 11:17 PM