How to Fix “Is its parent directory writable by the server?” Error on Shared Hosting

There are two methods of resolving the issue on shared hosting — by changing the directory path and permissions of the uploads folder.

Method 1 – Changing the Uploads Folder Directory

Sometimes, the “Is its parent directory writable by the server?” issue occurs because WordPress can’t recognize the location of the uploads folder.

Access your hosting file manager or FTP, and search for the wp-config.php file. It is commonly located in the root folder of your website (/public_html).

Open the file and add the following code:

define( 'UPLOADS', 'wp-content/uploads' );

before this line:

require_once(ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php');

Save the file. Now, try to upload your media files again.

Method 2 – Changing Folder Permissions

If you still get the “Is its parent directory writable by the server?” error after following Method 1, you might want to try resetting the permissions of your uploads folder.

Simply follow the instructions below:

1. Connect to your account via an FTP client or file manager. Go to the WordPress installation directory — commonly in /public_html.
2. Open the wp-content folder and right-click on the uploads folder.
3. Click on File Permissions. A new dialogue box will pop up. Look for the Numeric Value field and enter 755.
4. Scroll down and make sure the Recurse into subdirectories box is checked.
5. Select Apply to directories only and click OK.

By performing this method, you will reset the permissions of the uploads folder and its subfolders to 755.

The number means the owner of the file can read, write, and execute the file. This is important to allow the directory to be writable. Hence, fixing the “Is its parent directory writable by the server?” error.