MLSImport needs WordPress 5.2 or newer and PHP 7.4 or newer to activate. Those are the minimums to run it, and they are nowhere near what a real MLS feed needs.
The setting that decides whether large imports finish is execution time, because one import task runs inside a single background process. Whatever that process can complete before the server stops it is the practical size of an import on your hosting.
Recommended PHP settings
Ask your host to apply these for larger imports. They are the values we test against.
memory_limit = 512Mmax_execution_time = 600at minimum, or0for unlimitedset_time_limit = 3600at minimummax_input_time = 3600at minimummax_input_vars = 10000upload_max_filesize = 512Mandpost_max_size = 512M
The two that matter most are execution time and memory. An import that stops part way through has hit one of them, and the memory figure written on each line of the import log tells you which.
A host that will not raise max_execution_time is a harder problem than a slow one. Some platforms enforce a ceiling above the PHP setting, so the value in your control panel is ignored. Ask the question as “what is the maximum a PHP process is allowed to run for on this plan, and can it be raised” rather than “can I change max_execution_time”, because the answers are different.
Why max_input_vars is on the list
Screens with very long forms post more variables than a default PHP configuration accepts, and the extra ones are dropped without an error. Import tasks with large multi value filters, such as a long list of cities, are the case that hits it.
The Select Import Fields screen used to be the worst offender and is no longer, because field selections are saved in chunks of fifty through background requests rather than one large form post. Keep the value generous anyway. It costs nothing and it removes a class of silent failure.
What we have tested
Two managed hosts have carried large imports in our own tests, both recorded on video.
- Kinsta, with roughly 6,000 listings imported on a single site plan.
- Cloudways, with roughly 8,000 listings, one task of about 4,000 among them. From support cases we have also seen a feed of around 40,000 listings running there.
Neither result is a guarantee for every feed. A feed of 70,000 listings and above needs stable background processing, real database capacity and reliable cron, and is worth proving on a trial account before you commit.
Test before you migrate, not after. Open a trial account, put a copy of the site on it, and run an import at your real listing volume. That tells you which hosting package you actually need, and it is a much cheaper way to find out than moving a live site onto a plan that turns out to be too small.
If it does not work
- The import stops at a multiple of 25. Whole pages completed and the process was stopped between them, which is execution time or memory.
- The count differs on every attempt. A time limit, cutting the run at a different point each time.
- A long filter list does not save.
max_input_varsis too low for that form. - Nothing runs on schedule. That is cron rather than resources, and it has its own checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Will shared hosting work?
For a few hundred listings, often yes. For thousands, the limits that shared plans enforce are exactly the ones the import needs raised, so a VPS or a managed WordPress plan sized for the feed is the realistic answer.
Can you migrate our site for us?
No. We help with the MLSImport side inside wp-admin, including import task setup and checking the run, and the migration itself is between you and your host.
Does MLSImport need a lot of disk space?
Less than people expect. Listing photos are served from the MLS image source rather than copied into your media library, so what grows is the database, not the uploads folder.
Which PHP version should we run?
A currently supported one. The plugin requires 7.4 as a floor and is developed and tested on the versions WordPress currently recommends.
Related
- Memory, batch size and large imports
- Imports that stop at 25 listings
- WP Engine and the platform execution limit
- Cron not working: a checklist
- How many listings can you import
Send us your listing count and your hosting plan and we will tell you whether it is sized for the feed.