Web Hosting Acceptable Use Policy
Version 1.0. Last updated 1 August 2026.
This policy forms part of our Terms of Service and applies to our Standard, Pro and Premium web hosting plans. It exists to keep our shared servers fast and stable for everyone on them, and to keep our IP ranges in good standing so your email actually gets delivered.
If you are unsure whether something is permitted, ask us first at hello@hostingme.co.uk. We would rather have that conversation up front than suspend you afterwards.
1. Unlawful and prohibited content
You must not use web hosting for anything unlawful, or for:
- content that infringes copyright, trade marks or other intellectual property rights
- child sexual abuse material, which we report to the Internet Watch Foundation and law enforcement without notice
- content that is obscene, pornographic, defamatory, harassing, or that incites violence, hatred or discrimination
- fraud, including phishing pages, fake shops and advance fee schemes
- unlicensed regulated activity, including unauthorised financial services or gambling
2. What shared hosting is for
Shared hosting is for operating live websites and their directly associated email and databases. It is not:
- bulk file storage, an archive, or a backup destination for files that are not part of a live site
- a media streaming service
- a public file sharing service, torrent tracker, torrent client or seedbox
- a proxy server, VPN endpoint or anonymisation service
- a platform for cryptocurrency mining
- an IRC server, bot or bouncer
- a personal cloud or office suite application (for example, a self-hosted Nextcloud or ownCloud instance)
If your project needs any of these, talk to us about VPS hosting instead, which has its own, much lighter-touch Acceptable Use Policy.
3. Resource limits
Storage, site and mailbox allowances for each plan are published on our web hosting page. In addition, to keep the server fair for everyone, each account is subject to the following technical limits:
| Resource | Standard | Pro | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concurrent entry processes | 20 | 40 | 80 |
| CPU | Shared, fair-share | Shared, fair-share | Shared, fair-share |
| Maximum script execution time | 90 seconds | 90 seconds | 120 seconds |
| Cron job frequency | Every 5 minutes | Every 5 minutes | Every 5 minutes |
| Outbound email | 300 messages / hour | 500 messages / hour | 1,000 messages / hour |
Where a plan is marketed as having unlimited bandwidth, subdomains or databases, that means we do not meter it or cap it at a fixed number, not that it is free of these fair use limits.
4. Security and network abuse
You must not:
- send spam, unsolicited bulk email, or operate an open mail relay
- distribute malware, ransomware, spyware or exploit kits
- launch or participate in denial of service attacks
- port scan, penetration test or otherwise probe systems you do not own, or our infrastructure, without our prior written consent
- attempt to access accounts, data or servers you are not authorised to access
- circumvent resource limits, billing controls or account restrictions
- forge headers or otherwise misrepresent the origin of traffic
5. Email
Where we provide email as part of your plan, you must:
- only send to recipients who have consented, or where the soft opt-in under PECR applies
- include a working unsubscribe mechanism in all marketing email
- keep bounce and spam complaint rates within reasonable limits
- maintain accurate SPF, DKIM and DMARC records where you manage your own DNS
We may impose sending limits, and may suspend outbound mail immediately where a spam complaint threatens the reputation of our IP ranges.
6. Your responsibilities
- Keep your CMS, plugins, themes and any other software patched and current
- Secure your credentials and enable two factor authentication
- Take responsibility for anything your Authorised Users do
- Respond promptly when we report a compromise on your account
An out of date WordPress or other CMS install that gets compromised and starts sending spam is your responsibility, not ours. We will help you clean it up, but the account may be suspended in the meantime.
7. How we enforce this
Our response is proportionate to the problem.
| Situation | What we do |
|---|---|
| Minor or accidental breach, or exceeding a resource limit | We contact you and ask you to fix it, normally within 48 hours |
| Compromised site sending spam or serving malware | Immediate suspension of the affected service, then we work with you to clean it up |
| Serious or deliberate breach | Immediate suspension, then termination under clause 10.4 of the Terms of Service |
| CSAM, or an active attack from your account | Immediate termination, no notice, reported to the relevant authority |
Where we suspend, we will tell you why and what needs to happen for the service to be restored, unless we are legally prohibited from telling you.
If you think we have got it wrong, email hello@hostingme.co.uk and we will review it.
8. Reporting abuse
To report abuse originating from our web hosting network, email hello@hostingme.co.uk with the URL or IP address, a description of the issue, and any supporting evidence such as full email headers. We aim to acknowledge within one working day.