Mailbox Full: How to Free Up Space or Increase the Quota

Each mailbox has a storage limit, called a quota. When it’s full, new messages bounce back to the people writing to you. You can delete mail you don’t need, or give the mailbox more space.

See how full the mailbox is

1. Log in to cPanel. If you can’t log in, open a support ticket.
2. In the cPanel sidebar, click Email.
3. Find the address. The list shows the storage it uses and the space it has left. The Near quota tab lists mailboxes that are almost full.

If you see an Email Accounts icon instead, click it and look at the storage shown for the address. Or type the tool’s name in cPanel’s search box (Ctrl+K or Cmd+K). If you can’t find it, open a support ticket.

Free up space in Webmail

1. Click Manage in the address’s row, then click Open Webmail. Webmail opens in a new browser tab.
2. Look for messages with large attachments, and for old mail in Sent. These usually use the most space.
3. Delete the messages you don’t need. They move to Trash.
4. Empty the Junk (or Spam) folder. Junk counts toward the mailbox’s limit.

Trash doesn’t count toward the mailbox’s limit, but it still uses your hosting account’s storage. Empty it only when you’re sure: mail emptied from Trash is gone for good.

Optional: delete in bulk with Email Disk Usage

Some cPanel accounts have an Email Disk Usage tool (search for it). If yours doesn’t, use Webmail as above.

1. Open Email Disk Usage and choose the address in the Account menu.
2. Check the Disk Usage column to see which folders are biggest.
3. Click Manage next to a folder.
4. Choose what to remove. 30MB in size or more removes only very large messages, and 1 year old or more removes old ones. Previously viewed removes every message that has been opened, and All messages empties the folder: use those two only on Junk or Trash.
5. Click Delete Permanently.

Increase the mailbox quota

1. On cPanel’s Email page, click Manage in the address’s row.
2. Open the Settings tab.
3. Click Edit Quota.
4. Enter a larger number, or select Unlimited if it’s offered.
5. Click Save.

With an Email Accounts icon: click Manage, find Allocated Storage Space, choose Specify Storage Space and enter a larger number (or choose Unlimited or Maximum, if offered), then click Update Email Settings.

How to tell it worked

1. Open the mailbox in Webmail once. cPanel updates the storage figure when someone signs in to the mailbox.
2. Reload cPanel’s Email page, and check that the storage used is below the limit. It can take a few minutes.
3. Send a test message from another address. If it arrives, the mailbox is accepting mail again.

Troubleshooting

• The mailbox still shows as full after deleting: emptying Trash won’t change the figure. Delete more from the Inbox, Sent or Junk, open Webmail again, and give it a few minutes.
• You can’t raise the quota any higher: open a support ticket to ask about your options.
• It fills up again quickly: large attachments in Sent are a common cause. Clear old Sent mail now and then, after saving anything you need.
• Senders still get bounces: see what to check when you aren’t receiving email.

Still need help?

Open a support ticket from the Client Portal at my.bluearctic.com (see our support page). Include your domain, the email address, the storage use shown in cPanel, any bounce message text, a screenshot, and what you already tried. Never include a password.