What is Inode Limit? Detailed Explanation and Solution Methods

One of the concepts frequently encountered when purchasing web hosting services is the inode limit. Especially when choosing from our Hosting Options or using VPS Options, the inode limit can directly affect your website's performance. In this article, we will explain the concept of inode, what the inode limit is, why it is important, and what you can do if you reach the inode limit in detail.

What is an inode?

In simple terms, an inode is a data structure created for each file and directory on the server. Information such as the name of a file, its owner, file type, permissions, and creation date are stored on the inode. So, when you create a file or directory on your server, an inode is automatically used.

inode = Small data structure per file/directory

Therefore, a site hosting too many small files may reach the inode limit even if the disk space is not full.

Why is the inode Limit Important?

Servers set a limit on inode usage to maintain performance. If this limit is exceeded, new files cannot be created, new emails cannot be received, or new uploads cannot be made.

Consequences of reaching the inode limit:

Your website may slow down.
You cannot upload files.
Email reception may stop.
You may see error messages on the server.

Especially in shared structures such as Cloud Hosting or Plesk Web Hosting, great attention should be paid to the inode limit.

How to Check the inode Limit?

Log in to cPanel.
Check the general file structure from the "File Manager" section.
You can see the number of inodes used on the left.

Command for users with SSH access:

df -i

This command shows the amount of inodes used for each directory on the server.

What Should I Do If I Reach the inode Limit?

Delete unnecessary files: Especially cache, tmp files, trash content.
Clean up spam emails: Unnecessary files in your mailboxes consume a lot of inodes.
Archive log files: Web server and application logs accumulate and increase inode usage over time.
Optimize library and theme files: Delete unused plugins and themes.

Alternatively, you can choose our Professional SSD Hosting packages or Germany Hetzner Cloud VPS servers to switch to a plan with a higher inode limit.

Can the inode Limit be Increased?

The inode limit cannot be increased in shared hosting packages. Because this limit is fixed to protect the overall performance of the server. However, it may be possible to customize your inode limit in VPS and Dedicated server options. You can review suitable packages on our VPS Options page.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is the inode limit the same as disk space? No. Disk space refers to the physical space occupied by files, while the number of inodes represents the number of files and folders.

How can I reduce the inode limit? You can reduce it by deleting unused files, cookies, unnecessary plugins, and log files.

Will my site shut down if I reach the inode limit? No, the site will not shut down. However, new files cannot be uploaded and email reception may stop.

Are there any plugins that reduce inode usage? Yes, some WordPress cache plugins (such as WP-Optimize) can save inodes by cleaning temporary files.

Conclusion

inode is one of the cornerstones of web hosting performance. It is important to consider inode limits when choosing your hosting packages. We approach this issue carefully in our Hosting Options and Cloud Hosting packages. For users who want higher performance, our VPS Options or Germany Hetzner Cloud VPS servers will be the right choice.