Cpanel files in hidden subdirectories on your Linux shared hosting server can consume a lot of disk space.
What are the files in the hidden subdirectories?
Most of the hidden files are junk files (not all), just like the recycle bin on your Windows PC. The trash folder contains all files and folders deleted via File Manager and even deleted emails.
If you have an application (a website) that deletes files from a server, it could end up in the trash folder and quickly consume disk space.
Sometimes even deleted backups are stored in the trash folder.
Is it safe to delete files in hidden subdirectories?
The simple answer is "Yes".
Long answer: If you are aware of the contents in the trash folder, it is safe to delete these folders.
There are some hidden files which are extremely important, like the .htaccess file, deleting it may affect the functionality of your website.
How to delete files in hidden cpanel subdirectories?
- Log in to cPanel
- Go to File -> Disk Usage
- Scroll down, you will see the Sort Directory option
- In it, you can find the .trash folder, click on it and delete unwanted data.
Often this operation leads to the file manager from where you can use the "empty trash" function
