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Change the Default Mailbox Size for All New Email Accounts

This guide needs root access to the server. It shows how to raise the default email quota in WHM, so new accounts get more space.

Email2 min read9 steps
Note: You need root access. VPS and dedicated server owners usually have it. Shared hosting users do not. Shared users can change a single mailbox in cPanel instead.

What is a quota?

A quota is a storage limit. An email quota is how much mail one mailbox can hold. When it is full, new mail can bounce back. WHM is the Web Host Manager. It is the control panel for the whole server, where an admin manages every account.

Set the default for new accounts

WHM keeps server-wide settings in a page called Tweak Settings.

  1. Log in to WHM as root.
  2. Type Tweak Settings in the search box on the left and open it.
  3. Open the Mail tab.
  4. Look for the settings about the default quota or the maximum quota of new email accounts. Use the find box on the page and search for the word "quota". Names differ between versions.
  5. Type the new size in MB.
  6. Click Save at the bottom.

The new value is used for mailboxes that people create after the change. Also check Edit a Package in WHM, since some limits live in the package.

Change existing mailboxes at once

Old mailboxes keep their old size. One way to raise them is in cPanel for each account. For many accounts, an admin can use a command line tool. First, take a backup of the mail settings.

Warning: Wrong commands can affect many accounts. Test on one account first.

uapi --user=USERNAME Email edit_pop_quota email=info domain=example.com quota=2048

This sets the quota of info@example.com to 2048 MB. Replace USERNAME, the address and the number with your own.

Check the result

  1. Log in to cPanel for that account.
  2. Open Email Accounts.
  3. Look at the storage numbers.

Keep disk space in mind

  • Bigger quotas let people use more of the server disk.
  • Make sure the account's own disk limit is large enough.
  • Check the server's total free space.
Tip: Menu names change between WHM versions. Use the search box in WHM to find Edit a Package.

Quick recap

  • This needs root access in WHM.
  • Set the default quota inside the package.
  • New accounts get the new value. Old ones need a manual change.
  • Test on one mailbox before changing many.