Web Hosting, Domains & Website Management
A "508 Resource Limit Is Reached" page means your hosting account hit one of the limits CloudLinux sets for it, usually the number of requests that can run at once. The server is fine; your site wants more than the plan allows, and the cause can usually be found in cPanel and fixed.
What you will learn
Applies to
Tools Required
Before you start
Important
Step-by-Step Guide
1 / 9 steps
| Metrics |
|---|
| Visitors |
| Errors |
| Bandwidth |
| Raw Access |
| Resource Usage |
Missing? Ask your host to enable it in WHM Feature Manager.
Step 1
Open Resource Usage in cPanel
Log in to cPanel and open the Metrics section. On CloudLinux servers it shows Resource Usage, documented by cPanel as CPU and Concurrent Connection Usage.
Expected result: You see a summary of your account's usage and any faults.
| Metrics |
|---|
| Visitors |
| Errors |
| Bandwidth |
| Raw Access |
| Resource Usage |
Missing? Ask your host to enable it in WHM Feature Manager.
Read the faults table for the last 24 hours or 7 days. Entry process faults explain the 508 page; memory and process faults explain 500 or 503 errors.
Expected result: You know which limit was hit and how often.
| Limit | Faults |
|---|---|
| Entry processes (EP) | 38 |
| Physical memory | 2 |
| CPU (SPEED) | 14 |
| I/O | 0 |
Example figures only.
Open the detailed view and write down when faults happened. The same time daily suggests a cron job; random spikes suggest bots or traffic.
Expected result: You have a time window to check in the logs.
Example values.
Open Raw Access or Visitors under Metrics and look at the same times. Look for one IP address or user agent making hundreds of requests, or repeated login page hits.
Expected result: You can see whether bots, attacks or real visitors filled the slots.
| IP address | Page | Hits |
|---|---|---|
| 203.0.113.24 | /wp-login.php | 1,240 |
| 198.51.100.7 | /xmlrpc.php | 610 |
| Visitors | / | 95 |
Documentation-range addresses used as examples.
Open Cron Jobs in the Advanced section. Check what runs at the fault times and how often, especially backups and imports.
Expected result: Heavy jobs at busy times are found and can be moved.
| Schedule | Command |
|---|---|
| */15 * * * * | wp-cron.php |
| 0 2 * * * | backup script |
In the CMS, enable a page caching plugin suited to the server, such as LiteSpeed Cache on LiteSpeed servers. Then load a few pages to warm the cache.
Expected result: Cached pages are served without PHP, so entry process use drops.
If one address or range is hammering the site, add it in IP Blocker under Security. Protect login pages with login limits and two-factor authentication.
Expected result: The bot's requests stop reaching your account.
Example address.
Add DISABLE_WP_CRON to wp-config.php, then create a cron job that calls wp-cron.php about every 15 minutes. Move backups to quiet hours.
Expected result: Scheduled work no longer runs on every page load.
Return to Resource Usage after two or three days of normal traffic. If faults continue during genuine busy periods, it is time for a bigger plan.
Expected result: Faults fall to zero, or you have clear evidence for an upgrade.
| Limit | Faults |
|---|---|
| Entry processes (EP) | 0 |
| Physical memory | 0 |
| CPU (SPEED) | 1 |
Example figures only.
Interactive Demonstration
What are you seeing on your website?
Does the page say Resource Limit Is Reached (not Loop Detected)?
If not, the likely cause
A 508 Loop Detected error is a WebDAV or redirect loop, not a CloudLinux limit.
What to do: Ask your host to check the server error log for a loop in the site's rules or WebDAV settings.
Can you see entry process (EP) faults on the Resource Usage page?
If not, the likely cause
The fault report is hidden or the server does not run CloudLinux.
What to do: Ask your host to enable Resource Usage or send you the account's fault report for the error times.
Is page caching turned on and working?
If not, the likely cause
Every visit runs PHP and holds an entry process slot.
What to do: Enable a suitable page caching plugin, such as LiteSpeed Cache on LiteSpeed servers, then recheck faults.
Are the visitor logs free of one IP or bot making hundreds of requests?
If not, the likely cause
A bot or brute-force attack is filling the slots.
What to do: Block it in IP Blocker, protect login pages and consider a web application firewall or CDN.
Are cron jobs and backups scheduled outside busy hours?
If not, the likely cause
Scheduled jobs compete with visitors for the same limits.
What to do: Move them to quiet hours, prevent overlaps and replace WP-Cron with a real cron job.
Every check passed
Real visitors need more resources than the plan provides.
What to do: Upgrade to a plan with higher limits or a VPS, and keep caching in place.
Does Resource Usage show no CPU or I/O faults?
If not, the likely cause
The account is being throttled by its CPU or I/O limit.
What to do: Cache pages, compress images, remove heavy plugins and move backups to quiet hours.
Is the site on a current PHP version it supports?
If not, the likely cause
Old PHP versions run the same code more slowly.
What to do: Switch to a supported current version in MultiPHP Manager or Select PHP Version, after a backup.
Are your images already compressed and sized for the web?
If not, the likely cause
Large images make every page slow to load.
What to do: Resize and compress images, and enable browser caching and compression.
Every check passed
The slowness may be outside your account, such as DNS or a third-party script.
What to do: Test from another network and ask your host to check the server for that period.
Does Resource Usage show no memory (PMEM) or process (NPROC) faults?
If not, the likely cause
The account ran out of memory or processes, which CloudLinux reports as 500 or 503 errors.
What to do: Find memory-heavy plugins or scripts, stop overlapping cron jobs and ask about the plan's memory limit.
Did the errors start without a recent plugin, theme or code change?
If not, the likely cause
The recent change is likely breaking the site.
What to do: Roll back the change from your backup or disable the new plugin, then retest.
Every check passed
The error may come from a code fault rather than a limit.
What to do: Check the Errors page in cPanel Metrics and send the latest entries to your developer or host.
Troubleshooting
Likely cause The entry process limit is full, usually from uncached pages, bots or slow plugins.
Solution Enable page caching, block abusive bots, remove heavy plugins, then recheck faults in Resource Usage.
Likely cause CPU (SPEED) or I/O limit is throttling the account.
Solution Check CPU and I/O faults, cache pages, compress images and move backups and imports to quiet hours.
Likely cause Physical memory or number of processes limit reached.
Solution Find memory-hungry plugins or scripts, lower PHP memory use, and ask your host about the plan's memory limit.
Likely cause A cron job, backup or import runs at a busy time.
Solution Move the job to a quiet hour, stop overlapping runs and replace WP-Cron with a real cron job.
Likely cause Brute-force login attempts or XML-RPC abuse.
Solution Block the addresses in IP Blocker, limit logins, enable two-factor authentication and disable XML-RPC if unused.
Likely cause The server is not CloudLinux, or the host has hidden the feature.
Solution Ask your host whether CloudLinux limits apply and to enable the interface or send you the fault report.
Likely cause Possible malware, a compromised account or a new crawler.
Solution Scan the site, check for unknown files and admin users, change passwords and tell your host.
In Depth
A "508 Resource Limit Is Reached" page means your hosting account hit one of the limits CloudLinux sets for it, usually the number of requests that can run at once. The server is fine; your site wants more than the plan allows, and the cause can usually be found in cPanel and fixed.
Many cPanel shared hosting servers run CloudLinux, which places each account in its own lightweight virtual environment (LVE) with fixed limits. That stops one busy site from slowing every other site on the server. When your account reaches the entry processes limit, the web server refuses the extra request with HTTP 508 and shows a "Resource Limit Is Reached" page, often with the line "The website is temporarily unable to service your request as it exceeded resource limit."
Note In the official HTTP standards, 508 means "Loop Detected", a WebDAV error. CloudLinux reuses the number for its own limit page. If you see "Loop Detected" instead, the cause is different (a WebDAV or redirect loop), so speak to your host.
Typical signs:
The CloudLinux documentation on limits describes several limits per account. Only some of them cause errors:
| Limit | What it controls | What happens when it is hit |
|---|---|---|
| Entry processes (EP) | Requests running at the same time, mainly PHP and CGI requests (the docs also count SSH sessions and cron jobs) | New requests get the 508 page |
| Physical memory (PMEM) | RAM used by the account's processes | Usually 500 or 503 errors; processes may be stopped |
| Number of processes (NPROC) | Total processes in the account | New processes cannot start; 500 or 503 errors |
| CPU (SPEED) | Processor time | No error: the site slows down |
| I/O and IOPS | Disk throughput and operations per second | No error: pages and backups slow down |
So a 508 points at entry processes, while a slow site with no error points at CPU or I/O. If your limit is 20 and a 21st request arrives while 20 are still running, that visitor sees the 508.
wp-login.php and xmlrpc.php).The tutorial above walks through the screens. What to look for:
Warning Before disabling plugins, editing
.htaccessor changing cron jobs, take a full backup of the files and the database. A wrong line in.htaccesscan take the whole site down.
Caching is the single biggest fix. A cached page is served without running PHP, so it barely touches the entry process limit. If the server runs LiteSpeed, the LiteSpeed Cache plugin is the natural choice for WordPress; otherwise use a well-maintained caching plugin. Add browser caching and compression, and compress images so pages finish sooner.
robots.txt crawl delay is honoured by some crawlers but ignored by Google. Treat it as a hint, not a fix.WordPress's developer documentation explains how to stop WP-Cron running on page loads by adding define( 'DISABLE_WP_CRON', true ); to wp-config.php (above the line that says to stop editing), then calling wp-cron.php from a system cron job. In cPanel that is Cron Jobs in the Advanced section; every 15 minutes suits most sites. Move backups, imports and newsletter sending to quiet hours, and make sure two copies of the same job cannot overlap.
Warning A mistake in
wp-config.phpcan take a WordPress site offline. Keep a copy of the original file and change one thing at a time.
Deactivate and delete plugins you do not use. Replace plugins that do heavy work on every page view with lighter ones, and run scans and reports at night or through external services. Test changes on a staging copy if your host offers one.
Each second saved frees a slot sooner. Use a current PHP version your site supports (MultiPHP Manager, or Select PHP Version on CloudLinux servers), keep the CMS, theme and plugins updated, and clear database clutter such as old revisions and spam comments.
Upgrade when faults continue after caching, plugin clean-up, cron changes and bot blocking, and they line up with genuine busy periods: a sale, booking season or results day. A higher shared plan raises the limits; a VPS suits sites with heavy, constant use. Extrion offers shared hosting, VPS servers and dedicated WordPress hosting; see our hosting plans and the comparison of shared hosting, VPS and cloud. Upgrading without fixing the cause usually just moves the problem: a bot that fills 20 slots will fill 40.
Contact your host or developer if the site is down for long periods, the Resource Usage page is missing or shows nothing, faults continue after the basic fixes, or you suspect a hack (unknown files, strange admin users, spam sent from your domain). Have ready:
Extrion Tech provides cPanel hosting, including shared hosting, VPS servers and dedicated WordPress hosting, and can help find what is using your resources and whether a bigger plan makes sense. See our hosting plans or contact us with your domain name and a screenshot of your Resource Usage page.
This guide is general information. Procedures, product features and firmware change, so check your own equipment's documentation before you start.
FAQs
Not usually. It means your account reached the limit set for your plan. The host sets the limits, but what uses them is your site, its plugins and its visitors, including bots.
The entry process limit is about how many requests run at the same moment. When the burst ends, usage drops below the limit and the site works again until the next burst.
Probably a related one. CPU and I/O limits slow the account down rather than producing an error. Check the Resource Usage page for CPU or I/O faults; the same fixes (caching, lighter plugins, quieter cron jobs) usually help.
Occasional short errors rarely matter, but frequent ones mean search engines and customers keep meeting an error page. Fix the cause rather than waiting for it to clear.
Usually only by moving you to a plan with higher limits. Shared servers keep limits so every customer gets a fair share.
Yes. A cached page is served without running PHP, so it uses almost none of the entry process limit. For most small business sites it is the biggest single improvement.
Yes. Malware that sends spam, mines cryptocurrency or attacks other sites uses CPU, memory and processes. If the faults started suddenly with no change on your side, scan the site and tell your host.
Reliable hosting and business email with local support, backups and help when something goes wrong.
Ask for clarification, tell us a problem this did not solve, or suggest a topic. An engineer reads every message, and we use them to improve the Knowledge Center.
Keep learning
Web Hosting, Domains & Website Management
30 min
Troubleshooting fix
When business email stops, quotes, bookings and invoices go nowhere, and often nobody notices for a day. This guide finds the cause, from a full mailb...
View Guide
Web Hosting, Domains & Website Management
8 min
Comparison
Business software, shared files and email can run on a server in your own building or in the cloud, on a provider's servers reached over the internet....
View Guide
Web Hosting, Domains & Website Management
10 min
Comparison
Shared hosting, a VPS and cloud hosting differ in how much of a server is yours, how much power you can count on and who looks after it. Most small bu...
View Guide
Web Hosting, Domains & Website Management
12 min
A website's cost depends on its size, functions, content and upkeep, so a five-page company profile, a shop taking mobile money and a staff portal are...
View GuideEngineers reply Mon – Fri, 08:00 – 17:00
We'll send a copy of the conversation to our team. Next time, the chat starts fresh.
