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---
title: Account is suspended or over quota
panel: WHM
symptoms:
  - customer cannot log in
  - site shows a suspension page
  - told the account is over quota
  - website says account suspended
  - cannot get into cpanel
  - hosting suspended for exceeding limits
  - webmail says the account is suspended
  - account has been terminated
  - password does not work any more
---

# Account is suspended or over quota

## 1. Work out which state the account is actually in

**Why:** suspended, bandwidth limited and terminated are three different
states and each one has a different fix. A suspended account still sends
and receives mail and still resolves DNS, but web traffic goes to a
holding page. A bandwidth limited account is only affected once the
monthly allowance is used up. A terminated account has had its data
deleted. Guessing between them wastes the call.

**In WHM:** Account Information > List Accounts. The Status column shows
which one it is.

**In the terminal:** `grep -i suspended /var/cpanel/userdata/<user>/main`

**Care:** this only reads.

- https://docs.cpanel.net/knowledge-base/accounts/account-suspension-versus-bandwidth-limiting-and-account-termination/

## 2. Read why it was suspended

**Why:** an account suspended for exceeding its limits, one suspended for
abuse, and one suspended for non-payment are three different conversations
with the customer, and the fix depends on which it is. The reason is
recorded and it tells you whether there is a technical problem to solve
or a conversation to have.

**In WHM:** Account Functions > Manage Account Suspension. The reason is
shown against the account.

**Care:** this only reads.

- https://docs.cpanel.net/knowledge-base/accounts/what-happens-when-you-suspend-an-account/

## 3. Check all three kinds of usage separately

**Why:** customers tell you "I have not used much" and mean one of three
different numbers. Filesystem quota, database size and bandwidth are
counted separately against the account, and an account can be inside one
and outside another.

**In cPanel:** Files > Disk Usage and Email > Email Disk Usage.

**In WHM:** Account Information > List Accounts shows the disk usage
column, and Account Information > View Bandwidth Usage shows the monthly
bandwidth.

**In the terminal:** `du -sh /home/<user>` and
`ls -lh /home/<user>/mysql` for the database.

**Care:** this only reads.

- https://docs.cpanel.net/whm/account-functions/quota-modification/
- https://docs.cpanel.net/whm/account-information/show-accounts-over-quota/

## 4. Lift the limit or the suspension

**Why:** unsuspending a bandwidth exceeded account is a different
operation from unsuspending a suspended one, and they are separate
scripts. Running the wrong one either does nothing or does something you
did not intend. Check which applies in step 1 before you run either.

**In WHM:** Account Functions > Manage Account Suspension for a suspended
account, and Account Functions > Unsuspend Bandwidth Exceeders for a
bandwidth limited one.

**In the terminal:** `/usr/local/cpanel/scripts/unsuspendacct <user>` for
a suspended account.

**Care:** unsuspending puts the customer's site back on the internet
straight away. Make sure the reason for the suspension has actually been
fixed first, and tell the customer what you changed.

- https://docs.cpanel.net/whm/scripts/the-unsuspendacct-script/
- https://docs.cpanel.net/whm/account-functions/unsuspend-bandwidth-exceeders/