How can i clean up my WP Database?

Martin

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Jan 13, 2017
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Hello folks,


I need your help to find best wp plugin which can clean up my WP Database. The problem is that, every time i delete and install one of my plugins all the settings remain the same. So i need some simple tool to delete all unnecessary files inside the database.
 
I can't name any tools, but whatever you do take a backup first before doing this type of thing!
 
As mentioned in Day 27 - Page Speed Optimization of the Crash Course:
It does the trick for 99% of problems. If you start leaving abandoned meta-fields around associated with plugins that don't clean up well, you're going to have a nightmare on your hands. Otherwise, this will take care of all of the normal-case scenarios.
 
Also another recommendation for WP-Optimize. I use it on all of my sites and haven't had any issues.
 
It works great, just went from 21MB --> 2.5MB in DB size!
 
Can it automatically detect and delete the files which are no longer in use? I'm asking this question because i don't have experience working with databases, so i'm afraid i might delete something which is important.
 
Martin said:
Can it automatically detect and delete the files which are no longer in use? I'm asking this question because i don't have experience working with databases, so i'm afraid i might delete something which is important.
Click to expand...

It doesn't delete files. It only affects the database itself, which stores text and associations between the text. This can include settings and files, but not the actual files themselves.

It features a sub-dashboard that gives you options and gives you [recommended] and [warning] notes too. Follow those and you'll be fine... but as always before you touch the database, take a backup of it so you can immediately restore it if something goes wrong. There is no "undo" button.
 
I don't know if this is helpful, but if you have at least a little bit of technical knowledge and know how to access your site's database via phpmyadmin, you could also locate the plugin's database and drop (= delete) it manually. It's not as hard as it may sound.

Just an alternative to the database plugin @Ryuzaki mentioned. But same thing goes for this approach: backup your database before you delete/edit anything!
 
esca1 said:
I don't know if this is helpful, but if you have at least a little bit of technical knowledge and know how to access your site's database via phpmyadmin, you could also locate the plugin's database and drop (= delete) it manually. It's not as hard as it may sound.
Click to expand...

Assuming you are going this route:
Most of the plugins which I know of simply create a few rows in existing tables.
If a plugin creates new tables (some do), it is easier to detect and delete them.
No plugin I know of creates a separate database. Guess esca1 meant tables. Or maybe there is - maybe I just never came across it.
 
builder said:
No plugin I know of creates a separate database. Guess esca1 meant tables. Or maybe there is - maybe I just never came across it.
Click to expand...

Yes, I did mean tables. Sorry for the confusion.

I guess not many plugins do create their own tables, but the ones I've had problems with (contact form plugins, woocommerce, ..) did have their own tables and deleting the plugin + dropping the tables fixed it.

If there's no seperate table for that particular plugin which is causing the problems then it's probably a good idea not to touch the database at all (at least via phpmyadmin).

Anyway, I was just suggesting an alternative. If the above mentioned plugins work and do the trick then I'd recommend you do it that way.
 
WP-Optimize has an option to leave orphaned information in the database, and it's enabled by default. That would be columns and rows that aren't properly deleted by plugins that created them when you uninstall them. It's not hurting anything for most of us but can create some sizeable bloat down the road.
 
You could also just log into phpMyAdmin and clean the tables there - standard disclaimer - be sure to back up your db, files and sites before editing things. Sounds like you got it fixed though.
 
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