How to Monitor Server Load in WHM Updated on March 31, 2026 by InMotion Hosting Contributor 4 Minutes, 45 Seconds to Read Monitoring server load is essential for maintaining performance and stability in a Dedicated or VPS hosting environment. WHM (Web Host Manager) provides built-in tools that enable administrators to monitor system resource usage, identify bottlenecks, and take corrective action before issues affect users. This guide explains how to monitor server load in WHM, how to interpret load averages correctly, and what values are considered acceptable based on your server configuration. What Is Server Load? Server load, often referred to as the load average, represents the number of processes either actively using the CPU or waiting for CPU time. It is typically displayed as three values, which correspond to the average load over: 1 minute 5 minutes 15 minutes For example: 0.45, 0.60, 0.75 These values provide insight into both short-term and long-term system activity. How to Check Server Load in WHM WHM makes it easy to view server load metrics through its interface. Steps to View Server Load Log in to WHM as the root user. Locate the Load Averages section in the top-right corner of the WHM interface header. The load average is displayed near the top of the page, along with CPU and memory usage statistics. Understanding Load Average Values Load averages must be interpreted in relation to the number of CPU cores available on the server. Interpreting Load Relative to CPU Cores Load average should be interpreted in relation to CPU cores, but it is not a direct measure of CPU utilization. On Linux systems, load average includes processes in: Running state (R) Uninterruptible sleep (D), usually waiting on disk I/O Processes in a zombie state (Z) do not contribute to the load average. Practical Guidelines A load average lower than the number of CPU cores generally indicates available processing capacity A load average higher than the number of CPU cores may indicate contention for CPU or other resources A load average equal to the number of CPU cores does not necessarily mean full CPU utilization This distinction is important because a system can report a high load average even when CPUs are not fully utilized, especially when many processes are waiting for disk I/O (D state). Example If your server has 4 CPU cores: Load of 2.0 suggests moderate usage Load of 4.0 suggests the system is busy, but not necessarily CPU-bound Load of 6.0 or higher suggests resource contention, which could be CPU, disk I/O, or other bottlenecks Because of this, load average should always be evaluated alongside CPU usage and disk I/O metrics rather than used as a standalone indicator. What Is an Acceptable Load Average? Acceptable load averages depend on both hardware and workload, but the following guidelines apply in most environments: Healthy Range Load average consistently below the number of CPU cores Short spikes above core count are acceptable if they quickly return to normal Warning Signs Load average consistently exceeding CPU core count Increasing trend across 1, 5, and 15-minute values Critical Condition Load average is significantly higher than CPU cores for extended periods Accompanied by slow response times, timeouts, or service failures It is important to evaluate load trends rather than relying on a single snapshot. Additional Metrics to Monitor Server load alone does not provide a complete picture. You should also review: CPU usage percentage Memory usage (RAM and swap) Disk I/O activity Running processes These metrics are available within WHM under Server Status and Process Manager. Common Causes of High Server Load High load averages can result from various factors, including: Resource-intensive websites or scripts Poorly optimized databases High traffic spikes Background processes such as backups or cron jobs Malware or abusive processes Identifying the root cause is essential before taking action. Troubleshooting High Server Load When investigating high load in WHM, it is important to correlate load averages with CPU and disk activity. Load alone does not identify the bottleneck. Common Load Patterns and What They Mean High load with low CPU usage Likely cause: disk I/O bottlenecks or processes in D state Symptoms: high load average, low CPU%, slow disk operations What to check: WHM » Server Status » Daily Process Log SSH tools like iostat, iotop Backup jobs, large MySQL queries, or heavy disk writes High load with high CPU usage Likely cause: CPU contention from active processes Symptoms: high load average, high CPU%, slow application response What to check: WHM » Process Manager SSH tools like top or htop PHP scripts, MySQL queries, or traffic spikes High load with idle CPU and high wait (wa) Likely cause: storage latency or saturation Symptoms: elevated I/O wait percentage, stalled processes What to check: Disk performance and storage type (SSD vs HDD) Concurrent read or write operations Steps to Investigate Check the load average in WHM. Review CPU usage and I/O wait. Identify top processes using WHM or SSH tools. Correlate spikes with cron jobs, backups, or traffic events. Optimize or reschedule resource-intensive tasks. Best Practices for Load Monitoring To maintain optimal performance: Monitor load regularly using WHM or external tools Set up alerts for abnormal load spikes Keep software and services updated Use caching to reduce CPU usage Scale resources when consistent high load is observed Conclusion WHM provides essential tools for monitoring server load and maintaining system health. By understanding how load averages relate to CPU cores, administrators can make informed decisions and prevent performance issues. Consistent monitoring and proactive optimization are key to maintaining a stable, responsive hosting environment. If you are unsure about your server’s performance limits, contact our Technical Support team for guidance specific to your hardware configuration. Share this Article InMotion Hosting Contributor Content Writer InMotion Hosting contributors are highly knowledgeable individuals who create relevant content on new trends and troubleshooting techniques to help you achieve your online goals! More Articles by InMotion Hosting Related Articles How to Monitor Server Load in WHM How to Create a New cPanel in your Reseller WHM WHM Email Troubleshooter Guide How to Change your sub-users to PaperLantern via WHM How to Configure cPanel in WHM Resetting the cPanel Password in WHM Getting your WHMCS License Key How to Connect WHMCS to your eNom Reseller Account How to Login to your Reseller WHM Using WHM to See Disk Usage
Hi, I have a R-1000S account. The server load averages are always around 15 17 17. Is that normal? Thanks!
Hello Gabriel, Reseller servers share the load of each site across the server. If you more than one website then it’s possible that one or more of them is causing the load. Is it normal? It’s possible. It depends on the websites or applications running on the server. If you require a further breakdown of the load, please submit a verified support ticket to our live technical support team requesting a review of your hosting service in relation to the load that your seeing. If you have any further questions, please let us know. Regards, Arnel C.
Thanks for the explanation of those numbers in the top of the WHM. Is there anyway to view historical data on these load averages?
Hello George, you can submit a verified support ticket and they can provide the numbers that they have available with the logs. If you’re on a VPS or Dedicated server with root access, you can try logging to SSH and running the command sar -q. If you have any further questions, please let us know. Kindest regards, Arnel C.
Hi, My load average is 1.69 1.68 1.67. Goes up to 2 on peak hours and comes down below 1 in the morning. Is that normal or am i consuming too much resources ?
Hello Haroon, Thanks for the question. If you load average consistently averages between 1.5 and 2, then it’s possible that you may want to consider what you can do to optimize the site. Check our article on high resource usage. It will help you identify where the resource usage is occurring and if you can do anything about it. Ideally, you would want your load average to stay at our below 1. I hope this helps to answer your question, please let us know if you require any further assistance. Regards, Arnel C.
Addendum to my last comment: I’m now looking at the Service Status in WHM. It is showing Server load 4.61 (40 CPUs) The green checkmark leads me to believe that all is ok with this level. So again, I’m uncertain about the numbers used in this article and how they relate to real-world numbers. Please clarify what I should be seeing to be compliant.
Hello Carl, Thanks for the question. All of this can be verify confusing, but the server averages are definitely a good guideline (as per the above article). If you’re seeing the averages regularly above 1.00 (on all three numbers in the load average line in WHM), then you are probably pushing the limits of the system. For comparison, I looked at another VPS (my own) which has a few active websites and I see the Load averages will look like this: 0.01, 0.04, 0.01. Please look into upgrading your hosting account if you continually see averages above 3.00 on your account. If you have any further questions on the issue, then you are welcome to send a reply, or contact our live technical support team in regards to your server loads. Sincerely, Arnel C.
Hello Carl, The VPS servers are a virtualized server (not physical), so processes are running across multiple processors and server resources (such as memory). The VPS has greater access to resources than a shared server, but it is still a form of shared resource management. In comparison, a dedicated server would have ALL of its resources dedicated to your website processes. The service status (under System Information) shows the current services running on your server across the CPU’s on that server (in this case 40). The resources being used by these services are indicated in the system information summary. The table also indicates when a service is up or down. The green check simply indicates that numbers were able to be determined for your VPS and that it’s current and up and running. The service status is simply a quick way to get a look at the main services (e.g. email, database, web and ftp) that are running on your server. Regards, Arnel C.
Thanks, Jacob! Useful article. Maybe include links at the bottom, e.g., to determine the cause of spikes article (https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/website/website-troubleshooting/determine-cause-of-server-usage-spike), and the main page on server usage (https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/website/server-usage).
We’re on a VPS1000S. Are you saying that the server load should average not really exceed 1.00, or is this a scaled number? I’ve been monitoring ours and haven’t seen it drop below 1.95. I’ve seen it spike into double digits over the last 15 minutes. I’m trying to gain an understanding of how this all works and make sure our site falls withing acceptable parameters, but based on what I’m seeing, I’m not sure it is even possible to get the site down to that level. What am I missing here?
