Disk quota exceeded-what to do
When your hosting account runs out of disk space, email stops working and file uploads fail. This guide shows how to find what is using the most space and ho...
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When your disk quota is full, incoming email is bounced (recipients get delivery failure notices), file uploads fail, and WordPress may not save new content. Resolve it quickly to avoid email loss.
Check disk usage
In cPanel, scroll to the top of the page-disk usage is shown as a progress bar in the sidebar or top statistics area. You can also click Files → Disk Usage for a directory breakdown.
Or in CustomerPanel → Services → your hosting plan, the disk usage is shown on the service page.
Find large files and folders
In cPanel → Files → Disk Usage, click the directory tree to drill down into the largest folders. Common culprits:
| Location | Common cause |
|---|---|
public_html/wp-content/uploads/ | Large images, videos, or backups stored inside WordPress |
mail/ | Old email filling up mailboxes |
public_html/ (root) | Backup archives (.tar.gz, .zip) stored on the server |
tmp/ | Old temporary files that weren't cleaned up |
| Log files | Large error or access logs accumulating over time |
Free up disk space
- Delete old email-Log in to webmail, empty Trash, and delete old emails with large attachments. Check all folders including Sent.
- Remove backups stored on the server-Download them first, then delete from cPanel → Backup
- Compress and download large uploads-In File Manager, compress the uploads folder and download it, then delete the files you don't need
- Clear WordPress media library-Delete unused images and attachments from Media → Library
- Delete old logs-Log files in
logs/can be safely deleted; new ones will be created automatically - Remove plugin and theme backups-Some plugins store backups inside
wp-content/; move or delete them
Need more space?
If you consistently need more disk space than your current plan provides, upgrade to a larger plan:
- UnderMini (1 GB) → UnderScene (5 GB) → UnderShare (10 GB) → UnderBusiness (20 GB)
- For very large storage needs, consider a Cloud VPS with configurable SSD or a dedicated server
- Store large media files in a cloud service (S3, Backblaze B2) and link to them from WordPress via a plugin like WP Offload Media
See How to upgrade your account for upgrade instructions.
Related: Backup in cPanel | File Manager in cPanel | My website is down-what to check first | Upgrade account
Still troubleshooting?
Use UnderHost tools for quick checks, or open a support ticket when the issue needs account or server access.
