The Statistics panel on your cPanel home page shows how much of your Instant Access Internet Services hosting plan you're using right now. This guide explains each cPanel statistic - disk space, bandwidth, databases and more - what the warning icons mean, and what to do when you're running low.
Where to find cPanel statistics
Log in to cPanel. The Statistics panel is on the right side of the Tools page (or below the tools on a phone or narrow window). Each row shows what you've used, your limit, and a bar showing how full it is.
- A warning icon means you're at 80% or more of that limit - time to tidy up.
- The infinity symbol means the item is unlimited on your plan.
- An exclamation mark means cPanel couldn't read that value; hover over it for details.
What each statistic means
| Statistic | What it counts |
|---|---|
| Disk Usage | All the space your account takes up: website files, email, databases and logs. |
| Database Disk Usage | The part of your disk space used by MySQL databases (for example, WordPress). |
| File Usage | The number of files and folders (sometimes called inodes). Every email message is a file, so large mailboxes raise this number. |
| Bandwidth | Data transferred this month: web pages and downloads served, plus email. It resets at the start of each month. |
| Email Accounts | Mailboxes you've created. Unlimited on standard plans. |
| Forwarders and Email Filters | Email forwarders and filters you've set up. |
| FTP Accounts | Extra FTP logins. Standard plans include 10. |
| Subdomains | Subdomains such as blog.example.com. Unlimited on standard plans. |
| Manage My Databases | How many MySQL databases you have. Unlimited on standard plans. |
| CPU Usage, Memory Usage, Entry Processes | How hard your site is working right now. See our Resource Usage guide for details. |
Features that aren't included on standard plans, such as addon domains, mailing lists and autoresponders, are hidden and don't appear in the panel. Each account hosts one website/domain; if you need more, open a ticket to discuss options.
How to free up disk space
When disk usage gets close to the limit, email can start bouncing and uploads or WordPress updates can fail. The usual culprits, in order:
- Email. Old messages and attachments add up fast. Go to Email > Email Disk Usage to find the biggest folders and delete old mail in bulk. Empty the Trash and Junk folders too.
- Old backups and ZIP files. In Files > File Manager, look for large
.zip,.tar.gzor.wpressfiles in your home folder orpublic_htmlthat you've already downloaded. You don't need to keep your own backups on the server - JetBackup 5 already backs up your account three times a week. - WordPress extras. Remove unused plugins and themes, and staging copies you no longer need in Domains > WordPress Management (WP Toolkit).
- Cache and log files. Clear your cache plugin's cache. Very large error logs can be emptied.
In File Manager, click the Size column heading to sort a folder's files by size and spot the big ones quickly.
What about bandwidth?
Bandwidth rises with visitors, large images, video and file downloads. If you're getting close to the monthly limit:
- Compress images before uploading and serve video from YouTube or Vimeo instead of your hosting.
- Turn on LiteSpeed Cache for WordPress.
- Use Hotlink Protection to stop other sites embedding your images.
- Check Metrics > Bandwidth or Awstats for unusual traffic, such as a bot downloading the same files over and over.
Common questions
Why doesn't Disk Usage match what I've uploaded?
Disk usage includes everything: email in every mailbox, databases, logs, cache files and hidden files like .trash folders. Email is often the biggest part.
How often are the numbers updated?
Disk usage is recalculated regularly rather than instantly, so it may take a while to drop after you delete files. Bandwidth updates through the day and resets monthly.
Do backups count toward my disk space?
Backup files you create yourself and leave inside your account (ZIPs, exports, plugin backups) do count, so download them and delete the server copy. The automatic JetBackup 5 backups are stored off the server, so they don't use any of your disk space.
I need more space
Open a ticket or check the client area for upgrade options.
Related guides
- cPanel Resource Usage Explained: CPU, Memory and Entry Process Limits
- How to Free Up Mailbox Space with Email Disk Usage
- How to View Website Statistics with AWStats and Bandwidth
- How Website Backups Work on Your Hosting Account (JetBackup 5)
- How to Stop Hotlinking with cPanel Hotlink Protection
Still stuck? Open a support ticket and the Instant Access Internet Services team will help.
