{"id":3404,"date":"2025-05-28T21:21:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T01:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/2014\/10\/09\/cleaning-up-old-post-meta-data-in-wordpress\/"},"modified":"2025-06-10T19:06:08","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T23:06:08","slug":"cleaning-up-old-post-meta-data-in-wordpress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/edu\/wordpress\/cleaning-up-old-post-meta-data-in-wordpress\/","title":{"rendered":"Cleaning Up Old Post  Metadata in WordPress"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" src=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/cleaning-up-metadata-1024x538.png\" alt=\"Cleaning Up Old Post Metadata in WordPress header image\" class=\"wp-image-130357\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/cleaning-up-metadata-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/cleaning-up-metadata-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/cleaning-up-metadata-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/cleaning-up-metadata.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1360px) 876px, (min-width: 960px) calc(61.58vw + 51px), calc(100vw - 80px)\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Regularly cleaning your WordPress database removes orphaned metadata, expired transients, and unused entries, keeping your site fast and backups quick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over time, as posts are updated, created, or deleted, the <code>wp_postmeta<\/code> table can become large and inhibit your website\u2019s performance. In this article, we are going to show you how to clean up old, unnecessary post metadata from the <code>wp_postmeta<\/code> table to help your WordPress site run more efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You\u2019ll learn three easy methods:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Plugins<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Manual Cleanup via phpMyAdmin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ongoing Maintenance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">But First, What Gets Cleaned?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><b>Post revisions<\/b>. Each time you update a post or page, WordPress saves a revision snapshot. Over time, these accumulate and bloat your <code>wp_posts<\/code> and <code>wp_postmeta<\/code> tables, consuming storage and slowing down backups.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><b>Spam and trashed comments<\/b>. When comments are marked as spam or moved to the trash, they remain in your <code>wp_comments<\/code> and <code>wp_commentmeta<\/code> tables until you delete them permanently. Clearing these out reduces table size and improves query performance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><b>Expired transients<\/b>. Transients are temporary cached data stored in the <code>wp_options<\/code> table by plugins and themes. Once they expire, they sit unused. Removing expired transients frees up space and prevents unnecessary option lookups.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><b>Orphaned postmeta and usermeta entries<\/b>. These are metadata rows in <code>wp_postmeta<\/code> or <code>wp_usermeta<\/code> that reference posts or users no longer in the database. Deleting orphaned entries streamlines your tables and eliminates dead data.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Method 1: Plugins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Using a plugin is the simplest way to clean your database without touching SQL. Install one of these in minutes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-optimize\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WP-Optimize<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Navigate to <strong>Plugins &gt; Add New<\/strong>, search for \u201c<strong>WP-Optimize<\/strong>,\u201d and click <strong>Install Now<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Activate the plugin, then go to <strong>WP-Optimize &gt; Database<\/strong> and click the <strong>Run all selected optimizations<\/strong> button.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"691\" src=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/wpoptimizescreenshot-1024x691.png\" alt=\"Screenshot of WP Optimize\" class=\"wp-image-130339\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/wpoptimizescreenshot-1024x691.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/wpoptimizescreenshot-300x203.png 300w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/wpoptimizescreenshot-768x519.png 768w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/wpoptimizescreenshot.png 1278w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1360px) 876px, (min-width: 960px) calc(61.58vw + 51px), calc(100vw - 80px)\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/advanced-database-cleaner\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Advanced Database Cleaner<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Install and activate Advanced Database Cleaner from the plugin directory.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Under <strong>Database Cleaner<\/strong>, select old revisions, transients, and orphaned metadata, then click <strong>Clean.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"895\" src=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/advanceddatabasecleanerscreenshot-1024x895.png\" alt=\"Screenshot of Advanced Database Cleaner\" class=\"wp-image-130346\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/advanceddatabasecleanerscreenshot-1024x895.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/advanceddatabasecleanerscreenshot-300x262.png 300w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/advanceddatabasecleanerscreenshot-768x672.png 768w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/advanceddatabasecleanerscreenshot-1536x1343.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/advanceddatabasecleanerscreenshot.png 2006w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1360px) 876px, (min-width: 960px) calc(61.58vw + 51px), calc(100vw - 80px)\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-sweep\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WP-Sweep<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to <strong>Plugins &gt; Add New<\/strong>, search for \u201c<strong>WP Sweep<\/strong>,\u201d and hit <strong>Install Now<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Activate the plugin, then visit <strong>Tools &gt; Sweep<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Review the list (Revisions, Auto drafts, Trashed comments, Transients, Orphaned metadata, etc.), click <strong>Sweep<\/strong> next to each item to remove it, or use <strong>Sweep All<\/strong> at the top.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"992\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/wpsweepscreenshot-992x1024.png\" alt=\"Screenshot of WP-Sweep\" class=\"wp-image-130340\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/wpsweepscreenshot-992x1024.png 992w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/wpsweepscreenshot-291x300.png 291w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/wpsweepscreenshot-768x793.png 768w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/wpsweepscreenshot-1488x1536.png 1488w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/wpsweepscreenshot.png 1905w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1360px) 876px, (min-width: 960px) calc(61.58vw + 51px), calc(100vw - 80px)\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each plugin shows how many items it removed. For hands-off maintenance, enable its scheduling feature to run monthly.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Method 2: Manual Cleanup<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Step 1<\/b>. Before continuing, make a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/edu\/cpanel\/cpanel-backups\/#database\">backup of your database<\/a>. This step is critical as we are making mass deletions that can potentially break things on your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Step 2<\/b>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/edu\/cpanel\/how-to-log-into-cpanel\/\">Log into cPanel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"266\" src=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/imageone.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-130336\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/imageone.png 512w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/imageone-300x156.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1360px) 876px, (min-width: 960px) calc(61.58vw + 51px), calc(100vw - 80px)\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Step 3<\/b>. Next, scroll down to the Databases section and click on phpMyAdmin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"280\" src=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/imagetwo.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-130338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/imagetwo.png 512w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/imagetwo-300x164.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1360px) 876px, (min-width: 960px) calc(61.58vw + 51px), calc(100vw - 80px)\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Step 4<\/b>. Within PHPMyAdmin, select your WordPress database on the left side column. If you are unsure of the database that your WordPress site is using, follow our guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/edu\/wordpress\/find-db-name-2\/\">finding your WordPress database name<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/imagethree.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-130337\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/imagethree.png 512w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/imagethree-300x165.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1360px) 876px, (min-width: 960px) calc(61.58vw + 51px), calc(100vw - 80px)\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Step 5<\/b>. At the top of the page, click on SQL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Inside the text area, enter the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" style=\"color:#e1e4e8;display:none\" aria-label=\"Copy\" class=\"code-block-pro-copy-button\"><textarea class=\"code-block-pro-copy-button-textarea\" aria-hidden=\"true\" readonly>SELECT * FROM wp_postmeta pm LEFT JOIN wp_posts wp ON wp.ID = pm.post_id WHERE wp.ID IS NULL;\nDELETE pm FROM wp_postmeta pm LEFT JOIN wp_posts wp ON wp.ID = pm.post_id WHERE wp.ID IS NULL;<\/textarea><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" style=\"width:24px;height:24px\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\"><path class=\"with-check\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" d=\"M4.5 12.75l6 6 9-13.5\"><\/path><path class=\"without-check\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" d=\"M16.5 8.25V6a2.25 2.25 0 00-2.25-2.25H6A2.25 2.25 0 003.75 6v8.25A2.25 2.25 0 006 16.5h2.25m8.25-8.25H18a2.25 2.25 0 012.25 2.25V18A2.25 2.25 0 0118 20.25h-7.5A2.25 2.25 0 018.25 18v-1.5m8.25-8.25h-6a2.25 2.25 0 00-2.25 2.25v6\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><pre class=\"shiki github-dark\" style=\"background-color: #24292e\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #F97583\">SELECT<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">*<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">FROM<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> wp_postmeta pm <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">LEFT JOIN<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> wp_posts wp <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">ON<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">wp<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">.<\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">ID<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">=<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">pm<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">.<\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">post_id<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">WHERE<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">wp<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">.<\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">ID<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">IS<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">NULL<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">;<\/span><\/span>\n<span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #F97583\">DELETE<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> pm <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">FROM<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> wp_postmeta pm <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">LEFT JOIN<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> wp_posts wp <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">ON<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">wp<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">.<\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">ID<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">=<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">pm<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">.<\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">post_id<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">WHERE<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">wp<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">.<\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">ID<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">IS<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">NULL<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">;<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This cleans the <code>wp_postmeta<\/code> table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/imagefour-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-130335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/imagefour-1.png 512w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/imagefour-1-300x165.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1360px) 876px, (min-width: 960px) calc(61.58vw + 51px), calc(100vw - 80px)\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><b>For the <code>wp_usermeta<\/code> (orphaned entries) table, enter the following SQL code<\/b>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" style=\"color:#e1e4e8;display:none\" aria-label=\"Copy\" class=\"code-block-pro-copy-button\"><textarea class=\"code-block-pro-copy-button-textarea\" aria-hidden=\"true\" readonly>SELECT * FROM wp_usermeta um LEFT JOIN wp_users wu ON wu.ID = um.user_id WHERE wu.ID IS NULL;\nDELETE um FROM wp_usermeta um LEFT JOIN wp_users wu ON wu.ID = um.user_id WHERE wu.ID IS NULL;<\/textarea><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" style=\"width:24px;height:24px\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\"><path class=\"with-check\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" d=\"M4.5 12.75l6 6 9-13.5\"><\/path><path class=\"without-check\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" d=\"M16.5 8.25V6a2.25 2.25 0 00-2.25-2.25H6A2.25 2.25 0 003.75 6v8.25A2.25 2.25 0 006 16.5h2.25m8.25-8.25H18a2.25 2.25 0 012.25 2.25V18A2.25 2.25 0 0118 20.25h-7.5A2.25 2.25 0 018.25 18v-1.5m8.25-8.25h-6a2.25 2.25 0 00-2.25 2.25v6\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><pre class=\"shiki github-dark\" style=\"background-color: #24292e\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #F97583\">SELECT<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">*<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">FROM<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> wp_usermeta um <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">LEFT JOIN<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> wp_users wu <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">ON<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">wu<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">.<\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">ID<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">=<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">um<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">.<\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">user_id<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">WHERE<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">wu<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">.<\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">ID<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">IS<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">NULL<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">;<\/span><\/span>\n<span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #F97583\">DELETE<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> um <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">FROM<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> wp_usermeta um <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">LEFT JOIN<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> wp_users wu <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">ON<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">wu<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">.<\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">ID<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">=<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">um<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">.<\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">user_id<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">WHERE<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">wu<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">.<\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">ID<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">IS<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">NULL<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">;<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><b>For the <code>wp_commentmeta<\/code> (orphaned comment metadata) table, enter the following SQL code<\/b>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" style=\"color:#e1e4e8;display:none\" aria-label=\"Copy\" class=\"code-block-pro-copy-button\"><textarea class=\"code-block-pro-copy-button-textarea\" aria-hidden=\"true\" readonly>SELECT * FROM wp_commentmeta cm LEFT JOIN wp_comments wc ON wc.comment_ID = cm.comment_id WHERE wc.comment_ID IS NULL;\nDELETE cm FROM wp_commentmeta cm LEFT JOIN wp_comments wc ON wc.comment_ID = cm.comment_id WHERE wc.comment_ID IS NULL;<\/textarea><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" style=\"width:24px;height:24px\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\"><path class=\"with-check\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" d=\"M4.5 12.75l6 6 9-13.5\"><\/path><path class=\"without-check\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" d=\"M16.5 8.25V6a2.25 2.25 0 00-2.25-2.25H6A2.25 2.25 0 003.75 6v8.25A2.25 2.25 0 006 16.5h2.25m8.25-8.25H18a2.25 2.25 0 012.25 2.25V18A2.25 2.25 0 0118 20.25h-7.5A2.25 2.25 0 018.25 18v-1.5m8.25-8.25h-6a2.25 2.25 0 00-2.25 2.25v6\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><pre class=\"shiki github-dark\" style=\"background-color: #24292e\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #F97583\">SELECT<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">*<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">FROM<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> wp_commentmeta cm <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">LEFT JOIN<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> wp_comments wc <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">ON<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">wc<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">.<\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">comment_ID<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">=<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">cm<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">.<\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">comment_id<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">WHERE<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">wc<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">.<\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">comment_ID<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">IS<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">NULL<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">;<\/span><\/span>\n<span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #F97583\">DELETE<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> cm <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">FROM<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> wp_commentmeta cm <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">LEFT JOIN<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> wp_comments wc <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">ON<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">wc<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">.<\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">comment_ID<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">=<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">cm<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">.<\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">comment_id<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">WHERE<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">wc<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">.<\/span><span style=\"color: #79B8FF\">comment_ID<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">IS<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">NULL<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">;<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><b>For the <code>wp_options<\/code> (especially for expired transients) table, enter the following SQL code<\/b>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" style=\"color:#e1e4e8;display:none\" aria-label=\"Copy\" class=\"code-block-pro-copy-button\"><textarea class=\"code-block-pro-copy-button-textarea\" aria-hidden=\"true\" readonly>DELETE FROM wp_options WHERE option_name LIKE \u2018_transient_%\u2019 AND option_name NOT LIKE \u2018_transient_timeout_%\u2019;\nDELETE FROM wp_options WHERE option_name LIKE \u2018_transient_timeout_%\u2019 AND option_value &lt; UNIX_TIMESTAMP();<\/textarea><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" style=\"width:24px;height:24px\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\"><path class=\"with-check\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" d=\"M4.5 12.75l6 6 9-13.5\"><\/path><path class=\"without-check\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" d=\"M16.5 8.25V6a2.25 2.25 0 00-2.25-2.25H6A2.25 2.25 0 003.75 6v8.25A2.25 2.25 0 006 16.5h2.25m8.25-8.25H18a2.25 2.25 0 012.25 2.25V18A2.25 2.25 0 0118 20.25h-7.5A2.25 2.25 0 018.25 18v-1.5m8.25-8.25h-6a2.25 2.25 0 00-2.25 2.25v6\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><pre class=\"shiki github-dark\" style=\"background-color: #24292e\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #F97583\">DELETE<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">FROM<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> wp_options <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">WHERE<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> option_name <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">LIKE<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #9ECBFF\">'_transient_%'<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">AND<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> option_name <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">NOT<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">LIKE<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #9ECBFF\">'_transient_timeout_%'<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\">;<\/span><\/span>\n<span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #F97583\">DELETE<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">FROM<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> wp_options <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">WHERE<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> option_name <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">LIKE<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #9ECBFF\">'_transient_timeout_%'<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">AND<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> option_value <\/span><span style=\"color: #F97583\">&lt;<\/span><span style=\"color: #E1E4E8\"> UNIX_TIMESTAMP();<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Step 7<\/b>. Then, press the Go button on the bottom right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PHPMyAdmin will either let you know how many items it removed or state that the result is empty which means that nothing was found. Congratulations! Your <code>wp_postmeta<\/code> table has now been cleaned up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Method 3: Ongoing Maintenance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To keep your WordPress database lean and fast, schedule regular cleanups as part of your site\u2019s maintenance routine. For high-traffic or content-heavy sites, consider a weekly schedule. For smaller sites, monthly may be enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most optimization plugins allow you to automate these cleanups on a weekly or monthly basis. This helps prevent long-term bloat and keeps your site running at peak performance with minimal effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common Questions Answered<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How often should I clean up my WordPress database?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It depends on how often your site is updated. If you publish new posts regularly or run a high-traffic site, a monthly cleanup is ideal to keep performance sharp. For smaller sites with fewer updates, a quarterly schedule is often enough to prevent unnecessary bloat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is it safe to clean the database?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, as long as you take proper precautions. Always back up your site and database before making any changes. If possible, test your cleanup process on a staging site to ensure nothing breaks. Plugins often have built-in safety nets, but manual deletions require more care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do I do if something breaks during the cleanup?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Restore your site from the backup you made before starting. This will undo any unintended changes and bring your database back to its previous working state. If you\u2019re unsure how to do this, most hosting providers \u2014 including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/web-hosting\">InMotion Hosting<\/a> \u2014 offer tools and support to help with site recovery.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Regularly cleaning your WordPress database removes orphaned metadata, expired transients, and unused entries, keeping your site fast and backups quick. Over time, as posts are updated, created, or deleted, the wp_postmeta table can become large and inhibit your website&#8217;s performance. In this article, we are going to show you how to clean up old, unnecessary<a class=\"moretag\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/edu\/wordpress\/cleaning-up-old-post-meta-data-in-wordpress\/\"> Read More ><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57014,"featured_media":130357,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4325,56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wordpress-hosting","category-wordpress"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Clean up Old Metadata in the WordPress Database<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In this article, we will show you how to remove old post meta data 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