set_time_limit - PHP code example

PHP Function Set_Time_Limit - How to Increase PHP Max Execution Time

The php function set_time_limit acts like a stern but fair supervisor, ensuring that your PHP scripts don’t overstay their welcome and consume too many server resources. It sets a maximum execution time limit, measured in seconds, and once that limit is reached, the script will be terminated and a fatal error will be raised. WordPress sites rely heavily on PHP scripts, and it’s common for plugins, themes, and other elements to take longer than they should to run.

This can cause your website to load more slowly, especially for visitors on mobile devices. It can also disrupt functionality and impede scalability. It’s important to manage PHP timeouts, and fortunately, there are some effective solutions to this common issue.

One of the easiest ways to do this is by using the php sleep function. This function is a powerful tool that enables you to set a timeout for your scripts and pause them at any point, with or without judgment. Let’s explore this amazing function and learn how to use it.

If you’re not familiar with the php sleep function, we recommend reading our article about how it works to get up to speed. Then, you can try out some of the methods below to increase your PHP max execution time. However, you should always consult a professional before making any changes to your website. Their expertise can help ensure that your code and configuration is optimized for best performance, security, and scalability.

set_time_limit example

private $pluginManager;

    public function preDispatch()
    {
        parent::preDispatch();

        $this->pluginManager = $this->get(\Shopware\Bundle\PluginInstallerBundle\Service\InstallerService::class);
    }

    public function installPluginAction()
    {
        @set_time_limit(300);

        $plugin = $this->getPluginModel($this->Request()->getParam('technicalName'));

        if (!$plugin instanceof Plugin) {
            $this->pluginManager->refreshPluginList();
            $plugin = $this->getPluginModel($this->Request()->getParam('technicalName'));
        }

        if (!$plugin instanceof Plugin) {
            $this->View()->assign([
                'success' => false,

$last = !empty($result['last']) ? unserialize($result['last'], ['allowed_classes' => false]) : null;

        if (empty($last) || empty($result['not_force']) || strtotime($last) < strtotime($result['current']) - $interval) {
            $this->build();
        }
    }

    public function build()
    {
        MemoryLimit::setMinimumMemoryLimit(1024 * 1024 * 512);
        @set_time_limit(0);

        $this->setNextUpdateTimestamp();

        // Truncate search index table (using DELETE to avoid committing database transactions in tests)         $this->connection->executeStatement('DELETE FROM `s_search_index`');

        // Get a list of all tables and columns in this tables that should be processed by search         /** * Example return: * tableID | table | where | reference_table | fieldIDs | fields | foreign_key * 1 | s_articles | NULL | NULL | 3,4 | name, keywords | NULL * 2 | s_categories | NULL | s_articles_categories | 1,2 | metakeywords, description | categoryID */

function update_core( $from, $to ) {
    global $wp_filesystem, $_old_files, $_old_requests_files, $_new_bundled_files, $wpdb;

    if ( function_exists( 'set_time_limit' ) ) {
        set_time_limit( 300 );
    }

    /* * Merge the old Requests files and directories into the `$_old_files`. * Then preload these Requests files first, before the files are deleted * and replaced to ensure the code is in memory if needed. */
    $_old_files = array_merge( $_old_files, array_values( $_old_requests_files ) );
    _preload_old_requests_classes_and_interfaces( $to );

    /** * Filters feedback messages displayed during the core update process. * * The filter is first evaluated after the zip file for the latest version * has been downloaded and unzipped. It is evaluated five more times during * the process: * * 1. Before WordPress begins the core upgrade process. * 2. Before Maintenance Mode is enabled. * 3. Before WordPress begins copying over the necessary files. * 4. Before Maintenance Mode is disabled. * 5. Before the database is upgraded. * * @since 2.5.0 * * @param string $feedback The core update feedback messages. */

if (!$media) {
            echo self::FILE_NOT_FOUND_MESSAGE;

            return;
        }

        $file = $media['path'];
        $tmpFileName = sprintf('%s.%s', $media['name'], $media['extension']);
        $mediaService = $this->get(MediaServiceInterface::class);

        @set_time_limit(0);
        $response = $this->Response();
        $response->headers->set('cache-control', 'public', true);
        $response->headers->set('content-description', 'File Transfer');
        $response->headers->set('content-disposition', 'attachment; filename=' . $tmpFileName);
        $response->headers->set('content-transfer-encoding', 'binary');
        $response->headers->set('content-length', (string) $mediaService->getSize($file));
        echo $mediaService->read($file);
    }

    /** * The getAlbumMediaAction returns the associated media for the passed album id. * Is used for the listing of the media. * The media listing supports a filter, paging and order function, which can be controlled * by the parameters: "filter", "order", "limit", "start" * * @return void */

'hook_extra'                  => array(),
        );

        $args = wp_parse_args( $args, $defaults );

        // These were previously extract()'d.         $source            = $args['source'];
        $destination       = $args['destination'];
        $clear_destination = $args['clear_destination'];

        if ( function_exists( 'set_time_limit' ) ) {
            set_time_limit( 300 );
        }

        if ( empty( $source ) || empty( $destination ) ) {
            return new WP_Error( 'bad_request', $this->strings['bad_request'] );
        }
        $this->skin->feedback( 'installing_package' );

        /** * Filters the installation response before the installation has started. * * Returning a value that could be evaluated as a `WP_Error` will effectively * short-circuit the installation, returning that value instead. * * @since 2.8.0 * * @param bool|WP_Error $response Installation response. * @param array $hook_extra Extra arguments passed to hooked filters. */

<?php declare(strict_types=1);

use Shopware\Core\Kernel;
use Symfony\Component\Dotenv\Dotenv;

set_time_limit(0);

require __DIR__ . '/../../../../vendor/autoload.php';

if (!class_exists(Dotenv::class)) {
throw new \RuntimeException('APP_ENV environment variable is not defined. You need to define environment variables for configuration or add "symfony/dotenv" as a Composer dependency to load variables from a .env file.');
}

$projectRoot = dirname(__DIR__, 4);
if (class_exists(Dotenv::class) && (file_exists($projectRoot . '/.env.local.php') || file_exists($projectRoot . '/.env') || file_exists($projectRoot . '/.env.dist'))) {
(new Dotenv())->usePutenv()->bootEnv($projectRoot . '/.env');
}

if ($filesystem->has($path) === false) {
            $this->Front()->Plugins()->Json()->setRenderer();
            $this->View()->assign(['message' => 'File not found', 'success' => false]);

            return;
        }

        $meta = $filesystem->getMetadata($path);
        $mimeType = $filesystem->getMimetype($path) ?: 'application/octet-stream';

        @set_time_limit(0);

        $this->Front()->Plugins()->ViewRenderer()->setNoRender();

        $response = $this->Response();
        $response->headers->set('content-type', $mimeType);
        $response->headers->set('content-disposition', sprintf('attachment; filename="%s"', basename($path)));
        $response->headers->set('content-length', $meta['size']);
        $response->headers->set('content-transfer-encoding', 'binary');
        $response->sendHeaders();
        $response->sendResponse();

class Shopware_Controllers_Backend_SearchIndex extends Shopware_Controllers_Backend_ExtJs
{
    /** * This controller action is used to build the search index. */
    public function buildAction()
    {
        @set_time_limit(1200);

        $indexer = $this->get(\Shopware\Bundle\SearchBundleDBAL\SearchTerm\SearchIndexer::class);
        $indexer->build();

        $this->View()->assign(['success' => true]);
    }
}

    do_action_ref_array( 'pre_ping', array( &$post_links, &$pung, $post->ID ) );

    foreach ( (array) $post_links as $pagelinkedto ) {
        $pingback_server_url = discover_pingback_server_uri( $pagelinkedto );

        if ( $pingback_server_url ) {
            if ( function_exists( 'set_time_limit' ) ) {
                set_time_limit( 60 );
            }

            // Now, the RPC call.             $pagelinkedfrom = get_permalink( $post );

            // Using a timeout of 3 seconds should be enough to cover slow servers.             $client          = new WP_HTTP_IXR_Client( $pingback_server_url );
            $client->timeout = 3;
            /** * Filters the user agent sent when pinging-back a URL. * * @since 2.9.0 * * @param string $concat_useragent The user agent concatenated with ' -- WordPress/' * and the WordPress version. * @param string $useragent The useragent. * @param string $pingback_server_url The server URL being linked to. * @param string $pagelinkedto URL of page linked to. * @param string $pagelinkedfrom URL of page linked from. */

function wp_get_http( $url, $file_path = false, $red = 1 ) {
    _deprecated_function( __FUNCTION__, '4.4.0', 'WP_Http' );

    if ( function_exists( 'set_time_limit' ) ) {
        @set_time_limit( 60 );
    }

    if ( $red > 5 )
        return false;

    $options = array();
    $options['redirection'] = 5;

    if ( false == $file_path )
        $options['method'] = 'HEAD';
    else

            return false;
        }

        //SMTP server can take longer to respond, give longer timeout for first read         //Windows does not have support for this timeout function         if (strpos(PHP_OS, 'WIN') !== 0) {
            $max = (int)ini_get('max_execution_time');
            //Don't bother if unlimited, or if set_time_limit is disabled             if (0 !== $max && $timeout > $max && strpos(ini_get('disable_functions'), 'set_time_limit') === false) {
                @set_time_limit($timeout);
            }
            stream_set_timeout($connection, $timeout, 0);
        }

        return $connection;
    }

    /** * Initiate a TLS (encrypted) session. * * @return bool */

$this->Response()
                ->clearHeaders()
                ->setStatusCode(Response::HTTP_FORBIDDEN)
                ->appendBody('Forbidden');

            return;
        }

        /** @var Enlight_Components_Cron_Manager $cronManager */
        $cronManager = Shopware()->Container()->get('cron');

        set_time_limit(0);
        while (($job = $cronManager->getNextJob()) !== null) {
            echo 'Processing ' . $job->getName() . "\n";
            $cronManager->runJob($job);
        }
    }

    /** * Returns a list with actions which should not be validated for CSRF protection * * @return string[] */

    // Really just pre-loading the cache here.     $revisions = wp_get_post_revisions( $post->ID, array( 'check_enabled' => false ) );
    if ( ! $revisions ) {
        wp_send_json_error();
    }

    $return = array();

    if ( function_exists( 'set_time_limit' ) ) {
        set_time_limit( 0 );
    }

    foreach ( $_REQUEST['compare'] as $compare_key ) {
        list( $compare_from, $compare_to ) = explode( ':', $compare_key ); // from:to
        $return[] = array(
            'id'     => $compare_key,
            'fields' => wp_get_revision_ui_diff( $post, $compare_from, $compare_to ),
        );
    }
    wp_send_json_success( $return );
}

$debug = true;

$kernel = new Kernel($_SERVER['APP_ENV'] ?? 'prod', $debug);

$trustedProxies = $_SERVER['TRUSTED_PROXIES'] ?? $_ENV['TRUSTED_PROXIES'] ?? false;
if ($trustedProxies) {
Request::setTrustedProxies(explode(',', $trustedProxies), Request::HEADER_X_FORWARDED_FOR | Request::HEADER_X_FORWARDED_PORT | Request::HEADER_X_FORWARDED_PROTO | Request::HEADER_X_FORWARDED_HOST);
}

$request = Request::createFromGlobals();

@set_time_limit(0);
@ignore_user_abort(true);

$response = $kernel->handle($request);

$response->send();

$kernel->terminate($request, $response);

$exporter = $this->container->get('shopware.emotion.emotion_exporter');

        try {
            $exportFilePath = $exporter->export($emotionId);
        } catch (Exception $e) {
            echo $e->getMessage();

            return;
        }

        @set_time_limit(0);

        $binaryResponse = new BinaryFileResponse($exportFilePath, 200, [], true, ResponseHeaderBag::DISPOSITION_ATTACHMENT);
        $binaryResponse->deleteFileAfterSend();
        $binaryResponse->send();

        exit;
    }

    /** * Uploads emotion zip archive to shopware file system * * @throws Exception * * @return void */