Every LochStudios Mail mailbox has a storage quota. That is the maximum space the mailbox can use on our servers. Messages, attachments, and folders all count. When you are close to the limit, free some space or ask us to move the mailbox to a larger size.
This article is for LochStudios Mail (hosted business email on Axigen). Mailboxes on this product are 500 MB to 100 GB, depending on the mailbox. The size is set when we create it. You can confirm it on the mail service in the portal.
If the address lives on shared hosting (cPanel) instead, mailbox space shares the hosting disk. See Check Disk Usage. Unsure which product you have? Open a support ticket and we will check with you.
Open WebMail
Use the portal first. You do not need to guess a hostname.
- Sign in at the portal.
- Open the mail service for the domain.
- Click Log in to WebMail.
Once DNS and MX for the domain are on our mail, you can also open https://mail.yourdomain.com (swap in your domain) and sign in with the full email address and mailbox password. Confirm the hostname on the mail service in the portal if you are unsure.
Need a refresher? What is Axigen webmail and how to sign in.
See how much you are using
- After you sign in, look at the status area of WebMail (often along the bottom) for used space versus the mailbox limit.
- You can also open Settings (gear, usually top-right) and look for Account or a storage summary.
- WebMail may show a notice when you are near or at the limit. That is expected.
You should see used space of the allowed size (for example 4.2 GB of 5 GB). The allowed size is this mailbox's plan, from 500 MB to 100 GB.
If you cannot find the numbers, open a support ticket and we will read them with you.
What counts toward the quota
Everything stored in this mailbox counts:
- Inbox and every custom folder
- Sent (copies of mail you have sent)
- Drafts
- Trash (deleted mail still uses space until you empty it)
- Spam (mail our spam filtering held)
- Attachments on any of those messages
- Calendar and contacts on the mailbox (usually small next to mail)
Moving a message from Inbox to another folder does not free space. Filing with a filter does not free space either.
IMAP keeps mail on the server, so Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, and phones all share this same quota. See Axigen email server settings.
Free up space
Do this in WebMail so every device sees the same result. Empty Trash at the end or the space is not actually freed.
Delete mail you no longer need
- Open the folder (Inbox, Sent, or a custom folder).
- Select the messages (tick boxes, or select all in the current view).
- Click Delete.
- Messages move to Trash. They still count until you empty it.
See Webmail basics: compose, reply, folders, search if you need the folder steps.
Empty Trash
- Open Trash.
- Use Empty folder (or Empty Trash) on that folder.
- Confirm if WebMail asks.
After this step, the used space should drop. Refresh WebMail if the bar has not updated yet.
If you deleted mail in Outlook or on a phone, still open WebMail and empty Trash. Some apps leave the copies there.
Empty Spam
Mail in Spam also counts.
- Open Spam.
- Recover anything that should have been kept (move it to Inbox).
- Empty the folder the same way as Trash.
See Manage spam and the quarantine in Axigen.
Remove large attachments
- Browse Inbox, Sent, and other folders. Look for the paperclip.
- If the list has a Size column, sort largest first.
- Open the message, download any file you still need to your computer, then delete the message.
- Empty Trash.
A few large attachments often use more space than hundreds of short emails.
Clean Sent
Copies of mail you send stay in Sent and count. Delete old sent mail you do not need to keep on the server, then empty Trash.
Keep a local copy, then delete the server copy
If you want the messages on your computer but not on the mailbox:
- Set the address up with IMAP in Outlook or Thunderbird.
- Copy or export the folder to a local folder in that app.
- Confirm you can open the local copy.
- Delete the server copies in WebMail (or in the IMAP folder that is on the server).
- Empty Trash in WebMail.
Do not switch the account to POP just to clear space unless you understand that POP is meant for a single computer. We recommend IMAP.
When the mailbox is full
- New mail may not arrive until there is free space.
- You may not be able to send until you free some room.
- Mail already in the mailbox stays. It does not vanish.
- WebMail may show a notice that the mailbox is full.
Free space using the steps above. If mail still does not arrive after Trash is empty, open a support ticket and we will check the mailbox with you.
A full mailbox is a common reason mail appears to stop. See also Email is not sending or receiving.
Stay inside the quota
- Empty Trash and Spam after a clean-up. Deleting alone is not enough.
- Download large attachments you need, then delete those messages.
- Unsubscribe from newsletters you never read, or file them with a filter and empty that folder on a schedule.
- Check the usage bar in WebMail once a month, or after a large send or receive.
- Remember that Sent grows even if the inbox looks tidy.
If you need a larger mailbox
If you regularly sit near the limit after a clean-up, this mailbox may be too small.
Compare mailbox sizes at /catalogue/mail, or open a support ticket. Tell us the address and the size you need (up to 100 GB). We will change this mailbox with you.
Do not create a second address only to get more space. Ask us first.