Overview
Every file and folder on your server uses an Inode, a filesystem record that tracks information about that item. In addition to a storage (GB) limit, DreamHost hosting plans include a limit on the total number of Inodes (files and folders) an account can use. This Inode limit is separate from disk space, so an account can stay well under its storage limit while still running into a high Inode count.
What causes a high Inode count?
A high Inode count usually comes from one of the following:
- Large numbers of small files, such as cache files, session files, and log files
- A WordPress site with a large media library, or a caching plugin that generates excessive cache files
- Leftover development files, such as node_modules directories, .git repositories, and old backups stored on the server
How do I check my Inode usage?
Inode usage displays in the same place as storage usage, using the same total, limit, and percentage pattern. See Viewing CPU, RAM, and Storage usage for Web Hosting for instructions on viewing this information in the panel.
How do I reduce my Inode count?
The following can help bring a high Inode count back down:
- Delete or rotate old cache and log files. See the Log file optimization section of Disk usage best practices for a cron job example.
- Remove unused plugins, themes, backups, and development directories.
- For WordPress sites, consolidate or compress media libraries and use a caching plugin that manages its own cleanup. See the Website image optimization and cleanup section of Disk usage best practices.
What happens if I go over my Inode limit?
Your site keeps serving its existing content normally, so visitors will not see any downtime. What changes: new uploads, one-click installs, and other site functionality that writes to disk will fail until the Inode count is brought back under the plan's limit. See the Web Hosting overview or Shared Starter hosting overview article for the Inode limit on your plan.