What to Do When Your Mailbox is Full

Running out of email storage? Here's how to free up space and prevent "mailbox full" errors!

Why Mailbox Gets Full

• 📎 Large attachments: Photos, videos, documents
• 📧 Old emails: Years of accumulated messages
• 🗑️ Trash not emptied: Deleted items still count
• ⚠️ Spam folder: Can fill up quickly
• 📨 Sent items: Copies of all sent emails

Check Your Storage Usage

Via Webmail:

1. Log into your webmail at system.atriomail.com/webmail
2. Look for the storage indicator
3. It shows something like: "12.5 GB of 15 GB used"

Via the Control Panel:

1. Log into system.atriomail.com
2. Go to Email Mailboxes
3. Check the storage shown for the mailbox

Quick Fixes to Free Up Space

Fix #1: Empty Trash Folder

1. Open your Trash or Deleted Items folder
2. Select all emails
3. Click "Delete Permanently" or "Empty Trash"
4. Confirm deletion

Fix #2: Clear Spam Folder

1. Open Spam or Junk folder
2. Select all
3. Delete permanently

Fix #3: Delete Old Emails

1. Sort emails by date (oldest first)
2. Select emails older than 1-2 years
3. Delete them
4. Empty trash

Fix #4: Remove Large Attachments

1. Sort emails by size (largest first)
2. Download important attachments to your computer
3. Delete emails with large attachments
4. Empty trash

Advanced Cleanup Methods

Method 1: Archive Old Emails

1. Export old emails to your computer
2. Use an email client (Outlook, Thunderbird)
3. Create an archive file (.pst or .mbox)
4. Delete archived emails from the server
5. Keep the archive on an external drive

Method 2: Use Search to Find Large Emails

In most email clients:

• Search: size:5mb (emails over 5MB)
• Search: has:attachment (all with attachments)
• Search: older_than:2y (older than 2 years)

Method 3: Clean Sent Folder

1. Open Sent folder
2. Sort by size
3. Delete emails with large attachments
4. Keep only recent sent emails

Prevent Mailbox from Filling Up

Best Practices:

• ✅ Empty trash weekly
• ✅ Clear spam monthly
• ✅ Download attachments, delete emails
• ✅ Unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters
• ✅ Use cloud storage for large files
• ✅ Archive old emails regularly

Auto-Delete Rules:

If your webmail or mail app supports filters, you can have it delete automatically:

• Emails older than 1 year
• Spam after 30 days
• Newsletters after reading
• Automated notifications

Alternative: Add More Storage

If cleanup isn't enough:

Add Storage to the Mailbox

1. Log into system.atriomail.com
2. Go to Email Mailboxes and open the mailbox
3. In the Storage section, raise Disk space with the + button
4. Choose the new size (5 GB steps)
5. Click Save changes

Pricing:

• 📦 Included with every mailbox: 15 GB
• 💰 Extra storage: $0.60 per 5 GB block per month, per mailbox (a partial block rounds up to a whole block)
• 🚀 Maximum in the panel: 100 GB per mailbox
• 💳 Billed monthly, on the size you set rather than on how much mail is actually stored. Changes show up on your next monthly invoice, with no partial-month charges.

What Happens When Mailbox is Full?

• ❌ Can't receive new emails
• ❌ Senders get bounce-back messages
• ✅ Can still send emails (usually)
• ✅ Can still read existing emails
• ⚠️ Mail that bounces is not delivered later, so act quickly

Emergency: Mailbox is 100% Full

Immediate Actions:

1. Empty trash immediately (frees space instantly)
2. Delete the spam folder
3. Delete the 10 largest emails
4. Notify important contacts (emails might bounce)
5. Add storage if needed

Storage Management Tools

Email Client Features:

• Outlook: Mailbox Cleanup tool
• Gmail: Storage manager
• Thunderbird: Compact folders
• Apple Mail: Mailbox behaviors

Understanding Storage Calculation

What counts toward your quota:

• ✅ Inbox emails
• ✅ Sent emails
• ✅ Trash/Deleted items
• ✅ Spam/Junk
• ✅ All folders
• ✅ Attachments
• ❌ Emails downloaded to your computer and removed from the server

The 15 GB is included with each mailbox. It is not a shared pool across the account, so one mailbox filling up does not affect the others.

Long-Term Storage Strategy

The 3-Tier System:

1. Active (0-6 months): Keep on server
2. Archive (6 months to 2 years): Download to computer
3. Deep Archive (2+ years): External drive

Retention Policy:

• Important: Keep forever (contracts, legal)
• Business: Keep 1-2 years
• Personal: Keep 6-12 months
• Newsletters: Delete after reading
• Spam: Delete immediately

Need Help?

Mailbox still full after cleanup? Contact our support team through the live chat in the control panel. Support is available during business hours.