Running Low on Disk Space? Check Your cPanel Disk Usage!

Don't get caught with a full hosting account! Running out of disk space can lead to unexpected downtime, bounce your emails, and prevent website file uploads.

This quick, step-by-step video demonstrates how to use the **Disk Usage** tool in cPanel to see a detailed, visual breakdown of where your storage is being consumed. This tool is **essential** for managing your hosting plan limits, identifying large files, and understanding which directories (like backups, email, or website files) are taking up the most space.

Disk Usage Monitoring Steps

1. Log into your cPanel account. (The demonstration in the video features a BCHost.com interface, but the steps are universal for cPanel.)
2. In the Files section, click the Disk Usage icon.
3. The top of the page provides a clear summary of space usage by location (e.g., Home Directory, email, databases, etc.). This gives you a quick overview.
4. Scroll down to see a collapsible list of directories. You can sort this list by name or, more practically, by **Disk Usage** to quickly identify the largest folders.
5. **Expand Directories:** Clicking the plus sign ($+$) next to a folder will expand the directory to show the file size of its contents, helping you drill down into subfolders.
6. **Manage Files Directly:** Clicking the actual folder name will launch the **File Manager** directly to that directory, allowing you to easily manage, move, or delete large, unneeded files (such as old backup archives or large log files).

Pro-Tip: Pay close attention to folders like /mail (if you have many saved emails), /public_html/wp-content/uploads (for WordPress sites with many images/media), and any custom backup folders you've created.

Knowing your usage helps you avoid unexpected downtime and ensures your website remains fast, operational, and within your hosting plan limits!