What is WordPress database optimisation?

Speed and performance – these are the key principles on which websites are always judged. While what you put on your site matters too, it’s more subjective. Speed and performance are a little more universal.

WordPress is a powerful platform but if you neglect the database that underpins your WordPress site, that speed and performance can take a hit.

An optimised database enhances your website’s loading times as data can be retrieved much faster. The faster pages load, the better the user experience and the more likely your site is to rank higher.

A streamlined database also uses fewer server resources, which could save serious costs in a shared hosting environment​. So, it’s a win-win, but it’s also something that might seem intimidating on the surface. Thankfully, it can be simplified using a third-party plugin. 

Before we start spring cleaning though, let’s explore some more common culprits of database bloat, besides stuffing your site with too many plugins.

Every action you and your users take is stored in your database. This includes all post revisions and comments, including spam. Inevitably, that’s going to include a lot of unnecessary and unwanted data that could seriously clutter up your database.

Common causes of database bloat include:

WordPress records every revision and draft you make to every post. Over time, these can add up to a significant number, especially on sites with frequent updates. By default, WordPress also autosaves posts every 60 seconds with a chronological record of all edits. More often than not, this is hidden data you wouldn’t want anyone to see anyway.

Comments marked as spam will remain in your database unless you manually remove them. This is even true if you have an anti-spam plugin installed. If you’ve been the victim of a prolific spammer, these comments will not only slow your site down but could pose a serious security risk.

Just because you’ve deleted a post, page or comment, that doesn’t mean it’s automatically gone forever. All site content is retained in your trash folder for 30 days by default, during which time they continue to occupy space.

These are temporary data caches used by developers to speed up operations in the short term. WordPress doesn’t remove them automatically, even when they’re no longer required, leading to additional bloat.

By default, WordPress data is stored in 12 core tables (options, posts, users, etc.) each storing a specific type of data. If a plugin you’re using creates its own table and you later delete that plugin, the table and all the data within it will remain. If you’re always experimenting with different plugins, this could become a major bloat issue.

When you delete a plugin or theme, it may also leave behind metadata, further cluttering the database​.

While it’s unlikely you’ll erase any important information, it’s not impossible. That’s why, before optimising your WordPress database, it’s essential to perform a backup of your site. Think of it as a safety net, allowing you to restore your website to its original state should anything go wrong during the optimisation process.

There are many user-friendly backup and restoration tools and plugins available for WordPress. This ensures that even those with minimal technical expertise can secure their data efficiently. Indeed, many plugins even create regularly scheduled automatic backups. So, you don’t even need to think about it!

If you’re feeling nervous about it, you might also want to consider testing the optimisation plugin on a staging or development site first. This will allow you to identify any issues before applying changes to your live site.

It’s possible to manually optimise your database, and some power users may prefer the flexibility this option offers. However, WordPress comes with a built-in database optimization tool. It can still be quite complicated for some users though. For most users, we’d always recommend using a database optimization plugin. These plugins will not only leave you with a compressed and clear WordPress database but will also backup and restore files.

Whichever method you choose, however, WordPress database optimisation is more than a preventative measure. It’s an essential proactive strategy for all WordPress users. By addressing database bloat, you can maximise the potential of your online presence.

After optimizing your database, it’s crucial to carry out routine maintenance tasks on your WordPress site to sustain its performance over time.