How to Free Up Space on Your Web Hosting Account

Running out of space on your hosting account?

You’re not alone — it happens. And if you’ve just had a disk usage warning or noticed your backups failing, this post will help you get back in the green.

Here’s how to clear space safely without breaking your site.

1. Check What’s Using the Space

If you’re using cPanel, go to:

cPanel > Disk Usage

You’ll see what’s eating up your storage — usually:

• Email inboxes
• Backups
• Log files
• Old install folders
• Large media files

Focus on folders with the biggest numbers. That’s where you’ll get the most impact.

2. Clean Up Old Emails

Email can be a hidden space-hog.
Go to Webmail and check for:

• Sent mail or trash that’s never been emptied
• Large attachments
• Old archived folders

TIP: Set up email forwarding or use IMAP with a desktop client to manage space better long-term.

3. Delete Backups You Don’t Need

Some plugins (like WordPress backup tools) store backups on the same hosting account — which quickly fills things up.

Look in folders like:

• /wp-content/backups/
• /backups/
• /softaculous_backups/

Only delete if you’re sure. Or download them first, then delete.

4. Remove Old Websites or Test Installs

Still have that “test” WordPress site from 3 years ago?
If it’s no longer needed, it’s safe to remove it (after checking that there are no files you want to keep).

Same goes for old CMS folders like:

• /joomla/
• /dev-site/
• /newsite/

5. Optimise Large Files

Uploading huge images or videos directly to your site?
Use an image compression plugin (like Smush or TinyPNG) or offload videos to YouTube or Vimeo to save serious space.

Still Running Out of Room?

Sometimes the best move is to upgrade to a plan with more space — especially if you’re growing, adding new content, or running a busy site.

We’ll help you decide if it’s time to move up a level, or just tidy things up.

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