Optimizing Database for Custom Fields in WordPress

Optimizing Database for Custom Fields in WordPress

Custom fields is a way for WordPress to store arbitrary extra data for content (posts and custom post types), such as author name, published date for a book. To make custom fields flexible and compatible with different kinds of data, WordPress designs the meta tables (post meta, term meta, user meta, and comment meta) in the form of key-value. According to that, each custom field is stored as one row in the database. This approach allows developers to store unlimited data regardless of its structure. But, the downside is the rapid bloat of the database. Because the number of custom fields is usually very large. This article will present solutions to optimize the storage of custom fields in the database to help boost your website performance.

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Get Posts by Custom Fields in WordPress

Get Posts by Custom Fields in WordPress - Part 1

In the previous articles, we've known about what Custom Fields is and the application of custom fields which allows users to add arbitrary information into posts. But what do you do after that? In the recent post, you also learned how to add custom fields programmatically and display them in your theme. But you’ll see a shortcoming if there is no classification and searching. This post will guide you on how to get posts by custom fields in WordPress and we'll create an interesting application: advanced search.

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How does WordPress Store Custom Fields

How does WordPress Store Custom Fields? #1: Data flow

Until now, we’ve known what custom fields is and how to use the functions provided by WordPress to work with custom fields. You’ve prepared everything needed to develop practical applications. But wait, before embarking on doing something new, you had better dig a bit deeper to have thorough understand custom fields' nature. It’s time to find out an answer to the question: “What really happens with custom fields when I click Save post?”. The two coming posts will give you the answers.

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Get Posts by Custom Fields in WordPress - Part 2

Get Posts by Custom Fields in WordPress - Part 2

In part 1 of this series, we learned about how to get posts by custom fields in WordPress with the WP_Query function. However, if we need to deal with databases, it’s better to find another faster, easier, and more convenient way. That method is joining wp_posts and wp_postmeta tables together, and then querying by SQL. In part 2 of the series “How to get posts by custom fields in WordPress”, we’ll use this way to add the advanced searching feature that allows users to search by keywords in posts / pages titles and custom fields content.

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