When managing a website through cPanel, most users are aware of their disk space limits but many overlook something just as important: inodes.
If your website suddenly stops accepting uploads, displays “disk full” errors despite having free space, or you’re unable to create new files or emails, the real issue may not be your storage it might be inode usage.
In this article, we’ll explain what inodes are, why they matter for cPanel users, and how you can monitor, reduce, and manage inode usage effectively without needing technical expertise.

What Are Inodes?

An inode (index node) is a data structure on your server that stores metadata about a file or folder not the content itself.

Think of it this way:

• One file = one inode

• One email = one inode

• One folder = one inode

• One image = one inode

If your hosting plan allows 300,000 inodes, it means you can have up to 300,000 total files and folders, regardless of their size.

Important:

• A 1 GB video = 1 inode

• A 1 KB text file = 1 inode
  So inode limits are not about size they’re about file count.

Where to View Inode Usage in cPanel

1. Log in to cPanel

2. Look at the right-hand sidebar

3. Find the section labeled “File Usage” or “Inodes”

You’ll see something like:

This means you’ve used 148,320 out of 300,000 allowed inodes.

Some hosting providers also display inode counts in the “Statistics” section of cPanel.

What Happens When You Hit the Inode Limit?

Reaching your inode limit can silently break your website or email without clear warnings. You may notice:

• Can’t upload new files to your website

• Backups start failing

• Emails bounce or don’t get delivered

• WordPress plugin/theme updates fail

• cPanel shows errors related to file system

Even if you have plenty of disk space left, your site may stop working properly due to inode exhaustion.

How to Reduce Inode Usage in cPanel

The good news: inode usage can often be quickly reduced by cleaning up unnecessary files.

1. Delete Unused Files and Backups

• Go to File Manager in cPanel

• Check /public_html/, /tmp/, and /backups/ folders

• Delete:

  • Old plugin/theme backups

  • Exported .zip or .tar.gz files

  • Staging copies no longer needed

2. Clean Up Email Accounts

Each stored email = 1 inode.

• Go to Email Accounts

• Click “Check Email” > RoundCube

• Delete large or outdated emails

• Empty Trash, Spam, and Sent folders

You can also use Email Disk Usage to bulk-remove messages.

3. Remove Unused WordPress Plugins & Themes

Each plugin/theme has hundreds of files.

• Log into WordPress admin

• Deactivate and delete unused plugins/themes

• Alternatively, go to wp-content/plugins/ and delete directly via File Manager

4. Delete Old Cache Files

Caching plugins can create thousands of small files.

• Locate folders like:

  • /wp-content/cache/

  • /tmp/

  • /lscache/ (if using LiteSpeed)

• Delete old cached content

• Clear cache via WordPress or manually via File Manager

5. Clear Logs and Temporary Files

• Check /tmp/, /logs/, and similar folders

• These often contain old session or error logs

• Clean out files older than a few weeks

6. Avoid Too Many Small Emails or Cron Files

• Avoid mailboxes with 10,000+ tiny emails

• Limit cron jobs that generate excessive logs or temp files

Advanced Tip: Use SSH (if available)

If your host provides SSH access:

This shows total file count (i.e., inode usage) under your account.

You can also sort folders by inode count:

This helps identify which directory is using the most inodes.

How to Prevent Inode Overload

Here are best practices to avoid reaching inode limits:

• Use external email services (like Gmail) for high-volume accounts

• Configure WordPress plugins to limit stored backups

• Archive old files offline instead of keeping everything on the server

• Avoid hoarding old sites, test copies, or temp files

• Enable automatic cleanup for caching plugins

Final Thoughts

Inodes are one of the least understood limitations in shared and reseller hosting — but one of the most important. You don’t need to be a system administrator to manage them effectively.
By monitoring your inode usage from cPanel, keeping your file system clean, and deleting what you no longer need, you can avoid unexpected issues and keep your hosting environment healthy.