WordPress websites are made up of both files and databases. Have you ever tried various plugins to create a feature before settling on the one that works best? The chances are that you have bloated your database without even realising it. That’s why from time to time you should clean leftover plugin database tables
When you install a plugin it adds tables to your database.
The issue is that deleting the plugin doesn’t always delete the tables, it just deletes the plugin files.
So how do we remove all the unwanted tables left over in your database after trying out different plugins?
The easiest way is with the aid of another plugin (Typical right!)
Plugins Garbage Collector
Once you have this plugin installed you will find the settings in the dashboard under tools > Plugins Garbage Collector
Select Search non-WP Tables and click Scan then wait. Depending on the size of your plugin list, this only takes a matter of seconds.
You will then get a list of all the non-core tables still included in your website database. The tab on the right indicates if the database belongs to a now-deleted plugin.
If this is not clear enough, tables surplus to requirements are also in red. Green tables on the list indicate that they are still required tables.
From this point, you can click on the checkbox and delete all the unwanted tables. Certain plugins are notorious for leaving a table footprint behind them. WooCommerce is just one example as can be seen in the above image. So even if you have done the correct thing and deactivated and then deleted a plugin, it still doesn’t mean that you have completely cleaned the database.
In another post, we discussed another plugin that also cleans up your WordPress database. This plugin is more for cleaning up unwanted revisions and spam comments etc but it goes without saying that both plugins used hand in hand are a good way to keep your WordPress database lean and clutter-free.
