Hi @kristinubute,
I’m wondering, if the website was compromised previously and all malicious files were removed, could they have infected the database also? As I’m not familiar with where else will be affected etc?
It’s possible that a compromised website could have affected your database, especially if malicious code was injected. However, restoring the entire website and cleaning up all files, as you’ve done, usually takes care of this.
The backup plugin people said the database is too large.
It’s not unusual for an eCommerce site with over 4000 products to have a large database. Product data, order data, customer data, and other related information can contribute to the size of the product. However, certain tables you mentioned do seem unusually large.
wp_options 439MB (this doesn’t sound right? ) He said shouldn’t be that large ?
This table should not be as large as 439MB. This table generally stores all the site’s settings and some plugin data. If it’s too large, it might store transient data that hasn’t been cleared properly.
wp_wpml_mails 277MB (this is huge also he said) ..
This table seems related to a mail plugin and might store emails that have been sent. If these are not needed, they could be cleared out.
Can I just clear out some of these database content that is not required (but I don’t know which to clear obviously)? I know this can be dangerous, but I somehow need to rectify things.
In terms of what you can safely clean, the wp_ac_abandoned_cart_history_lite, wp_actionscheduler_actions, and wp_actionscheduler_logs tables could be cleared if you don’t need the historical data.
Additionally, head over to WooCommerce → Status → Tools, and do the following:
- WooCommerce transients – Clear
- Expired transients – Clear
- Clear template cache – Clear
- Capabilities – Reset Capabilities
Before making any changes, I’d strongly recommend backing up your database. Even if the backup is partial, it’s better to have some backup than none at all.
Also, since you have a test site, you can try clearing the data there first to see if it causes any issues.
In the long run, consider implementing a database optimization plugin that can help keep your database lean by regularly cleaning up unwanted data.
Please note that making changes to the database can have serious consequences if not done correctly, so proceed with caution. If you’re unsure, you might want to consider hiring a professional to handle this.
I hope this information helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
