PHP

Maximum execution time exceeded (PHP)

The script ran longer than max_execution_time and PHP stopped it.

What it looks like

PHP Fatal error:  Maximum execution time of 30 seconds exceeded in /var/www/app/import.php on line 54

What does "Maximum execution time exceeded (PHP)" mean?

A fatal error raised when a web request runs longer than max_execution_time (30 seconds by default). The line named is simply where the script happened to be when time ran out, which may be inside a loop or a slow call.

What causes "Maximum execution time exceeded (PHP)"?

• A slow query or external API call.
• An infinite/large loop.
• Heavy processing in a web request.

How do I confirm the cause?

1. Check what that line does — a database query, an HTTP request to another service, or a loop over many items.
2. Time the slow step on its own (microtime(true) before and after) to confirm where the seconds go.
3. Check whether a slow external API or a missing database index is the real delay.

How do I fix "Maximum execution time exceeded (PHP)"?

• Profile and speed up the slow part.
• Move long work to a queue/cron job.
• Raise max_execution_time only for legitimately long CLI tasks.

How do I stop it happening again?

• Do long jobs (imports, exports, sending many emails) in a queue worker or cron job, not during a page request.
• Put timeouts on outgoing HTTP calls so one slow service cannot hold a request for the whole limit.

Got a different error? Paste it into the Explain This Error tool → Identifies the family and the fix — runs locally, nothing uploaded.

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