When an account reaches its disk quota or inode limit, strange things happen: uploads fail, WordPress cannot update, and incoming email bounces. DirectAdmin shows where the space goes, and a few clean-up steps usually solve the problem quickly.
Before you start
- Your DirectAdmin login.
- Understand the two limits: disk space (total size of files) and inodes (number of files and folders – many tiny files such as cache or session files can fill it).
Check usage
- On the DirectAdmin dashboard, look at Disk Space and Inodes against your package limits.
- Go to System Info & Files → Disk Usage to see a breakdown by area: domains (website files), email, databases, and the home directory.
Find large folders
In the File Manager, folders often show sizes, or use SSH for a precise view:
du -sh ~/* ~/domains/*/public_html/* 2>/dev/null | sort -h | tail -20To find folders with the most files (inodes):
find ~ -xdev -type f | cut -d/ -f1-6 | sort | uniq -c | sort -n | tailSee SSH access in DirectAdmin.
Common space hogs and fixes
| Where | What to do |
|---|---|
~/backups | Download old DirectAdmin backups, then delete them from the server |
| Email (Trash, Spam, large attachments) | Empty Trash and Spam in webmail; archive old mail locally |
Cache folders (e.g. wp-content/cache) | Clear the cache plugin; old cache files regrow but faster than before is fine |
| Old site copies and ZIP archives | Delete old/, backup.zip, staging copies you no longer use |
error_log files | Fix the PHP errors, then delete the huge log files |
| Plugin backup folders (e.g. updraft) | Move backups off-server or to remote storage |
Mailboxes over quota
Each mailbox also has its own quota under E-Mail Manager → E-Mail Accounts. A full mailbox rejects new mail even if the account has space. Raise the mailbox quota or clean up the mailbox. Configuring the email client to use IMAP and delete from the server helps keep it tidy.
Databases
Large databases often contain old revisions, logs or sessions. For WordPress, clean post revisions and transients with a maintenance plugin; for custom apps, prune log tables. Check database sizes in MySQL Management; see MySQL in DirectAdmin.
After cleaning
DirectAdmin recalculates usage periodically, so the dashboard may take a while to update. If you consistently need more space, upgrade your plan or ask your reseller; for MdmHost hosting you can upgrade from the dashboard.
Troubleshooting
- Usage did not drop: files were moved to the File Manager Trash; empty it.
- Inodes stay high: a cache or session folder keeps millions of tiny files; configure the app to clean them.
- Email still bouncing: the individual mailbox quota is full.