Managing Temporary Directory Space: How to Clear Cache and Prevent Storage Issues

Managing Temporary Directory Space: How to Clear Cache and Prevent Storage Issues

**Description:**This guide helps Brixly shared hosting customers understand and manage temporary directory space consumption. Learn how to clear cache, prevent storage overflows, and keep your hosting account running smoothly—all without server admin access.

Why Temporary Directory Space Matters

The /tmp directory and other temporary folders are used by your website, applications, and hosting environment to store cache files, session data, and temporary uploads.If these directories fill up, you may experience:

• Website errors (e.g., "Disk quota exceeded," failed uploads, or caching failures)
• Inability to update or install plugins/themes
• General performance issues

Common Causes of Temporary Directory Bloat

• Excessive caching by plugins or applications (WordPress, Joomla, etc.)
• Uncleared session files or leftover temp files from uploads
• Large log files or debug output stored in temp folders

Step-by-Step: Clearing Cache and Temp Files

1. Clear Application-Level Cache

WordPress

• Plugins: Use your caching plugin (e.g., LiteSpeed Cache, WP Super Cache) to purge all caches.
  • Example for LiteSpeed Cache:
    1. Go to LiteSpeed Cache > Toolbox in your WordPress admin.
    2. Click Purge All.
• Manual Plugin Cache: Some plugins (e.g., WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache) have their own "Clear Cache" buttons.

Joomla/Drupal/Other CMS

• Use the built-in cache management tools in your CMS admin panel.
• Look for options to Clear Cache or Purge Expired Cache.

2. Remove Unnecessary Files via cPanel File Manager

1. Login to cPanel.

2. Open File Manager.

3. Navigate to the following directories (if present):

   • /tmp (within your home directory, not the server root)
   • cache/ or .cache/ folders in your website directory
   • wp-content/cache/ (for WordPress sites)

4. Review and Delete:

   • Remove files/folders you recognize as cache, old session files, or temporary uploads.
   • Do not delete system or config files! Only remove obvious cache/temp content.

   Example: Deleting WordPress cache files

   public_html/wp-content/cache/
   

   • Delete contents within, not the folder itself.

3. Clear Browser Cache (For Troubleshooting Display Issues)

Sometimes, display issues are due to your local browser cache, not server storage.

• Chrome: Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete, select "Cached images and files," then "Clear data."
• Firefox/Safari/Edge: Use similar shortcut or settings to clear cache.

For detailed browser cache instructions, see How do I clear my browsers cache?

4. Check Disk Usage in cPanel

• In cPanel, go to Disk Usage.
• Review which directories are consuming the most space.
• Delete unnecessary files, backups, or old emails if needed.

Preventing Storage Overflows

Use Caching Plugins Wisely

• Configure plugins like LiteSpeed Cache or WP Super Cache to automatically purge expired/old cache files.
• Avoid using multiple caching plugins at the same time.

Regular Maintenance

• Regularly clear caches (weekly or after major site updates).
• Remove unused plugins/themes that might store temp data.
• Delete old backups or unused install files.

Monitor Your Usage

• Set up email disk usage warnings in cPanel.
• Periodically review your Disk Usage and File Manager for large or growing folders.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

"Disk quota exceeded" or "Unable to write to /tmp"

• Clear all application and plugin caches.
• Remove old files in your /tmp, cache, or session directories via File Manager.
• Check for large error logs or leftover uploads.

Website Still Failing After Clearing Cache

• Check Disk Usage in cPanel for other large folders (e.g., emails or backups).
• Ensure your CMS or plugins are not stuck in a cache-building loop.
• If you cannot identify the issue, submit a support ticket with details.

Example: Deleting Unused Session Files

If your CMS or app stores session files in a custom directory:

1. Open File Manager in cPanel.
2. Navigate to the session storage directory (e.g., public_html/sessions/).
3. Delete files older than a few days, unless your application requires them.

Best Practices

• Back up your site before deleting files.
• Never remove files you don’t recognize—focus on cache, temp, or session files only.
• Automate cache purging if your plugin supports it.
• Monitor disk usage regularly to prevent storage emergencies.

When to Contact Support

If you have followed all steps and still experience disk space or cache-related issues, or if you’re unsure which files are safe to delete, please submit a support ticket with:

• Your domain name(s)
• Description of the issue
• Steps you have taken so far

Our team will be happy to help further!

Keeping your temporary directories tidy ensures your website runs smoothly and avoids unnecessary downtime. Regular maintenance is the key to a healthy shared hosting environment.