When a mailbox reaches its storage limit, new emails bounce back to the sender. Here's how to see how full your Host Dada mailbox is, get a warning before it fills up, and free up space quickly.
Signs your mailbox is full
- People tell you their emails to you bounced, with a message such as "mailbox full", "quota exceeded" or "over quota".
- New emails stop arriving, even though you can still send.
- Your email app shows a storage warning.
Check how much space you're using
- In webmail: sign in at webmail.hostdada.uk. The bar at the bottom of the folder list shows the percentage used.
- In the Control Panel: open your package and click Email → Email Accounts. The Usage / Quota column shows each mailbox's usage and size limit. For a breakdown, click Options → View Quota.
The Usage / Quota column in Email Accounts. The mailbox size depends on your plan.
Get a warning before it fills up
- In Email Accounts, click Options next to the mailbox and choose Quota Notifications by Email.
- Set Send first limit email notification at (for example 80%) and Send second limit notification at (for example 95%).
- Click Save changes. The mailbox owner gets an email when usage passes each level.
Free up space
Webmail is the quickest place to do this, because you can see and sort everything on the server.
- Empty Deleted Items and Spam. In webmail, click the three dots next to the folder list (Folder actions), or go to Settings → Folders, select the folder and click Empty. Deleted email still counts towards your quota until the folder is emptied.
- Find the biggest emails. In the message list, click Options, set the sorting column to Size and the order to descending, so the largest emails are at the top. Old emails with large attachments are usually the culprits. Save any attachments you need to your computer or cloud storage, then delete the emails.
- Clear out Sent. The Sent folder often holds years of attachments you've sent.
- Empty Deleted Items again to release the space.
Need more space?
Mailbox size depends on your plan. For example, Business Email plans include 5 GB or 10 GB per mailbox. If you're regularly running out, upgrade your plan from the Client Area or ask our team which option suits you.
Troubleshooting
I've deleted lots of email but the usage hasn't gone down
Empty the Deleted Items folder. Some apps also keep their own Trash or "Deleted Messages" folder, so empty that too. The figure in the Control Panel can take a little while to update.
My email app says the mailbox is full, but webmail doesn't
The app may be showing old information or a limit of its own (Outlook data files, for example). Check the percentage in webmail, which is always the true figure on the server.
Senders still get bounces after I've cleared space
Mail that bounced while the mailbox was full isn't delivered later, so ask the sender to send it again. New mail should arrive normally once usage is below 100%.
Last reviewed: October 2026
