Optimize your WordPress Database
WordPress, to give you a safe and a hassle-free environment, stores a lot of temporary information to its MySQL Database. Primary example would be Post Revisions. WordPress creates Post Revisions every time you edit a post (after publishing), even when a post is auto-saved! This appends the whole post content to the database, thus filling your database with temporary stuffs. You won’t be able to delete them either. But here’s WP-Optimize, a plugin by Ruhani Rabin that works like a charm.
The plugin can be downloaded from WordPress Repository here. Or you can use the automated installer available in your WordPress Backend (Plugins->Add New). Type in ‘WP Optimize’ and click ‘Install’ against the plugin name.
Once activated, the plugin should display in the Dashboard menu (left pane) as ‘WP-Optimize’. Clicking on it will take you to the optimization page where you’ll see the following
Remove all Post revisions – This removes all the post revisions. As said earlier, post revisions get saved every time you edit a post.
Clean marked Spam Comments – This removes all spam comments from the database table in one click. If you have spam comments, you’ll have a link to review them
Clean Unapproved comments – Similar to the above statement, this one removes all unapproved/pending comments from your database table in one click!
Optimize database tables – This optimizes database tables, thereby saving you some space (on the database). You can review the tables that will be optimized, under ‘Database Tables Report’, that displays table statistics.
Username modification – You can modify usernames (WordPress usernames) right from here, in just a click. Type in the old username followed by the new one, and you are done! Additionally, you can modify the admin username too, which WordPress doesn’t allow by default. When you change the admin username, the MySQL Table (_users) is also updated.
It is always suggested to have your username changed from the default ‘admin’. Have a solid password too.
Tested on WordPress 2.8.4!
And thus, you have a plugin that does all the house-keeping work now ;) Don’t forget to visit the author, Ruhani Rabin’s Blog (ruhanirabin.com).
Awesome! thank you for the honorable writeup! Really like to see other peoples view on this.
You are welcome, Ruhani Rabin. On top of all, thanks to you for the plugin, that should help millions optimize their WP database. :)
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Awesome ditto! Trying to get info before I start my blog on trade show industry & this help tremendously!
Thank you Tami. Waiting to see yet another WordPress Blog =)