SQL Database Size

[KF633]

I appear to be having large numbers of transient records posted to my Options table, which is causing my SQL database to balloon in size and create hosting issues. This seems to happen during and after updating Product Sets. I see many records labeled "_transient_wc_related_XXXX" and "_transient_timeout_wc_related_XXXX". I am able to delete the transient data using a plugin, which reduces my database size. I also see that function in the WooCommerce Tools menu. Is this always going to happen when running Product Sets, or can this be prevented in some way? "WC" probably means WooCommerce. In addition to WooCommerce plugin, I have YITH WooCommerce Wishlist also installed.

[EricBusch]

Like you said, these are related to WooCommerce. Specifically, WooCommerce Related Products. I'm not sure if you can disable Related Product functionality but if you can, you should try.

Hope this helps!

[mehdiakoudad]

Hey @KF633,

What you’re seeing is pretty normal for WooCommerce.
Those transient_wc_related* and transient_timeout_wc_related* entries are just cached “related products” data.

When you run Product Set updates, WooCommerce blows away the old cache and rebuilds it, which can temporarily make your database size spike.

The problem is bigger if:
• You don’t have a persistent object cache (Redis/Memcached), so everything lives in wp_options.
• WP-Cron isn’t running reliably, so expired transients just sit there.

Here’s what’s worked for me and others:

1. Add a persistent object cache
   Redis or Memcached will keep all those transients out of MySQL entirely.
   Plugins like Redis Object Cache make setup straightforward.

2. Make sure cron jobs actually run
   If DISABLE_WP_CRON is set, add a real cron job to call wp-cron.php every 5 minutes.
   That’s how WooCommerce clears expired transients.

3. Schedule clean-ups
   • WooCommerce → Status → Tools → Clear transients.
   • Or with WP-CLI:

wp transient delete --expired --network

full cleanup during maintenance

wp transient delete --all

4. Reduce churn during big updates
   Do product updates in smaller batches if possible.
   If other plugins (like YITH Wishlist) are writing extra transients, try disabling them during large updates to see if that helps.

5. Keep an eye on autoload bloat
   Sometimes transients are saved with autoload='yes', which makes every page load heavier.
   You can check with:

SELECT SUM(LENGTH(option_value)) AS autoload_bytes
FROM wp_options
WHERE autoload='yes';

Bottom line:
Yes, this will happen every time you run big updates, but you can make it painless by using object caching, ensuring cron is running, and cleaning up regularly.

[KF633]

Hi Eric, I properly posted my question to GitHub and both yourself and someone else provided guidance. I'll post any future questions there, instead of emailing you. Thanks!

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________________________________ From: Eric Busch ***@***.***> Sent: Wednesday, August 6, 2025 3:22 PM To: datafeedr/wordpress-plugins ***@***.***> Cc: KF633 ***@***.***>; Author ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [datafeedr/wordpress-plugins] SQL Database Size (Discussion #39) Like you said, these are related to WooCommerce. Specifically, WooCommerce Related Products. I'm not sure if you can disable Related Product functionality but if you can, you should try. Hope this helps! — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#39 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/BVTO5R2DSWAIJILEK24MK2T3MJIYHAVCNFSM6AAAAACDFVVRRGVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTIMBSGQ3DMNA>. You are receiving this because you authored the thread.