Knowledgebase

Managing Disk Space on Your Hosting Account (Firstserv)

Keeping your disk usage under control helps ensure you remain on the most cost-effective hosting plan while maintaining optimal website performance. Regular monitoring can also help keep your websites fast and efficient.

For further details on what happens if you exceed your disk allowance, please refer to our separate guide.

Top Tips for Managing Disk Space

1. Use the cPanel Disk Usage Tool

You can monitor your storage usage directly in cPanel:

cPanel → Files → Disk Usage

This tool allows you to:

• Identify which directories are using the most space
• Drill down into folders to locate large files
• Quickly spot areas where storage can be reduced

2. Store Only Essential Website Files

Your hosting account should primarily contain active website files.

While Firstserv performs regular backups as part of your hosting plan, you may also create manual or third-party backups. Please note:

• Third-party backup tools are permitted, but backup files should not be stored on your hosting account long-term
• Once a backup is created, move it off-site immediately
• If you use automated backup tools, ensure they save directly to external storage (e.g. cloud storage)

We regularly remove backup files stored on hosting accounts to maintain performance. For full details, please refer to our Acceptable Use Policy.

3. Optimise Your Images

Large, unoptimised images can quickly consume disk space and slow down your website.

Best practices:

• Resize images to the exact dimensions required for your site
• Use a resolution of 72–96 DPI for web use
• Compress images before uploading

All Firstserv servers run LiteSpeed, and if you are using WordPress:

• Install the LiteSpeed Cache plugin
  • (WordPress Dashboard → Plugins → Add New → Search “LiteSpeed”)
• If installed via Softaculous, this plugin is included by default

The LiteSpeed plugin includes built-in image optimisation, helping reduce file sizes and improve loading speeds—benefiting both storage and performance.

For Reseller Hosting Customers

If you are using a reseller plan, you can monitor disk usage at both package and account level via WHM:

View Total Package Usage

Navigate to:
WHM → Account Functions → Create a New Account

Here you will see:

• Total disk usage
• Your overall package limits

View Usage Per Account

Navigate to:
WHM → Account Information → List Accounts

• Each account’s disk usage is displayed in the “Disk Used” column

By regularly monitoring and managing your disk usage, you can ensure your hosting remains efficient, your website performs well, and you avoid unnecessary upgrades. If you need assistance, the Firstserv support team is