Error 508: Resource Limit Is Reached

The website has suddenly stopped working and the following message appears when you visit:

• Error 508: Resource Limit Is Reached

This means that the website has used up all the available capacity of the hosting package. Each hosting package has a certain amount of capacity (processor capacity, working memory, etc.). When the websites in the package have used up all the available capacity, the system returns an error message until the load is reduced.

Table of contents

• Why does the page load increase?
  1. Increased number of visitors
  2. Attack on the website
  3. Website not optimised
  4. Errors in the website/application code
  5. Execution of cron jobs too often
  6. Virus on website
• How to check the cause of error 508?
  1. Server Resource Usage
  2. Visit statistics (AWStats)
  3. Viewing the web request log (Raw Access)
  4. Viewing the error_log file
• How to fix error 508?

Why does the page load increase?

Error 508 is most commonly caused by excessive server capacity usage. The reasons for this vary – it could be increased traffic to the website due to advertising, it could be a technical fault in the website, or it could even be a web attack (or virus). Check below to find out the most common reasons.

1. Increased number of visitors

A sudden increase in the number of visitors to a website can lead to an overrun of the hosting package. This often happens with promotions, social media posts or advertising campaigns that cause a large increase in visitors in a short period of time (a spike).

If a website is properly optimised but still encounters a 508 error, it means it needs more server capacity. In such cases, the solution is to upgrade the hosting package to a more powerful one that will provide enough resources to keep the website running smoothly even under heavy loads.

Read also: How to prepare for increased website traffic?

2. Attacking the website

The causes of a 508 notice include a so-called DDoS attack (Distributed Denial of Service) or automated queries by web bots/spiders that can put a heavy load on a website. Such attacks target the overload of a website and cause the website to become unavailable.

If the error seems to occur suddenly and for no apparent reason (e.g. no significant number of visitors), there is a possibility that it is an attack. In this case, it is advisable to check the log files and consult the technical support of your hosting provider.

3. Website not optimised

A poorly optimised website can trigger several concurrent, complex processes that consume a large amount of server resources each time a visitor visits it. Common reasons include non-use of caching, non-optimised images, excessive number of plugins, inefficient (slow) MySQL queries and inefficient/outdated programming (PHP) code.

Although the problem may seem technical at first glance, it can usually be solved relatively quickly by optimising the code and content. The use of caching, the reduction of unnecessary plug-ins and appropriate image compression can make a significant contribution to reducing the load on the hosting package.

4. Website/application code errors

Errors in the code of a website or web application can be hidden but very problematic. If a process never completes correctly or starts over and over again, this causes a constant consumption of server resources. Loops are also common, creating an unlimited number of processes unattended.

The problems described usually require the involvement of the website developer, who can use the logs to detect the error in the code. Regular updates of the CMS system (e.g. WordPress, Joomla), plugins and graphical templates are essential for safe and stable operation.

5. Running cron jobs too often

Cron jobs are automated tasks that run at set intervals (e.g. every 5 minutes to check an email, update data or send an email). If the interval is set too low or if the jobs take too long, this can lead to increased consumption of server resources.

It is therefore important to set up cron jobs thoughtfully. If the job can be run once an hour instead of every five minutes, this will significantly reduce the load on the server. Read more about cron jobs and how to set them up in the cPanel control panel in this article.

6. Virus on a website

If a website has been the victim of malicious code (a web virus), it may be running unwanted processes in the background (e.g. sending spam emails, communicating with external servers or continuously creating files). This kind of activity puts a heavy load on the hosting package, which can lead to a 508 notification.

A web virus attack is most often caused by:

• Using older (not updated) websites (e.g. WordPress, Joomla, Magento) that do not contain up-to-date security patches;
• using outdated plugins/graphical templates;
• inadequate security management (e.g. use of weak passwords).

You will learn more about web viruses and how to remediate your website in the short guides:

• My website has been attacked!
• How to clean viruses on a website?

How to check the cause of error 508?

If you get a 508 error on your website, we advise you to first check some information in the cPanel control panel (cPanel login instructions). The tips below will help you to determine whether the overage of your hosting package is due to excessive resource consumption, a sudden spike in traffic, or a bug in the website’s software code.

1. Server Resource Usage

Check whether the website has exceeded the permitted capacity of the hosting package. You can do this using the Resource Usage tool.

1. In the cPanel dashboard, locate the Metrics section and click on Resource Usage.

2. Review the data and graphs to see if there have been any performance overruns (CPU, RAM, number of concurrent processes, etc.) in the last period.

If the overruns occur regularly, this is a clear indication that the hosting package needs more server capacity.

More on how to use the Resource Usage tool.

2. Visitor statistics (AWStats)

AWStats gives you an insight into the traffic on your website. Using this tool, you can find out if a 508 error has occurred due to a sudden increase in the number of visitors.

1. In the cPanel dashboard, find the Metrics section and click on Awstats.

2. For the website you want to check traffic data for, click on View.

3. Check the data on the number of visits, hits and bandwidth usage.

A sudden increase in traffic often indicates that the 508 error is caused by an increase in visits to the website.

Learn more about AWStats and metrics.

3. Reviewing the web request log (Raw Access)

Raw Access provides access to a detailed record of all web requests. Reviewing the log is useful when you want to check whether a 508 error has occurred due to server overload caused by automated robots, aggressive web crawlers or unusual traffic patterns.

1. In the cPanel dashboard, locate the Metrics section and click on Raw Access.

2. In the list of domains, click on the link to download the log for the domain or subdomain where the problem is occurring.

3. Open the downloaded .gz file (e.g. with WinRAR or 7-Zip) and inspect the contents with a text editor (e.g. Notepad++ or VS Code).

In the log, pay attention to:

• A large number of requests from the same IP address – may indicate a DDoS attack or unwanted activity by automated tools (bots).
• Traffic from unusual geographic locations – e.g. mass accesses from countries not normally recorded in statistics, which may indicate malicious activity.
• User-Agent data – the log for each request contains information about which browser, bot or other tool made the request. This information can be used to identify unwanted automated traffic (e.g. AhrefsBot, python-requests, ChatGPT-User).
• Frequent requests to specific URLs – e.g. wp-login.php or xmlrpc.php, which may indicate malicious or automated login attempts.

4. Viewing the error_log file

Error 508 can also be caused by errors in the PHP file code, resulting in an increased number of processes or resource consumption. We advise you to check the contents of the error_log file, which records PHP errors that have occurred during the operation of the website.

Where is the error_log file located?

The error_log file is created in the same folder where the PHP file that caused the error or warning is located.

For example: if an error occurs in the contact.php file located in the /contact/ folder, the error_log file will also be created in the /contact/ folder.

To get an overview of the full range of errors, we advise you to check several folders within the website – especially the ones where the most important PHP scripts are located (e.g. wp-content, plugins, themes).

How to enable error logging?

If you cannot find the error_log file, error logging is most likely not enabled on your hosting package. You can easily enable error logging in the error_log file within cPanel.

1. Locate the Software section and click on Select PHP Version.

2. Click on the Options tab.

3. Look for the log_errors option and tick the box if it is not already selected.

Learn more about displaying PHP errors: How do I display errors and warnings on my website?

How to fix error 508?

Once the cause causing the 508 (Resource Limit Reached) message has been determined, the next step is to fix the cause.

• If the problem is caused by a sudden spike in website traffic, consider upgrading your hosting. We recommend upgrading to Turbo Hosting, which allows significantly more resources to be made available and thus increases the performance of your website. For more complex projects, a VPS server is also an excellent choice.
• In the case of a non-optimised website, technical optimisation should be taken care of. The most important measures include the implementation of effective caching, image optimisation and the removal of unnecessary plug-ins.
• In the WordPress environment, use the free Query Monitor plugin to detect system-consuming plugins. This tool will show you slow queries, plugins with the highest resource consumption and other issues that affect your site’s performance. Based on the results, you can remove inefficient plugins and replace them with less system-intensive alternatives.
• If the problem is caused by a misconfigured cron job, adjust the script execution intervals. Also check that all cron jobs are still actually performing their function, as outdated or incorrect jobs can put unnecessary strain on the server.
• In the event of suspicious activity on the website, such as a sudden increase in the number of requests, a change in the content of files or an unexplained load on the hosting package, we advise you to contact our technical support immediately (info@neoserv.si).

If you are unable to resolve the problem yourself, we at NEOSERV are always here to help. We will help you determine the cause of the 508 error and get your website up and running again.