Each email account has a storage quota that limits how much mail it can hold. When a mailbox reaches its limit, new messages bounce back to the sender. This guide shows how to change an email account's storage quota in cPanel so the mailbox has room to grow, and how to choose a sensible size.
How to change the mailbox quota
- Log in to cPanel and go to Email > Email Accounts.
- The Storage: Used / Allocated / % column shows how full each mailbox is. Find the account and click Manage.
- Under Storage, find Allocated Storage Space.
- Choose Restricted and enter a new size (choose MB or GB), or choose Unlimited.
- Click Update Email Settings.
The change takes effect immediately. Messages that bounced while the mailbox was full are not redelivered, so ask anyone important to resend.
Restricted or Unlimited?
- Restricted sets a maximum size for that mailbox. We recommend this for most accounts. It stops one mailbox from quietly filling the disk space your website needs.
- Unlimited lets the mailbox grow until your Instant Access Internet Services hosting account's total disk space runs out. If that happens, your website, database and every other mailbox can stop working properly.
As a rough guide, 1-2 GB suits a light personal mailbox and 5-10 GB suits a busy business inbox that keeps years of attachments. Check your overall disk usage on the cPanel home page, under Statistics (Understanding cPanel Statistics: Disk Space, Bandwidth and Databases).
Other ways to free up space
Raising the quota isn't the only fix. Old mail and large attachments add up, especially in the Sent, Trash and Spam folders.
- Use Email > Email Disk Usage in cPanel to delete old messages in bulk from a chosen folder (How to Free Up Mailbox Space with Email Disk Usage).
- Empty Trash and Spam in Webmail or your email app.
- If you use POP3 on a single computer, your app may be leaving copies on the server. Consider IMAP instead, or set the app to delete messages from the server after a set number of days (IMAP vs POP3: Which Should You Use?).
Common questions
Senders get "mailbox full" or "quota exceeded" bounces
Increase the quota as above, or free up space. See How to Fix "Mailbox Full" Errors for more fixes.
I lowered the quota below what the mailbox uses. What happens?
Nothing is deleted. The mailbox is simply over its limit, so it stops receiving new mail until you delete messages or raise the quota again.
Does the quota include folders in my email app?
If you use IMAP, yes. Every folder you see in the app (including Sent, Drafts, Archive and Trash) is stored on the server and counts toward the quota. Local folders stored only on your computer don't.
The usage figure hasn't updated after I deleted mail
Make sure the messages were removed from Trash too. cPanel's usage figure can take a little while to refresh; reload the page after a few minutes.
Can I get more disk space for my hosting account?
If your whole account is running low, open a ticket and we'll go over your options.
Related guides
- How to Free Up Mailbox Space with Email Disk Usage
- How to Fix "Mailbox Full" Errors
- How to Create an Email Account in cPanel
- Understanding cPanel Statistics: Disk Space, Bandwidth and Databases
Still stuck? Open a support ticket and the Instant Access Internet Services team will help.
