Database
Every MagicWP site has its own private MySQL-compatible database (MariaDB). You can view its credentials, browse and edit it with a temporary phpMyAdmin, and rotate its password - all from the dashboard: your site → Database.
Database credentials
The Database page shows everything WordPress uses to connect. Copy any value with the button next to it:
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Host | shown on the page |
| Database | the database name |
| Username | the database user |
| Password | hidden by default - click the eye to reveal |
These are the same credentials you use to log in to phpMyAdmin below.
The database is private
Your database isn't exposed to the public internet, so you can't point an external client (MySQL Workbench, TablePlus, …) straight at it. Use the built-in phpMyAdmin to browse and edit it.
Browse with phpMyAdmin
phpMyAdmin is the easiest way to inspect tables, run queries, or export data:
- On the Database page, click phpMyAdmin.
- Click Activate phpMyAdmin. The first start can take up to a minute while the server prepares it.
- Open the link and log in with your database username and password.
The instance is sandboxed to this one site's database and is automatically torn down after 2 hours. You can close it early with Close session now, or activate it again whenever you need it.
Change the database password
Use Change Password to rotate the database credentials:
- Click Change Password.
- Type a new password or click Generate.
- Click Update Password.
Passwords must be 8–64 characters with an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, and a number (12+ recommended). WordPress's configuration is updated automatically, so your site keeps working - no other change needed.
A password change briefly interrupts the database
Applying the new password drops open database connections for a moment. It's quick and WordPress reconnects on its own, but avoid doing it during a traffic spike.
Safety tips
- Back up first. Take a backup before running bulk updates or deletes - SQL changes are immediate and can't be undone from phpMyAdmin.
- Don't drop or rename the WordPress core tables (the
wp_tables) unless you know exactly what you're doing. - Prefer WordPress or WP-CLI for content changes; use direct SQL only when you have to.
Optimization
The Optimization tab shows what a WordPress database accumulates and lets you reclaim it.
Table overhead is space MySQL has freed inside a table but not returned to the disk - the result of rows being deleted over time. Optimize rebuilds the tables and gives it back.
Cleanup counts the rows that are usually safe to remove:
| Item | What it is |
|---|---|
| Post revisions | Older copies of posts and pages |
| Auto-drafts | Abandoned drafts WordPress created |
| Trashed posts | Still occupying space until purged |
| Spam comments | Flagged by your spam filter |
| Expired transients | Cached values past their lifetime |
Each is cleared separately and asks you to confirm first, so you can drop the spam without touching your revisions.
Deletions are permanent
Cleanup removes rows outright - there's no trash to recover them from. Revisions in particular are the only copy of what a post used to say. If you're unsure, take a backup first.
Tools
The Tools tab collects the database jobs that aren't everyday edits:
- Database password - rotate it. WordPress is updated automatically, so the site keeps working.
- Database prefix - rename all WordPress tables to a new prefix, to harden
against attacks that assume the default
wp_. - Search and replace - run a WP-CLI search-replace across the database, with a dry-run preview first. See Search & Replace.