Larger mclean_refs table

  • Resolved nicole0155

    (@nicole0155)


    1 year ago

    Hi Jordy,

    We have been using Media Cleaner for some time, but now is taking much more time to run.


    We have about 255000 pictures at media library, and usually we see at Media Cleaner table mclean_refs a similar number of lines after finishing the initial phase (beginning of mclean_scan process).


    Now, we have already 1100000 records on mclean_refs and the on step 2 (extract from content) we see only 50% progress indicator. We are running Media Cleaner for 24 hours and table is increasing, however the progress bar seems always about 50% with a few variations (49 to 51%).
    Usually we run this plugin for about 8 – 12 hours to get all the content before starting to delete pictures.

    The admin parameters are the usual to get the maximum possible speed and for the moment we run the PHP 8.4.7.

    Please inform if this is the normal behaviour after some Plugin upgrades, or any existing issue.

    • This topic was modified 1 year ago by nicole0155.
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  • Plugin Support Val Meow

    (@valwa)

    1 year ago

    Hey @nicole0155! 👋

    The mclean_refs table is reset with each new scan — it only stores data temporarily for the duration of the current scan. When you start a new scan, it will be cleared and repopulated with fresh reference data.

    It’s completely normal for this table to grow quite large, especially on sites with a significant number of media files. This table logs every instance where a media file is found — across posts, pages, plugins, theme files, and all its variations (like thumbnail sizes). So a single media item that appears in multiple places or formats can generate hundreds of references.

    As Media Cleaner evolves and its detection capabilities improve, it gathers more accurate and detailed references, helping to reduce false positives. So yes, if you’re using the latest version, it’s expected to see more reference data per scan. Hope this clears things up!

Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)

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  • Last reply from: Val Meow
  • Last activity: 1 year ago
  • Status: resolved