Overview
This article explains how to view and understand resource usage for Web Hosting plans in the panel.
Background
The Servers & Usage page provides an overview of resource activity for your Web hosting server. It displays CPU, RAM, and Storage usage through visual graphs, helping to monitor server activity and understand how hosting resources are being used over time.
Web Hosting plans operate on shared infrastructure. While resources such as CPU and RAM are shared across multiple accounts, the graphs shown on the Servers & Usage page display only the resource usage generated by your account.
Viewing usage information for Web Hosting
To view resource usage for a Web Hosting plan:
- Navigate to the Servers & Usage page.
- Next to the Web Hosting plan, click the Manage button.
- In the top-right corner, select Last day, Last week, or Last two weeks from the timeframe dropdown to update the graphs.
Understanding the usage graphs
The Resource Monitoring section includes graphs for CPU, RAM, and Storage, allowing you to monitor how these resources are used.
CPU and RAM activity
The CPU and RAM graphs show how your server handles active processes and memory usage. Activity is grouped into three levels:
| Usage Level | Description |
|---|---|
| Low | Normal activity |
| Medium | Increased activity |
| High | Heavy activity |
These levels help quickly identify when the server is handling a higher workload.
Common causes of high activity
High server activity can occur for several reasons. The most common include:
| Cause | Description |
|---|---|
| Increased website traffic | A spike in visitors can temporarily increase CPU or memory usage. You can review visitor activity on the Traffic page in the panel. |
| Background processes or scripts | Tasks such as scheduled jobs, plugins, or applications may generate additional server activity. Reviewing the Website Logs page can help identify processes contributing to increased usage. |
| Outdated software or plugins | Older versions of CMS platforms, plugins, or themes may run inefficiently and consume more resources. Keeping the site updated helps improve performance and maintain security. |
For help improving site performance, visit the DreamHost Optimization guides.
Storage usage
The Storage graph shows how much disk space is used by files stored on the server.
Some legacy hosting plans, including Shared Unlimited, do not have a defined storage limit. As a result, storage usage may be displayed differently in the panel.
For Web Hosting plans, the panel displays:
- Total storage used
- Storage limit for the plan
- Percentage of storage used
These indicators help monitor how much storage is available for websites and files.
If storage usage increases or approaches the plan limit, you may want to review how disk space is being used. For guidance on managing files and reducing storage use, see this article.