How to Set Bandwidth Limits for Uploads with Delivery Optimization in Windows 11

Step 1Open Delivery Optimization Settings

A fixed-speed cap is a Group Policy setting, available on Pro, Enterprise and Education editions. Home edition has no Group Policy editor, so the percentage and monthly limits are the tools you have there. The Delivery Optimization settings sit under Windows Update, in Advanced options.

1. Click the Start button. It is in the bottom-left corner of the taskbar🖥️, or in the center if your taskbar is centered.
2. Click the Settings cogwheel icon. The Settings⚙️ window opens. Pressing the Win and I together opens the same window.
3. In the left pane, click Windows Update🔃. The Windows Update🔃 page appears on the right.
4. Click Advanced options.
5. Scroll down and click Delivery Optimization. You should now see the Delivery Optimization page.

That’s it for navigation. You are on the page that holds every Delivery Optimization setting, and the steps below all start from here.

Step 2Find the Upload Settings

1. At the top of the Delivery Optimization page, find the toggle named Allow downloads from other devices. On some Windows 11 builds it reads Allow downloads from other PCs.
2. Decide what you want. If the toggle is off, your PC is not sharing updates with anyone, and the upload limits have nothing to limit. If you want no sharing at all, leave it off, which is the cleanest fix. If you want sharing on but capped, turn it on.
3. If the toggle is on, look at the sharing choice below it. Choosing your local network only means no update data goes out over your internet connection, so the internet upload limit does not come into play.
4. Click Advanced options on the same page and find the upload section. The original version of this guide calls it Upload options. On some Windows 11 builds it reads Upload settings. Both hold the same controls.

You should now see the controls that set how much of your connection is used for sending update files to other computers. Two limits live here: a percentage cap on upload speed and a monthly cap on total data.

If you cannot find the upload section, check that you are on the Delivery Optimization page and not the main Windows Update page. Also make sure Windows is fully updated, because the layout has changed slightly between Windows 11 releases.

The same Advanced options page usually has a download section too. It limits how much bandwidth Windows uses to fetch updates for itself, which is a separate task from the upload limits covered here.

Step 3Limit Upload Speed Percentage

This setting caps the share of your upload speed that Windows can use for sending updates to other devices. It leaves enough bandwidth for browsing, streaming and calls. The percentage is relative to the upload speed Windows measures on your connection, not a fixed number of megabits.

1. In the upload section, find the setting labeled “Limit how much bandwidth is used for uploading updates to other devices on the internet.” On some builds the wording is slightly different, for example “other PCs on the Internet”.
2. Turn the option on if it has a checkbox or toggle.
3. Use the slider or dropdown menu to choose a percentage.
4. Pick a low value. A setting of 5% or 10% means Delivery Optimization uses only that small part of your upload speed. You should see the percentage you chose displayed next to the control.

That’s it. Windows now holds update uploads to the percentage you picked, so your calls and games keep most of your upload capacity.

This limit applies to uploads to devices on the internet. If you only share with PCs on your own network, that traffic does not use your internet upload. A good approach is to start at 5% and raise it only if you have a reason to.

To undo the change, move the slider back up or turn the option off.

Step 4Set a Monthly Upload Limit (Optional but Recommended for Data Caps)

A monthly upload limit puts a ceiling on the total data Windows can send for update sharing in one month. This is useful on a metered or capped connection, since it helps you avoid overage charges and throttling. A limit of 50 GB is one example.

1. Still in the upload section, find Monthly upload limit.
2. Turn the option on if it has a toggle or checkbox.
3. Use the slider or dropdown menu to choose a maximum in gigabytes (GB). Windows offers values from a few GB up to 500 GB or more, depending on your build.
4. Choose an amount that fits your internet plan and how you use the connection.

You should now have a monthly ceiling in place. Once the limit is reached, Windows stops uploading update data to other devices until the next month. Your own updates and downloads are not affected.

To remove the cap, turn the option off or raise the value. Use the percentage limit and the monthly limit together if you want to control both the speed and the total amount of data. The percentage limit handles the moment-to-moment load, while the monthly limit guards your data plan.

On most builds, the Activity monitor page on the Delivery Optimization page shows how much data Windows has uploaded. Check it after a few weeks to see whether your limits suit your connection.

Step 5Save Your Settings

Delivery Optimization saves your changes as you make them, so there is no save or apply button. You do not need to restart the PC. When you have set the upload percentage and, if you want one, the monthly limit, close the Settings window.

Windows starts using the new limits right away for background update sharing. To check your settings later, repeat the steps above to return to the Delivery Optimization page.

If the options are greyed out or missing on a work or school PC, an administrator may be managing them with Group Policy or a device management tool. In that case, ask your IT team to change the limits.

References:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-US/Windows/Deployment/Updates-Lifecycle/delivery-optimization-in-windows

Summary

Delivery Optimization lets you control how much upload speed and data Windows uses to share updates with other computers. Limiting it keeps your connection responsive for your own work. Go to Settings › Windows Update › Advanced options › Delivery Optimization. There, set a percentage limit for upload speed and, if you want, a monthly data limit. If you do not want to share updates at all, turn off Allow downloads from other devices.