What it means
The request body is larger than the server is willing or able to process. Formerly called Payload Too Large.
Common causes
- Upload exceeds nginx client_max_body_size (default 1 MB)
- PHP upload_max_filesize or post_max_size too small
- API gateway or serverless body limits
How to fix it
As a client or visitor
Compress or split the upload, or use the service's resumable or multipart upload API.
As the site or API owner
Raise limits at every layer: proxy (client_max_body_size), app framework, and gateway. Report the limit in the error message.
Example response
HTTP/1.1
HTTP/1.1 413 Content Too Large
Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2025 09:30:00 GMT
Server: nginx
Connection: close
Content-Type: application/problem+json
{
"type": "about:blank",
"title": "Content Too Large",
"status": 413,
"detail": "Uploads are limited to 10 MB."
}Specification
FAQ
› How do I fix 413 in nginx?
Increase client_max_body_size in the http, server or location block, for example client_max_body_size 50m; then reload nginx.
› Why do I still get 413 after raising the app limit?
Another layer, such as a reverse proxy, CDN or load balancer, has its own lower limit.