WPBeginner

Beginner's Guide for WordPress

  • Blog
    • Beginners Guide
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Showcase
    • Themes
    • Tutorials
    • WordPress Plugins
  • Start Here
    • How to Start a Blog
    • Create a Website
    • Start an Online Store
    • Best Website Builder
    • Email Marketing
    • WordPress Hosting
    • Business Name Ideas
  • Deals
    • Bluehost Coupon
    • SiteGround Coupon
    • WP Engine Coupon
    • HostGator Coupon
    • Domain.com Coupon
    • Constant Contact
    • View All Deals »
  • Glossary
  • Videos
  • Products
X
☰
Beginner's Guide for WordPress / Start your WordPress Blog in minutes
Choosing the Best
WordPress Hosting
How to Easily
Install WordPress
Recommended
WordPress Plugins
View all Guides

WPBeginner» Blog» Tutorials» How to Fix “Missing a Temporary Folder” Error in WordPress

How to Fix “Missing a Temporary Folder” Error in WordPress

Last updated on April 10th, 2017 by Editorial Staff
154 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Free WordPress Video Tutorials on YouTube by WPBeginner
How to Fix “Missing a Temporary Folder” Error in WordPress

Are you seeing ‘Missing a temporary folder’ error on your WordPress site? This error makes it impossible to upload images, update themes and plugins, or update WordPress core. In this article, we will show you how to easily fix “Missing a temporary folder” error in WordPress.

How to fix 'Missing temporary folder' error in WordPress

What Causes The ‘Missing a Temporary Folder’ Error in WordPress?

This error is caused by incorrect PHP settings on your WordPress hosting environment. There is a specific PHP setting that defines a temporary folder to be used by apps like WordPress to temporarily store data before saving it to the desired location.

WordPress needs access to this temporary folder when you upload an image, install or update a theme or plugin, or update WordPress core.

If the location of this folder is not defined in your server’s PHP configuration, then WordPress will be unable to do any of these things and will show you ‘Missing a temporary folder’ error.

Missing temporary folder error

Having said that, let’s see how to easily fix the ‘Missing a temporary folder’ error in WordPress.

Fix Missing Temporary Folder Error in WordPress

For this tutorial, you will need to edit wp-config.php file in WordPress. If you haven’t done this before, then please see our guide on how to edit wp-config.php file in WordPress.

First, you will need to connect to your website using an FTP client or File Manager in cPanel dashboard of your hosting account.

Next, you will need to locate the wp-config.php file and edit it.

Editing wp-config.php file using an FTP client

You need to paste this code to the file just before the line that says ‘That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging’.

define('WP_TEMP_DIR', dirname(__FILE__) . '/wp-content/temp/');

Save your changes and upload the wp-config.php file back to your website.

Next, you need to go to /wp-content/ folder and create a new folder inside it. You need to name this new folder temp.

Creating temp folder

That’s all, you can now visit your WordPress admin area and try uploading an image.

Troubleshooting

If this method doesn’t work, then check the directory permissions for your wp-content folder.

Note: This error is caused by poorly configured hosting environment. The solution described above is just a workaround. You should still ask your hosting provider to fix this. If they don’t, then you should switch to one of these top WordPress hosting companies.

We hope this article helped you fix the ‘Missing a temporary folder’ error in WordPress. You may also want to bookmark our ultimate list of the most common WordPress errors and how to fix them.

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.

154 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Popular on WPBeginner Right Now!
  • How to Start Your Own Podcast (Step by Step)

    How to Start Your Own Podcast (Step by Step)

  • Revealed: Why Building an Email List is so Important Today (6 Reasons)

    Revealed: Why Building an Email List is so Important Today (6 Reasons)

  • How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress

    How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress

  • How to Properly Move Your Blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org

About the Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff at WPBeginner is a team of WordPress experts led by Syed Balkhi. Trusted by over 1.3 million readers worldwide.

The Ultimate WordPress Toolkit

15 Comments

Leave a Reply
  1. Mel says:
    Jul 22, 2020 at 10:59 am

    Thanks for this info. I had a site that had no issues previously with upgrading and then all of a sudden nothing would work – upgrades, uploads, etc. This fixed it. Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jul 23, 2020 at 10:16 am

      Glad our guide was helpful :)

      Reply
  2. Paula Stewart says:
    Jan 16, 2020 at 2:09 pm

    Thank you so much for this, it really was easy to follow.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jan 17, 2020 at 8:59 am

      You’re welcome :)

      Reply
  3. Jigisha says:
    Dec 5, 2019 at 12:25 am

    Thank you. It worked perfectly.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Dec 5, 2019 at 11:00 am

      You’re welcome :)

      Reply
  4. Rabswudil says:
    Nov 2, 2019 at 3:27 am

    Thank you so Much, God Bless you

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Nov 4, 2019 at 10:21 am

      Glad our guide was helpful :)

      Reply
  5. Thami says:
    Jun 24, 2019 at 6:19 am

    Hi all. Unfortunately I have tried to find the wp-config.php file in my cpanel, without any luck. It is just not there.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jun 25, 2019 at 11:35 am

      You may want to check with your hosting provider to ensure you are connected to the correct folder for your site

      Reply
  6. Siloru says:
    Nov 11, 2018 at 5:32 am

    Thank you!! You saved my nerves…

    Reply
  7. Mohsin says:
    May 24, 2018 at 3:26 pm

    Thanks’ it worked for me.

    Reply
  8. Rowan says:
    Nov 30, 2017 at 8:12 pm

    Also this error shows up when you have reached your disk quota. I get many clients emailing me about this, but they’ve just been uploading huge files and their web hosting is full. Clear some space and it’ll work again.

    Reply
  9. AR Badhon says:
    Aug 11, 2017 at 12:33 pm

    Thanks for Suggest..
    but i’m tried , before i’ll can’t upload . finish set to set guide line.
    pls Anyothers way

    Reply
  10. evans kyei says:
    Jun 9, 2017 at 12:44 am

    Add From Server plugin saved my time. it’s easy to use, just upload your image through ftp and use Add from sever plugin to import to your Media Library.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Thanks for choosing to leave a comment. Please keep in mind that all comments are moderated according to our comment policy, and your email address will NOT be published. Please Do NOT use keywords in the name field. Let's have a personal and meaningful conversation.

Over 1,320,000+ Readers

Get fresh content from WPBeginner

Featured WordPress Plugin
RafflePress - WordPress Giveaway and Contest Plugin
RafflePress
Giveaway and Contest Plugin for WordPress. Learn More »
How to Start a Blog How to Start a Blog
I need help with ...
Starting a
Blog
WordPress
Performance
WordPress
Security
WordPress
SEO
WordPress
Errors
Building an
Online Store
Useful WordPress Guides
    • 7 Best WordPress Backup Plugins Compared (Pros and Cons)
    • How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress
    • Why You Need a CDN for your WordPress Blog? [Infographic]
    • 30 Legit Ways to Make Money Online Blogging with WordPress
    • Self Hosted WordPress.org vs. Free WordPress.com [Infograph]
    • Free Recording: WordPress Workshop for Beginners
    • 24 Must Have WordPress Plugins for Business Websites
    • How to Properly Move Your Blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org
    • 5 Best Contact Form Plugins for WordPress Compared
    • Which is the Best WordPress Popup Plugin? (Comparison)
    • Best WooCommerce Hosting in 2020 (Comparison)
    • How to Fix the Internal Server Error in WordPress
    • How to Install WordPress - Complete WordPress Installation Tutorial
    • Why You Should Start Building an Email List Right Away
    • How to Properly Move WordPress to a New Domain Without Losing SEO
    • How to Choose the Best WordPress Hosting for Your Website
    • How to Choose the Best Blogging Platform (Comparison)
    • WordPress Tutorials - 200+ Step by Step WordPress Tutorials
    • 5 Best WordPress Ecommerce Plugins Compared
    • 5 Best WordPress Membership Plugins (Compared)
    • 7 Best Email Marketing Services for Small Business (2020)
    • How to Choose the Best Domain Registrar (Compared)
    • The Truth About Shared WordPress Web Hosting
    • When Do You Really Need Managed WordPress Hosting?
    • 5 Best Drag and Drop WordPress Page Builders Compared
    • How to Switch from Blogger to WordPress without Losing Google Rankings
    • How to Properly Switch From Wix to WordPress (Step by Step)
    • How to Properly Move from Weebly to WordPress (Step by Step)
    • Do You Really Need a VPS? Best WordPress VPS Hosting Compared
    • How to Properly Move from Squarespace to WordPress
    • How to Register a Domain Name (+ tip to get it for FREE)
    • HostGator Review - An Honest Look at Speed & Uptime (2020)
    • SiteGround Reviews from 4196 Users & Our Experts (2020)
    • Bluehost Review from Real Users + Performance Stats (2020)
    • How Much Does It Really Cost to Build a WordPress Website?
    • How to Create an Email Newsletter the RIGHT WAY (Step by Step)
    • Free Business Name Generator (A.I Powered)
    • How to Create a Free Business Email Address in 5 Minutes (Step by Step)
    • How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress for Beginners
    • How to Move WordPress to a New Host or Server With No Downtime
    • Why is WordPress Free? What are the Costs? What is the Catch?
    • How to Make a Website in 2020 – Step by Step Guide
Deals & Coupons (view all)
MainWP
MainWP Coupon
Get 15% OFF on MainWP WordPress multisite manager plugin.
Sprout Invoices
Sprout Invoices Coupon
Get 50% OFF on Sprout Invoices WordPress invoicing plugin.
Featured In
About WPBeginner®

WPBeginner is a free WordPress resource site for Beginners. WPBeginner was founded in July 2009 by Syed Balkhi. The main goal of this site is to provide quality tips, tricks, hacks, and other WordPress resources that allows WordPress beginners to improve their site(s).
Join our team: We are Hiring!

Site Links
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • FTC Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Free Blog Setup
  • Free Business Tools
Our Sites
  • OptinMonster
  • MonsterInsights
  • WPForms
  • SeedProd
  • Nameboy
  • RafflePress
  • Smash Balloon

Copyright © 2009 - 2021 WPBeginner LLC. All Rights Reserved. WPBeginner® is a registered trademark.

Managed by Awesome Motive | WordPress hosting by SiteGround | WordPress CDN by MaxCDN | WordPress Security by Sucuri.