Is there a size limit to POST form data?

[Sporkman]

Is there a size limit to POST for data, say entered into a single textarea?

Is the limit imposed by the HTML protocal spec, the browser, Apache, or what?

[pmasiar]

I hope someone has a link proving it, but IMHO there is no limit on POST data. IIRC you can set limits on uploaded files, if you want to, but there is no 2K limit like on GET.

[LaRoza]

As for proof, I cannot find any links with hard evidence. It seems to be browser based, and based on the server's configuration. I don't think (theoretically) there is a limit.

For IE: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q208427

HTTP 1.1 places no limit on the size, it seems to be up to the browsers: http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc2068.html, short answer: http://classicasp.aspfaq.com/forms/what-is-the-limit-on-querystring/get/url-parameters.html

[Sporkman]

...and based on the server's configuration.

Is that adjustable in the standard Ubuntu LAMP server setup?

I'm writing an online app that I'll run on my own server which requires potentially large text input...

[Sporkman]

For IE: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q208427


BTW that specifies max URL size, not max POST data size...

[LaRoza]

BTW that specifies max URL size, not max POST data size...



Microsoft Internet Explorer has a maximum uniform resource locator (URL) length of 2,083 characters. Internet Explorer also has a maximum path length of 2,048 characters. This limit applies to both POST request and GET request URLs.


(Emphasis mine)

[Sporkman]

(Emphasis mine)

Right... path length on URLs. POST data doesn't reside in the URL (it's the GET data that resides in the URL).

[LaRoza]

Right... path length on URLs. POST data doesn't reside in the URL (it's the GET data that resides in the URL).

Internet Explorer also has a maximum path length of 2,048 characters. This limit applies to both POST request and GET request URLs.

The URL is only for the "GET". The POST data is not in the URL, it is in the header.

Read it this way: This limit applies to both POST requests and GET requests.

In other words, IE limits both with the same limit. Yes, you can change the amount the server will accept. It is in an .ini file I think.

[Sporkman]

Yes, you can change the amount the server will accept. It is in an .ini file I think.

Thanks, I'll look around for it...

[pmasiar]

I did some testing of this some time ago, Firefox does not have this limit, with FF lenght of URL for GET can go up to IIRC 20K or 60K characters (which IE cannot process correctly), and I needed workaround for it.

[LaRoza]

Thanks, I'll look around for it...

http://www.radinks.com/upload/config.php

(I am not pullings these links from memory, I am getting really efficient with google...)