Did you see a red line in the block of entry processes under the statistics section on the right sidebar of cPanel?
That means something went wrong with your server, whether the host is GoDaddy or A2Hosting.
Due to this issue, the number of PHP processes has crossed the limit of allowed processes set by your host.
Unfortunately, your visitor can see “Resource Limit is Reached” or” 508 error” in front of your website. 
It can hurt your revenue as well as your business reputation.
So hurry now.
Table of Contents
Fix Entry Process cPanel Limit Reached
What are Entry Processes?
As you know, WordPress’s backend is built of PHP.
Whenever a visitor tries to access your WordPress website, WordPress runs PHP processes to make an HTTP response to fulfill the user’s HTTP request.
These processes appear in the entry process section and are completed in less than a second.
The section also includes CGI scripts, cron jobs, and show sessions.
A myth among beginners is that 20 entry processes denote merely 20 visitors. No, 20 processes can handle around 60–70 visitors in real-time.
It is noticeable that a caching system or a caching plugin plays a big role in sustaining huge loads of visitors.
Why Has Entry Processes Limit Reached?
As I earlier said, a process takes less than a second to complete.
But sometimes, some PHP scripts take longer than usual to execute and keep the server busy for a long time due to software conflicts, massive traffic, or cyber-attacks.
That will increase the number of processes, and it can cross the limit. Then we get the error.
How To Fix Entry Process Limit Reached
Many factors contribute to resource-hungry script execution, unusual sudden traffic, and security vulnerabilities. We need to fix them.
1.Avoid Resource Hungry Plugin
There are thousands of plugins in the WordPress directory. Some of them are lightweight and consume fewer resources to perform their actions.
On the contrary, some are heavily coded, adding a bunch of CSS & JS code to your blog.
The server needs more resources than the general need to run a bunch of codes.
It’s interesting that users usually do not use all the features of heavy plugins but are obliged to load all codes.
Loading heavier codes causes server slowness, an increase in entry processes, or resource scarcity.
So find out if you are using a heavy one.
How To Trace Resource-Hungry Plugins
1.Install WP Hive extension in your Chrome browser.
2.Visit wordpress.org/plugins
3.Search your plugin, i.e. jetpack
4.Find WP Hive Insight on the right side below the plugin image.
If the minimal impact on memory usage or page speed is under the red cross, you should avoid the plugins and use an alternate one.
My Favorite Lightweight Plugins
2.Avoid Too Many Plugins
As beginners, we used to install many plugins to test them and figure out the best one.
It is a good thing.
But we often forget to deactivate them. These just keep eating our precious server resources and adding extra load to the origin server.
Even a deactivated plugin is a security threat because it won’t get updated and become vulnerable.
Hackers can exploit it to take over the website, and they can ruin website data.
So if you don’t use any plugins, deactivate and delete them from your website. It will unburden your server.
3.Fix Plugin Conflicts
Plugins are essential to grow our WordPress website, which various developers make from around the world.
Therefore, the coding style will be different. It may cause compatibility issues with other plugins or themes.
Sometimes two plugins from the same developer can cause problems.
Recently, my client updated the Elementor plugin, but the Elementor Pro plugin started to cause a PHP Fatal error. I had to fix it.
The other two reasons are improper speed optimization and using PHP 8.1. You can fix it with the guide.
4.Fix Theme Conflicts
If all the plugins are alright, your theme may be the culprit. The reasons might be the same as plugin conflicts. You can follow up to fix it.
5.Stop Huge Cron Jobs
Cron Jobs is like an AI-based robot that automates many tasks like backups, post sharing, post publishing, plugin auto-updating, etc.
It requires RAM and CPU resources and adds numbers to the entry process.
Do minimal automation and more manual tasks, especially on shared hosting.
If you are on VPS and you can chill pills with automation.
6. Don’t Host Too Many Websites on A Single Host Account
Many websites on a single account are like too many eggs in a basket, which have a higher chance of falling and breaking.
Many websites crave a lot of resources. If any website gets viral or has huge bot traffic, resource consumption will increase.
It impacts other websites too. On shared hosting, the situation gets much worse.
In fact, it is not recommended to keep multiple websites on a server for security and safety.
If one property gets hacked, the rest can also get infected. It can blow up your online empire in a few seconds.
7.Secure from Cyber Attacks
30,000 websites are hacked every day. It’s so scary. Hackers can execute brute force to know your password, DDoS attacks to down your server, and XSS attacks to take control of your website.
During the attack, the server loads and processes touch the sky. In this frightening case, shared hosts usually suspend the account to save others’ properties.
What can we do to protect our website?
#Use Cloudflare – Put security level high.
You can also choose “I’m Under Attack!” when you feel the hacker is about to bomb you.
#Use Wordfence Plugin – It will enable a firewall and scan your files to deduct suspicious code or files.
#Limit Login Plugin – it will protect your login page from brute force attacks.
8.Shield Against Bot Traffic
Nearly all bots make up two-thirds of internet traffic. The army of bots may have an impact on your website.
Massive bot traffic can overutilize your resources and hamper your server processes.
Use Wordfence and Cloudflare. In Cloudflare, don’t forget to enable bot fight mode under the security tab.
9.Do A Proper Speed Optimization
Did you do speed optimization recently? If you are a novice, there’s a higher possibility that you might have done something wrong.
You might have blocked, combined, or minified important files that need to be loaded separately. It can alleviate your server performance.
So it would help if you have proper speed optimization; hire any speed expert today.
10.Move To Cloud VPS
If any of these reasons are not behind it, you should be happy because it might be due to genuine, massive traffic.
You need to upgrade your host or move to a cloud VPS.
You will get amazing cluster features on Cloud VPS that drive unbeatable uptime.
Guaranteed private resources like bandwidth, SSD storage, RAM, and CPU let you feel how a kite flies in the sky.
Ultimately, it brings more security, top-notch performance, and blazing speed. You can try the enterprise-grade VPS for WordPress and other CMSs for 30 days with a $100 credit at no cost.
FAQ
1. What does the “Entry Processes Limit Reached” error mean in cPanel?
This error occurs when your server exceeds the allowed number of PHP processes, which handle HTTP requests for your website. These processes include PHP scripts, cron jobs, CGI scripts, and sessions. When the limit is crossed, visitors see errors like “Resource Limit Reached” or “508 error,” potentially harming your site’s availability and reputation.
2. How can resource-heavy plugins contribute to this issue?
Resource-heavy plugins consume excessive server resources (CPU/RAM) due to bloated code or unused features. Tools like the WP Hive Chrome extension can help identify such plugins by analyzing their memory usage and page speed impact. Replace them with lightweight alternatives like Perfmatters, RankMath, or WP Rocket to reduce server strain.
3. What security steps can prevent entry process limit errors?
- Use Cloudflare with security settings like “High” or “I’m Under Attack” mode to block malicious traffic.
- Install Wordfence for firewall protection and malware scans.
- Limit brute-force attacks with a Limit Login Plugin.
- Enable Cloudflare’s Bot Fight Mode to mitigate bot traffic.
4. Why does hosting multiple websites on one account cause this issue?
Hosting multiple sites on a single account (especially shared hosting) pools resources. A traffic surge, bot attack, or resource-heavy script on one site can exhaust resources for all others, triggering entry process limits. For better stability, use a Cloud VPS with dedicated resources.
5. How do cron jobs affect entry processes?
Cron jobs automate tasks (e.g., backups, updates) but consume server resources. Excessive automation on shared hosting can spike entry processes. Minimize non-essential cron jobs or switch to a VPS for more resource flexibility.
6. When should I upgrade to a Cloud VPS?
Upgrade if your site has genuine high traffic, recurring resource limits, or requires enhanced security/performance. Cloud VPS offers dedicated resources (CPU, RAM, SSD) and scalability. Providers often include trials, such as a 30-day $100 credit for enterprise-grade hosting.
Meet Ravi Kumar, our web hosting and WordPress speed optimization guru with over 4 years of experience. He’s optimized 150+ websites, uncovering common VPS performance issues. Armed with insights, Ravi ensures smooth VPS experiences for all.