Mailbox quota
A mailbox quota is a limit on the amount of storage space available for email messages in a mailbox. This limit is set by the email provider or the organization that manages the email account.
Here are some common types of mailbox quotas:
- Storage quota: This is the maximum amount of storage space available for email messages, attachments, and other data in the mailbox. For example, a storage quota of 1 GB means that the mailbox can store up to 1 gigabyte of data.
- Message quota: This is a limit on the number of email messages that can be stored in the mailbox. For example, a message quota of 1,000 means that the mailbox can store up to 1,000 individual email messages.
- Size quota: This is a limit on the total size of email messages that can be stored in the mailbox. For example, a size quota of 10 MB means that the mailbox can store email messages that are up to 10 megabytes in size.
Mailbox quotas are typically set to prevent abuse, such as sending or storing large amounts of spam or malware. They can also help to prevent mailbox overload, which can occur when a mailbox becomes too full and makes it difficult to send or receive new email messages.
Some common scenarios where mailbox quotas may be relevant include:
- Personal email accounts: Many personal email providers, such as Gmail or Outlook.com, have storage quotas to prevent users from storing too much data in their mailboxes.
- Business email accounts: Companies may set mailbox quotas for their employees to prevent data overload and to ensure that email messages are properly archived and backed up.
- Shared mailboxes: Shared mailboxes, such as those used for customer support or public inquiries, may have quotas to prevent abuse and to ensure that the mailbox remains organized and manageable.
If a mailbox reaches its quota, the user may receive an error message or notification indicating that the mailbox is full. In some cases, the user may be able to upgrade their quota or delete old email messages to free up space.