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How to Completely Remove Smush Plugin Data from Your WordPress Site

25 threads Sep 9, 2025 Plugin → Smush image optimization – optimize images | compress & lazy load images | convert webp & avif | image cdn

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Many WordPress users choose to uninstall the Smush Image Optimization plugin, but later discover that traces of it remain on their site. This can include leftover database tables, WebP image folders, or configuration data. This guide will help you identify and safely remove these remnants for a clean uninstall.

Why Does Data Remain After Uninstalling?

By default, the Smush plugin is designed to preserve your optimization settings and statistics. This is intended to be helpful, as it allows you to reinstall the plugin later without losing your configuration or the record of which images have been optimized. However, this means that simply clicking 'Delete' in your WordPress plugins list will not always remove all associated data.

How to Perform a Complete Uninstall

Step 1: Use the Built-In Delete Setting (Before Uninstalling)

The most effective method is to configure the plugin to delete all data upon uninstallation before you remove it.

  1. Navigate to Smush > Settings in your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Find the section labeled Data & Settings or Uninstallation.
  3. Select the option that says Delete or Complete removal. This tells the plugin to erase all its data when it is deactivated and deleted.
  4. Save the settings.
  5. Now, deactivate and delete the plugin as you normally would.

Step 2: Manually Remove Leftover Data (If Already Uninstalled)

If you have already uninstalled the plugin without changing the setting, you will need to manually clean up the remaining data. It is highly recommended to create a full backup of your website and database before proceeding.

Database Cleanup

Smush data is primarily stored in your WordPress database. You can use a database management tool like phpMyAdmin to search for and remove these entries. Look for the following, replacing wp_ with your site's database prefix if it is different:

  • Options Table: Search the wp_options table for entries with option names containing 'smush', 'wdev-frash', or 'wpmudev'. Common entries include:
    • smush-in-progress-[number]
    • skip-smush-setup
    • wp-smush-hide_smush_welcome
    • wp-smush-resize_sizes
    • wdev-frash
    • wpmudev_recommended_plugins_registered
  • Postmeta Table: Search the wp_postmeta table for meta keys containing 'smush'. Common keys include:
    • wp-smush-ignore-bulk
    • wp-smush-lossy
    • smush-stats
    • smush-info
    • wp-smpro-smush-data
    • smush-marked
  • Database Table: A dedicated table named wp_smush_dir_images may also remain. You can safely drop this table if you are no longer using the plugin.
File System Cleanup

Smush may also leave physical files and folders on your server, especially if you used its WebP conversion feature.

  • WebP Folder: A folder named smush-webp is often found in /wp-content/. This folder contains converted WebP images and a test file (smush-webp-test.png). Since the plugin is uninstalled, this folder is no longer used and can be deleted via FTP or your hosting file manager.
  • Log File: You may find a .log file in your /wp-content/uploads/ directory related to Smush. This is a temporary troubleshooting file and can be safely deleted.

Important Considerations

  • Backup First: Always backup your site before manually modifying your database or deleting files.
  • CDN Service: If you were using the Pro version's CDN, images may still be served from the cdn.shortpixel.ai domain. You will need to deactivate the CDN from within the Smush Pro dashboard before uninstalling to stop this.
  • Not Our Files: Files with names like pclzip-*.tmp are temporary files generated by other plugins or core WordPress processes during updates or compression; they are not created by Smush and can usually be deleted.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your WordPress site is completely free of any old Smush plugin data.

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