PluginScore

WordPress.DB.SlowDBQuery.slow_db_query_meta_query

slow db query meta query

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
#351Product Feed Manager for WooCommerce – CTX Feed – Support 220+ Shopping & Social Channels241,6151,37770k+Text Domain Mismatch
#352Coupon Affiliates – Affiliate Plugin for WooCommerce249473,1335k+Non-prefixed global variable
#353Payment Plugins Braintree For WooCommerce247317552k+Output is not escaped
#354pensopay Payments243962461k+Output is not escaped
#355NextMove Lite – Thank You Page for WooCommerce2491685710k+Non-prefixed global variable
#356Store Exporter – Export WooCommerce Products, Orders, Subscriptions, Customers244801,2727k+Non-prefixed function
#357WC Shop Sync – Square Payment Gateway and Product Synchronization for WooCommerce247611,612900Non-prefixed global variable
#358WordLift – AI powered SEO – Schema24278949400Non-prefixed hook name
#359Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI2415938610m+Non-prefixed global variable
#360Auto Affiliate Links243814163k+Output is not escaped
#361WP Contact Slider – Contact Form Slider Widget241,3552,5899k+Non-prefixed global variable
#362Iptanus File Upload245091,32510k+Non-prefixed function
#363WP Helper Premium243,9091,5171k+Text Domain Mismatch
#364WP Hotel Booking249011,5327k+Non-prefixed global variable
#365WP-Members Membership Plugin2466938250k+Output is not escaped
#366WP Recipe Maker2449494250k+Non-prefixed global variable
#367WP RSS Aggregator – RSS Import, Feed to Post, Autoblogging, AI Content241,77739440k+Text Domain Mismatch
#368WP School Calendar241,3611,721400Non-prefixed global variable
#369WSMS (formerly WP SMS) – SMS & MMS Notifications with OTP and 2FA for WooCommerce24911,7257k+Non-prefixed hook name
#370WP Travel – Ultimate Travel Booking System, Tour Management Engine242271,9544k+Non-prefixed hook name
#371WP Travel Engine – Tour Booking Plugin – Tour Operator Software242,0125,68920k+Non-prefixed global variable
#372Paid Membership Plugin, Ecommerce, User Registration Form, Login Form, User Profile & Restrict Content – ProfilePress242,5812,109100k+Output is not escaped
#373WP User Manager – User Profile Builder & Membership2478753910k+Exception output is not escaped
#374WP Voting Contest Lite24259258400Text Domain Mismatch
#375WPAdverts – Classifieds Plugin241,3084964k+Output is not escaped
#376WpStream – Live Streaming, Video on Demand, Pay Per View241,7257423k+Text Domain Mismatch
#377xili-language241,501523600Output is not escaped
#378YayCurrency – WooCommerce Multi-Currency Switcher243736238k+Text Domain Mismatch
#379YMC Filter24121,7294k+Non-prefixed global variable
#380Dynamic Pricing With Discount Rules for WooCommerce251652055k+Non-prefixed global variable
#381FiboSearch – Ajax Search for WooCommerce25603302100k+Output is not escaped
#382AliExpress Dropshipping Plugin for WooCommerce Stores255557344k+Text Domain Mismatch
#383AIO Forms – Craft Complex Forms Easily25189418700Mixed line endings
#384ATUM WooCommerce Inventory Management and Stock Tracking252,6341,30610k+Non Singular String Literal Domain
#385bbp style pack251,4191,7916k+Output is not escaped
#386Beaver Builder Page Builder – Drag and Drop Website Builder254,4631,819100k+Text Domain Mismatch
#387Booking Activities251,0361,4693k+Output is not escaped
#388BuddyPress Docs252844217k+Nonce verification recommended
#389Bulk Edit Categories and Tags – Create Thousands Quickly on the Editor251,0411,0164k+Text Domain Mismatch
#390Bulk Edit and Create User Profiles – WP Sheet Editor259951,0011k+Text Domain Mismatch
#391CheckoutWC Lite – Conversion optimized WooCommerce checkout251,4168543k+Text Domain Mismatch
#392CheckView – Form & Checkout Testing25663371k+Direct Query
#393Admin Columns25613995100k+Non-prefixed namespace
#394Website Builder by SeedProd — Theme Builder, Landing Page Builder, Coming Soon Page, Maintenance Mode25991,040700k+Non-prefixed global variable
#395Contact Form DB Divi255331,2993k+Non-prefixed global variable
#396Coupon Creator256984121k+Output is not escaped
#397Smash Balloon Social Post Feed – Simple Social Feeds for WordPress25554982200k+Output is not escaped
#398Demo Importer Plus255823910k+Non-prefixed hook name
#399WEB-Translation – eTranslation Multilingual252171,057400Non-prefixed function
#400Event Genius – Event Management, Events Calendar, Registration, and RSVP251811,579500Non-prefixed global variable