iCloud storage full when it isn't

Hey there, and welcome to Apple Support Communities petralynworboyes1,

We can certainly understand your concern and are here to help. Just to clarify, are you checking your MacBook Air physical storage capacity or your iCloud storage? We ask this because these two can be easily mistaken for each other. Check out these steps on how to check out your iCloud and physical storage and let us know the results.

" Check your iCloud storage on your Mac

1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, click Apple ID, then click iCloud.
2. The bar graph shows your overall storage usage.
3. Click Manage for more details.
4. On the left, you see a list of apps and features and how much iCloud storage they use. The apps and features that use the most storage are at the top of the list. You can click an app or feature for more information.

See used and available storage space on your Mac

See how much storage space is used on your Mac and how much space is available.

You see a disk for each APFS container and HFS+ partition.  If an APFS container has multiple volumes, the container’s free space is available to all its volumes.

Note: Depending on the model of your Mac, an additional pane for upgrading memory may be available across the top of the System Information window. See Upgrade memory.

1. Choose Apple menu  > About This Mac.
2. Click Storage, then click Manage.
3. The categories shown contain the various files on your Mac. (If your Mac has more than one user account, the categories shown are for the user who’s logged in.) "

For additional information, check out these links here: Check your iCloud storage online or on any device - Apple Support and See used and available storage space on your Mac - Apple Support

Kindest regards!