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Optimizing WPML Database Tables

Image Kathy
Updated
August 28, 2025

WPML includes a database optimization feature to clean up and reduce the size of the wp_icl_translate and wp_icl_translation_status tables.

How the Optimization Works

WPML’s one-time database table optimization process:

  • Cleans up outdated or unnecessary data from translation tables
  • Stores new data in a more compact format using compression
  • Helps prevent future database bloat by reusing freed-up space

While the optimization reduces the amount of data in the tables, it doesn’t shrink the disk file. Reclaiming disk space would require manually rebuilding the tables, which is not part of this process.

How to Run the Database Tables Optimization

To reduce the size of WPML database tables:

  1. Go to WPML → Support and click the Troubleshooting link
  2. Scroll to the Database Tables Optimization section

You’ll only see Database Tables Optimization if:

  • You have an existing site created before the release of WPML 4.8 
  • Your database contains redundant data
  1. Click Optimize translation tables
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Running the database tables optimization

After the optimization process finishes, the option will permanently disappear from your site.