DB Optimizer’s cleanup tools delete data permanently. This guide explains why a backup matters first, how DB Optimizer teams up with Duplicator Pro to remind you, and the safe order to do things in.

The short version

Most of what DB Optimizer clears out is genuine junk you’ll never miss. But cleanup is permanent. Once you confirm it, the items you selected are gone from the database and you can’t get them back from inside the plugin. A current backup is your safety net, so if you ever clear something you actually needed, you can put it right back. It takes two minutes, and it turns a one-way action into one you can walk back.

Why a backup really matters here

Cleanup can’t be undone in the plugin. There’s no recycle bin once a cleanup finishes. Trashed posts and comments are real content. Emptying them is permanent. Table operations touch live tables. Optimizing reorganizes your data, which is safe, but it’s still a change to your database. With a backup in hand, whatever happens, you can roll your site back to exactly how it was a moment ago. For the exact steps, see Restoring Your Backup.

Taking a backup with Duplicator Pro

If you have Duplicator Pro installed:

1. Open Duplicator Pro » Backups.
2. Create a new backup and let it finish.
3. Check that it completed successfully before you head back to DB Optimizer.

No Duplicator Pro? Use whatever backup method your host or another plugin gives you. The only thing that matters is that you’ve got a fresh, complete, restorable backup before you start cleaning.

The backup warning banner

DB Optimizer keeps an eye on your Duplicator Pro backup status. On the Cleanup tab, it shows one of these banners:

• Duplicator Pro isn’t installed or active: an info banner reminds you to install or activate it and create a backup before running cleanup.
• No backup found: a warning banner, with a button that jumps straight to Duplicator Pro, tells you to create one before running cleanup.
• The most recent backup is more than a day old: a warning banner tells you exactly how many days old it is, with the same button to create a fresh one.

If none of these banners appear, the most recent backup is a day old or newer, and it’s safe to continue. Without Duplicator Pro installed at all, the reminder banner always shows, so don’t wait for it to disappear. Back up through whatever tool is available and continue.

The safe order to work in

1. Back up first. Take a fresh Duplicator Pro backup and confirm it finished.
2. Look before you confirm. On the Cleanup tab, double-check the counts and the items you’ve selected.
3. Read the confirmation box. It names the action and warns you whenever a deletion is permanent.
4. Start small if you’re unsure. Clear the obviously safe stuff first (expired transients, embed cache, spam comments), then move on to revisions and trashed content.
5. Optimize tables last. Once the cleanup’s done, reclaim your overhead on the Tables tab (Table Management).

That’s it! Back up first, work through cleanup in a safe order, and every step stays reversible if you ever need to roll back.