PluginScore

WordPress.DB.SlowDBQuery.slow_db_query_meta_key

slow db query meta key

A query pattern is likely to be slow on larger WordPress sites.

medium weight

Why It Shows Up

The scan found query arguments such as broad meta queries, tax queries, or unindexed lookups that commonly become expensive as content grows.

Why It Matters

A query that feels fine on a small test site can become a production bottleneck on large stores, membership sites, or publishers.

How to Fix

  • Avoid broad `meta_query`, `tax_query`, and unindexed searches on front-end requests when possible.
  • Cache expensive results with transients, object cache, or precomputed data.
  • Add narrower constraints, pagination, and indexes when custom tables are appropriate.

References

WordPress database access

Affected Plugins

RankPluginScoreErrorsWarningsInstallsAddedUpdatedTop Issue
#1BulletProof Security05,0484,94920k+Output is not escaped
#2Themify Builder95,3342,1715k+Text Domain Mismatch
#3404 Solution155821,53210k+Non-prefixed class
#4MDTF – Meta Data and Taxonomies Filter161,5501,9561k+Non-prefixed global variable
#5AnyComment174454495k+Output is not escaped
#6RestroPress – Online Food Ordering System175353,2341k+Non-prefixed global variable
#7Efí Bank17886553300Exception output is not escaped
#8Shopping Cart & eCommerce Store177,49217,5543k+Non-prefixed global variable
#9wpForo Forum174,2933,02620k+Unsafe printing function
#10Administrator Z182,061799400Output is not escaped
#11JetFormBuilder — Dynamic Blocks Form Builder182,1311,62380k+Text Domain Mismatch
#12Pagopar – WooCommerce Gateway185301,215400Non-prefixed global variable
#13WPPizza – A Restaurant Plugin184,6892,7031k+Text Domain Mismatch
#14GiveWP – Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform193,4023,555100k+Output is not escaped
#15Go Fetch Jobs (for WP Job Manager)191,4101,741600Non-prefixed global variable
#16Netgsm193523481k+Non-prefixed global variable
#17Verified Reviews (Avis Vérifiés)196711,136700Non-prefixed global variable
#18Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL)195303753m+Missing Translators Comment
#19SendPress Newsletters192,2931,4221k+Output is not escaped
#20SureCart – Ecommerce Made Easy For Selling Physical Products, Digital Downloads, Subscriptions, Donations, & Payments195411,14680k+Non-prefixed global variable
#21AweBooking – Hotel Booking System203095141k+Non-prefixed global variable
#22Brizy – Page Builder2058572660k+Output is not escaped
#23Post Form – Registration Form – Profile Form for User Profiles – Frontend Content Forms for User Submissions (UGC)207362,112900Non-prefixed global variable
#24Cost Calculator Builder2032376620k+Non-prefixed global variable
#25Download Monitor204231,36780k+Non-prefixed hook name
#26Duplicator – Backups & Migration Plugin – Cloud Backups, Scheduled Backups, & More202,8781,9881m+Non-prefixed global variable
#27EventPrime – Events Calendar, Bookings, Tickets & AI208464,2247k+Non-prefixed global variable
#28MBE eShip205277401k+Non-prefixed global variable
#29MAS Videos205191,6931k+Non-prefixed global variable
#30Microthemer Lite – Visual Editor to Customize CSS201,0041,69910k+Non-prefixed global variable
#31Shipping for Nova Poshta20598923400Output is not escaped
#32Pix por Piggly (para Woocommerce)205471954k+Exception output is not escaped
#33Pronamic Pay202661,0782k+Non-prefixed global variable
#34Membership Plugin – Kadence Memberships205,0893,0059k+Text Domain Mismatch
#35Restrict User Access – Ultimate Membership & Content Protection209771,84810k+Non-prefixed global variable
#36Premium Packages – Sell Digital Products Securely202,0412,2992k+Non-prefixed global variable
#37Forumax – AI Powered Advanced Community Forum Plugin214,9314,352600Text Domain Mismatch
#38Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection211,060959700k+Missing Translators Comment
#39Pinpoint Booking System – Version 2216343283k+Missing direct file access protection
#40Booking Ultra Pro Appointments Booking Calendar Plugin217612,083400Request data is not unslashed
#41Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots211,6732,17910k+Direct Query
#42Spam protection, Honeypot, Anti-Spam by CleanTalk218351,146200k+Missing nonce verification
#43DELUCKS SEO213621,171300Missing nonce verification
#44eRoom – Webinar & Meeting Plugin for Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams211864378k+Non-prefixed global variable
#45Event Espresso – Event Registration & Ticketing Sales2112,7102,136600Text Domain Mismatch
#46Feeds for YouTube (YouTube video, channel, and gallery plugin)21503995100k+Output is not escaped
#47Filter Everything — WordPress & WooCommerce Filters2165195250k+Non-prefixed global variable
#48Ibtana – Ecommerce Product Addons211,5481,7186k+Non Singular String Literal Domain
#49King Addons for Elementor – 100+ Elementor Widgets, 4 000+ Elementor Templates, WooCommerce Builder, Mega Menu, Popup Builder211,8493,90410k+Non-prefixed global variable
#50LA-Studio Element Kit for Elementor218,4031,88210k+Text Domain Mismatch