In order to keep maximum performance and efficient data processing, our web and Cloud hosting plans have a set limit for the database size. While you can create as many databases as you need, each one has to be below the size limit according to your hosting plan type:
Hosting plan | Database limit |
Web hosting | 3 GB |
Cloud hosting | 6 GB |
If your database is close to reaching the limit or has already surpassed it, the following will happen:
A warning will appear on the Databases Management section of hPanel, with the available options on how to fix it:
An indication will appear in the List of Current MySQL Databases And Users section with the current size and maximum available:
If the limit is exceeded, write permissions for the database will be suspended until its size is reduced below the limit
Why Did a Database Reach the Size Limit?
Usually, it is natural for a database to grow along with your website, whether that's new content, users, extensions, or even comments.
Some rare cases include technical issues that can occur, for example, a specific plugin that fills up your database with unnecessary information like views, error logs, or cache.
How to Reduce Database Size
You have several options to reduce the database size. The easiest is to optimize it - navigate to Websites → Manage, search for Databases Management on the sidebar and click on it. Once there, click on the Optimize button:
If the database still needs further resizing or you prefer a manual approach, create a backup of your database and then try the following solutions:
Navigate to the List of Current MySQL Databases And Users section, and repair your database
Delete any unnecessary content on your website
Delete any spam comments on your website
Access your database via phpMyAdmin and sort the tables by Size:
The name of the largest table will indicate the type of content it stores. Typically, it will be a log table. This means that logs are being stored on your database instead of the file manager. In that case, the recommendation is to check your log settings or contact the developer of your website.
If your database is still close to or over the size limit after following these steps, it could mean that your website has become too big for the current database capacity. This often happens with large eCommerce websites or similar projects. To keep your project growing smoothly, we suggest considering upgrading your hosting plan. Another option is to go for a VPS, which doesn't have any database size restrictions 🚀
How to Prevent It in the Future
To prevent your database from reaching the size limits, follow these practices:
Regularly check your plugins and keep track of your database size; if you install a new plugin and the database size increases significantly, it's a clear sign that the new plugin is causing an issue
Uninstall any unused plugins
Make sure not to store any logs in your database, as they can pile up and take up a lot of space
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