A commonly used spam protection plugin is Zero Spam which has over 30k active installations.
To avoid conflicts when switching from the Zero Spam plugin, it’s recommended to remove any remaining data before installing, activating, and setting up the new spam protection solution.
The Zero Spam plugin uses a couple of custom database tables for storage;
wp_zerospam_blocked_ips
Wp_zerospam_log
Suppose the custom database tables from the Zero Spam plugin are not automatically deleted when you uninstall it. In that case, you can use the WP-Optimize plugin or phpMyAdmin to locate them.
By using any of them, you can delete the left-over database tables.
It is important to delete database tables that are left over from uninstalled plugins on your site for several reasons:
Security: When a plugin is uninstalled, it’s important to ensure that any leftover database tables are deleted, as they can pose a significant security risk. Hackers can exploit vulnerabilities in these tables to gain unauthorized access to your website.
Performance: Left-over database tables can also affect the performance of your WordPress website. As your database grows, it can slow down your website’s performance, resulting in slower page load times and a poor user experience.
Database Maintenance: Removing left-over database tables is an important part of regular database maintenance. By cleaning up your database, you can optimize its performance and ensure it runs smoothly.
Deleting database tables that are left over from uninstalled plugins is important for your site’s security, performance, and data integrity.
