adminVPS Full Disk Checklist for WordPress Websites
A full disk can break WordPress, MySQL, Nginx, SSL renewal, backups and log writing. On small VPS servers, disk usage can grow quickly because of logs, backups, cache files, uploads or database bloat.
Common causes
- Backup files stored on the same VPS.
- Nginx logs grow too large.
- WordPress cache grows too much.
- Uploads folder is too large.
- Database grows from revisions or plugin logs.
- Docker images and logs consume disk space.
Checklist
- Check disk usage with df.
- Find large top-level folders with du.
- Check /var/log size.
- Check Nginx logs.
- Check WordPress backup folders.
- Check wp-content/uploads.
- Check cache plugin folders.
- Clean apt cache safely.
- Move old backup files outside the VPS.
- Set log rotation and backup retention.
Final check
Do not delete random system files. Find what is large first, then clean logs, cache, old backups or unused Docker data carefully.
When to Use This Checklist
Use this checklist when a WordPress VPS is out of disk space or close to full disk usage.
Required Tools
SSH access, Linux terminal, Nginx log path, WordPress root path, backup folder access, basic file management
Before You Start
Do not delete files until you identify what is consuming disk space. If possible, create an external backup before cleanup.
Structured Checklist Steps
- Run df -h.
- Find large folders with du.
- Check /var/log.
- Check Nginx logs.
- Check backup folders.
- Check uploads folder.
- Check cache folders.
- Clean apt cache.
- Move old backups offsite.
- Set retention rules.
Verification Steps
- Disk usage drops to safe level.
- Website loads normally.
- Database can write again.
- Nginx log still works.
- Backup process does not fill disk again.
Rollback Plan
If cleanup removes something important, restore from backup. For risky cleanup, move files to a temporary folder first instead of deleting immediately.
Common Mistakes
- Deleting system folders randomly.
- Keeping all backups on the same VPS.
- Ignoring log rotation.
- Not checking Docker disk usage.
- Letting cache grow without limits.
Related Commands
df -h
sudo du -h --max-depth=1 / | sort -h
sudo du -h /var/log/* | sort -h
sudo apt clean
sudo apt autoremove -y