OnlyTheOnline
Log in
Get Help Now
dnsServer•settingsServer Configurationadmin_panel_settingspermissionsfolderfilesystemerrorwp_errordescriptiontemporary file•star_halfUncommon•warningModerate

WP_Error: Could not write to the temporary file

WP_Error: Could not write to the temporary file appears when WordPress tries to store a file in the server’s temporary directory and the operation fails. The error stops the upload, plugin install, theme install, or import process.

The failure is usually caused by insufficient permissions, wrong ownership, missing or mis‑configured upload_tmp_dir, full disk, open_basedir restriction, security rules, or SELinux/AppArmor policies.

Symptoms

[dashicons-warning]
Admin UI error
Message appears in the dashboard when installing a plugin, theme, or uploading media
[dashicons-admin-tools]
Log entry
debug.log contains WP_Error line with the exact message
[dashicons-no]
Operation abort
Process stops without saving the file and may show a Retry button

Common Causes

File permissions
Directory does not allow write access for the web‑server user
Disk space
Temporary folder is full or inode quota is reached
PHP configuration
upload_tmp_dir is missing, points to a non‑existent path, or open_basedir blocks the folder
Security restrictions
ModSecurity rules, security plugins, SELinux or AppArmor deny write operations
Need this fixed right now?

Don't waste your day debugging. Our experts can Fix your issues in under 2 hours.*

Get this issue fixed

Success Rate

100% Guaranteed

Starting from

$35 /hour
99+

Trusted by Business Owners

“I spent 3 days trying to fix the Elementor loading loop. These guys fixed it in 20 minutes. Lifesavers!”

— Sarah J., Web Designer

Related Issues

contact_mail
Contact Form 7: REST API request failed: 503 Service Unavailable
A 503 Service Unavailable response stops Contact Form 7 from sending data...
apiREST APIerror503descriptioncontact-form-7
contact_mail
Contact Form 7: REST API request failed: 429 Too Many Requests

The form tries to send data through the WordPress REST API. The...

apiREST APIerrorerrorsecurityfirewalldescriptioncontact-form-7settingsserver_configuration
contact_mail
Contact Form 7: REST API request failed: 401 Unauthorized

The form tries to send data via the WordPress REST API. The...

apiREST APIadmin_panel_settingspermissionsdescriptioncontact-form-7lock401
contact_mail
Contact Form 7: File upload error: temporary directory missing

The error appears when Contact Form 7 cannot locate a writable temporary...

codePHPcloud_offupload erroradmin_panel_settingspermissionsdescriptiontemporary filedescriptioncontact-form-7
contact_mail
Contact Form 7: Mail (2) sending failed: PHP mail() function disabled

Contact Form 7 reports a failure for Mail (2) when the PHP...

codePHPerrorerrordescriptioncontact-form-7mailMailsettingsserver_configuration
contact_mail
Contact Form 7: Mail (2) sending failed: SSL certificate verification failed

Contact Form 7 reports a failure when trying to send the secondary...

errorerrorlocksslcodecURLdescriptioncontact-form-7