Moving a WordPress website (migration) is one of the most stressful tasks for a developer. You export the database, try to import it to the new host, and then… Error 504 Gateway Timeout. Or Max Upload Size Exceeded. The problem is usually the size of the database. You are trying to move a 2GB SQL file when the actual valuable content is only 100MB. The rest is “Digital Dead Weight”—thousands of post revisions, spam comments, and orphaned metadata from plugins you deleted years ago. Bulk WP is the ultimate pre-migration diet pill. By running this plugin before you export your site, you can often reduce the database size by 80%. This turns a risky, hours-long migration into a smooth, 5-minute transfer. In this review, we will explore why this cleaning step is mandatory for any professional site migration.
The “Revision” Payload (Cutting 50% Instantly)
WordPress stores a copy of every draft you save. On a 5-year-old site, a single “About Us” page might have 200 revisions in the database. When you migrate, you rarely need the history of how the About page looked in 2019. You just need the current version. Bulk Delete allows you to strip this weight instantly.
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The Action: “Delete all Post Revisions.”
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The Result: I have seen client databases drop from 500MB to 250MB just by clicking this one button. That is 50% less data to upload to the new server, and 50% less strain on the MySQL import process.
Leaving Behind “Legacy” Post Types
You are migrating the site because you built a new design, right? The old site used a “Portfolio” plugin that created 500 custom post entries. The new site uses native blocks. If you don’t delete the old portfolio post type, you are migrating junk. It won’t show up on the new site, but it will clog the database forever. Bulk Delete allows you to target Custom Post Types.
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The Cleanse: You select the old CPTs (e.g.,
testimonials,staff_members) that are not part of the new build and wipe them. You ensure the new server starts with a clean slate.
The “Orphaned Meta” Detox
This is the hidden killer. When you delete a post in WordPress, the associated metadata (like ACF fields or Yoast settings for that post) doesn’t always get deleted. It becomes “Orphaned.” Moving this data to a new host is a waste of resources. The Delete Meta Fields module allows you to scrub the wp_postmeta table.
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The Strategy: If you know you are abandoning a specific plugin (e.g., switching from “Plugin A” to “Plugin B”), you can delete all meta keys associated with Plugin A. This optimizes the database structure for the new environment.
Sanitizing the User Table
If you are moving a membership site, you don’t want to bring the spam bots with you. Migrating 50,000 users takes a long time. If 40,000 of them are spam accounts with zero activity, you are wasting hours. Bulk Delete allows you to filter users before the move.
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The Filter: “Delete users with ‘Subscriber’ role who have 0 posts and haven’t logged in for 365 days.”
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The Benefit: You migrate a clean, high-quality user list. This also lowers your costs if your new host charges based on “active users” or database rows.
Reducing “Staging” Costs
Many managed hosts (like Kinsta or WPEngine) charge based on disk usage. If you migrate a bloated site, you might instantly hit the storage limit of your plan, forcing an expensive upgrade. By using Bulk WP to prune the attachments and revisions before you upload to the staging environment, you fit into the cheaper tier. You save money simply by not storing junk.
Batch Processing for Stability
Why not just run a SQL query to delete this stuff? Because on a cheap legacy host, a heavy SQL query will crash the server. Bulk Delete uses Batch Processing. It deletes items 50 at a time. This is gentle on the old server’s CPU, ensuring you can complete the cleanup even on a terrible shared hosting environment without triggering a timeout error.
Final Verdict
The success of a migration is determined by the preparation. Moving a messy database is unprofessional and risky. Bulk Delete allows you to travel light. It strips away the historical baggage of the website, ensuring that when you land on the new server, your site is lean, fast, and ready for its new chapter. It is the “Packing Specialist” for your WordPress move.