SweepPress is an easy-to-use WordPress plugin built around 52 different Sweepers for database cleanup (the Pro version has 57), support for WP-CLI, and WP REST API to perform the cleanup operations. The plugin also features a powerful WordPress Options database table management panel.

Quick Video Overview

Options Management

The WordPress Options database table holds settings for WordPress Core, all the plugins, and themes. This table can grow significantly, especially since records are not auto-deleted when removing a plugin or theme. SweepPress has Sweepers that deal with transient cache records (stored in this table), and now, since version 3.0, it has a full Management panel where you can see all the records in the Options table, detect source for the record and status to help you decide if you should delete the record or not.

SweepPress has two methods to detect the source of the record, and it will mark all the recognized records. This panel doesn’t show transient records (used for cache) or WordPress options (deleting these options is a terrible idea). There is also a Quick Tasks subpanel, which can help you quickly remove options fitting into few standard predefined criteria.

Options deletion process is not automatic! No matter how precise options usage detection is, you need to verify and confirm that you want to delete one or more records.

SweepPress Pro It also has advanced management panels for all the WordPress metadata and multisite Sitemeta database tables, including options to track the usage of meta-records, and remove all the entries from the database associated with specific meta.

Modes of Sweeping

Auto Sweep: available on the dashboard, running many (not all) sweepers without user input.
Quick Sweep: available on the dashboard, allowing the sweepers to be selected.
Full Sweep: available on its panel, with detailed information about sweepers and no limit run.
CLI Sweep: the plugin supports WP-CLI and adds commands to run all the sweepers with the command line.
REST API Sweep: the plugin supports WP REST API and allows sweeping via the new REST endpoints.

All sweepers use optimized SQL queries to find the data for removal, which is also done using SQL queries. This is the fastest and most efficient way to remove a large amount of data quickly.

List of Sweepers

Posts: Auto Drafts
Posts: Spam Content
Posts: Trashed Content
Posts: Posts Revisions
Posts: Posts Orphaned Revisions
Posts: Draft Posts Revisions
Posts: Postmeta Locks
Posts: Postmeta Last Edits
Posts: Postmeta Oembeds
Posts: Postmeta Old Data
Posts: Postmeta Orphans
Posts: Postmeta Duplicates
Comments: Spam Comments
Comments: Trashed Comments
Comments: Unapproved Comments
Comments: Orphaned Comments
Comments: Comments User Agents
Comments: Commentmeta Orphans
Comments: Commentmeta Duplicates
Comments: Pingbacks Cleanup
Comments: Trackbacks Cleanup
Comments: Akismet Meta Records
Terms: Terms Orphans
Terms: Termmeta Orphans
Terms: Termmeta Duplicates
Terms: Term Relationships Taxonomy Orphans
Terms: Term Relationships Objects Orphans
Terms: AMP Validation Errors
Terms: Unused Terms
Users: Usermeta Orphans
Users: Usermeta Duplicates
Options: Expired Transients
Options: RSS Feeds
Options: All Transients
Options: CRON Jobs
Options: Unhooked CRON Jobs
Network: Expired Transients
Network: All Transients
Network: Inactive Signups
Database: Optimize Database Tables
Database: Repair Database Tables
ActionScheduler: Log Entries
ActionScheduler: Orphaned Log Entries
ActionScheduler: Failed Actions
ActionScheduler: Completed Actions
ActionScheduler: Canceled Actions
bbPress: Replies Orphans
BuddyPress: Activity Meta Orphans
BuddyPress: Groups Meta Orphans
BuddyPress: Messages Meta Orphans
BuddyPress: Notifications Meta Orphans
Elementor: Trashed Submissions

WP-CLI and WP REST API Support

The plugin registers new CLI commands for running sweep operations from the command line (WP-CLI is required). It also registers the REST API endpoint for the same purpose: running remote sweep operations (only for the administrator role!). CLI and REST API support can be enabled through plugin settings.

Action Scheduler Support

The plugin can clean up the ActionScheduler tables. These tables are used by the Action Schedule plugin and components developed for WooCommerce but also in many other WordPress plugins, including WP Rocket and Rank Math. For these sweepers to be visible, at least one plugin using those tables needs to be active.

Additional Features

Sweeper File Log: log every sweeper execution into a log file with all sweeper/removal SQL queries executed by each used sweeper.

Special Notice

The plugin will show the backup reminder notice by default (and it can be disabled) on every page. It is essential to understand that once the plugin deletes data, it can’t be restored. So, if you change your mind later, it is important to make the backup before the data removal. The SweepPress plugin is not responsible for any data loss — ensure backups! In SweepPress Pro, there is a Backup Data feature that will create partial backups from data before it is removed and store it into SQL export files.

Plugin Home Page

Learn more about the plugin: SweepPress Home Page
Plugin knowledge base: SweepPress on Dev4Press
Support for the Lite version: Support Forum on Dev4Press

SweepPress Pro

SweepPress Lite edition is a fully functional plugin with no limits to its operations. But SweepPress Pro contains a lot of additional features not available in the Lite version:

Backup the data before it is deleted into SQL export files. Includes a management panel for Backup files.
Management for ALL the WordPress Metadata tables: postmeta, termmeta, commentmeta, usermeta and blogmeta.
Management for the WordPress Multisite Sitemeta table: this table is equivalent of the Options table, but for all the blogs in the multisite.
Track and Detect use of metadata and allow removal of any meta-records for all supported metadata tables.
Preview duplicated metadata records for all supported metadata tables. Preview data for some sweepers.
Create and manage Sweeper Jobs: create custom background sweeper jobs to run at a specific date or as a recurring job.
Control and track WordPress CRON jobs: list all the WordPress CRON jobs, track and display the source, and more.
Sweeper Monitor: monitor the website for cleanup daily or weekly, and send notifications when the sweeping limit is reached.
Database Tables: an overview of all tables in the database with source information and various actions for better control.
GravityForms Support: three additional sweepers to remove all trashed forms, spammed, and trash entries by form.
CLI Command to list CRON jobs: list all registered WP CRON jobs via the command line.

Future updates will include more exclusive Pro features.

SweepPress: Website Cleanup and Optimization