One of the useful features of WordPress is that it auto saves a copy of your post revisions.
This is a most welcome feature as you never know when or why you may need to revert to a backup copy of a page or post. However, the downside is that it saves unlimited revisions, meaning that if you edit a simple spelling mistake then WordPress saves a complete copy to your database. This can lead to a lot of clutter, especially if you are just creating the site and several edits are required. It’s not uncommon to see 20+ copies of post revisions saved. The more posts you have, the bigger the backlog of unnecessary data stored in your database.
There are many plugins that you can use but Optimize Database after Deleting Revisions is one of the ones we use on a regular basis.
Once installed simply head to your WordPress dashboard. You will find the plugin settings page under Settings/Optimize Database.
You can check the settings as required. In the 3rd checkbox, it asks you how many post revisions you wish to keep. If you are unsure then 3-5 is usually enough. As you become more comfortable using the plugin you can edit this. In most cases, 1-2 revisions are usually enough.
You can also choose from deleting trashed and spammed items and various other selections.
Once you are happy with your settings you can run the optimizer.
You can start the Optimization found in the Tools/Optimize Database.
Note: if you use the Scheduler the Optimization will run automatically
Note: you also can click the ‘Optimize DB (1 click)’ link in the admin bar (if enabled)
Optimization is usually a quick process and done in under 1 second. You will then be presented with details of what has been cleaned up.
Using this plugin is a great way to keep your database clear from clutter and unnecessary bloat.
Click here for more information on this plugin
There are many similar plugins available that do a similar job, tell us in the comments section which ones you like to use.
