How to Optimize and Free Up Web Hosting Disk Space Print

  • cPanel, Files, Disk Usage, MySQL® Databases
  • 262

Disk space refers to the amount of storage allocated on your hosting server for all your website-related content. This includes images, videos, databases, pages, email accounts, documents, and other files. With full access to manage your storage, you can organize and control how content such as your site's logo, photos, blog articles, CSS, PHP, and JavaScript files are stored. Essentially, everything that powers your site and what visitors interact with is stored within this allocated space.

If your disk space usage hits the limit, your website may begin to suffer from performance issues. This can cause problems such as the inability to generate temporary files, receive emails, or even load properly for visitors. A completely full disk can potentially make your website inaccessible.

To monitor your disk space and bandwidth usage on your LyteHosting account, refer to this guide:

WordPress Optimization Guide

Here’s how you can check your disk space, database sizes, and inode usage:

Disk Space

STEP 1: Log in to cPanel.

There are two methods to log into your cPanel.

  • Method 1: Log in to your cPanel directly.
  • Method 2: Log in to your cPanel through your Customer Portal.

Through your Customer Portal;                          

  • Log in to your Customer Portal.
  • Click on "Log in to cPanel".

Login - to - cPanel

STEP 2: Locate the Files section and click on Disk Usage.

cPanel - Files Section - Disk Usage

You'll see a breakdown of disk space consumption by folder, along with the total usage.

Tip: Pay attention to folders using the most space.

MySQL Databases

STEP 1: On the Disk Usage page in your cPanel, scroll down until you see Databases listed under the “Location” column and click on it.

STEP 2: This will take you to the MySQL® Databases section, where all the databases associated with your LyteHosting account are displayed, along with their respective sizes.

Disk Usage - Total Space Consumed by the Contents

Tip: Identify which databases are consuming the most space so you can optimize or clean them up if necessary.

Inode Usage

Inodes represent the total number of files and directories in your hosting account. This includes emails, files, folders, and anything else stored on your server. The method for checking inode usage may vary depending on your hosting package with LyteHosting.

 

Tips to Prevent Storage Problems

1. Remove Unnecessary Files and Folders

Clean up your account by deleting outdated or unused files and directories. Only keep files that are actively used by your website(s).

Always back up your site before deleting anything. For instructions, see:

You can free up storage by accessing File Manager in cPanel or using an FTP client to remove files.

2. Delete Unused CMS Installations

If you’ve installed CMS applications you’re no longer using (like WordPress or Joomla), remove them to reclaim storage space. For help, refer to:

3. Clear Out Old Backups

Old backups can take up a lot of space, especially when generated by WordPress plugins. Consider moving these backups to an external service like Google Drive or storing them locally on your device. Once transferred, remove them from your hosting account.

Want automated daily backups? Consider using CodeGuard, which provides continuous protection and daily snapshots of your site.

4. Remove Inactive Plugins

Using WordPress? If you're not using certain plugins, deactivate and delete them to reduce resource usage. Learn more:

5. Delete Unused Media Files

Audit your website’s media library and remove outdated or unused images, videos, and other media files to save space.

6. Clean Out Email Folders

If you use LyteHosting's webmail service and your inode usage is high, delete emails in your Spam, Trash, and other unnecessary folders. Every email is a file that contributes to your total inode count.


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