Back to Community
Home / Community / Plugin → All in one seo

Troubleshooting Common All in One SEO Database Errors: Missing Tables and Columns

34 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → All in one seo

Content

Database errors related to the All in One SEO (AIOSEO) plugin are a common source of frustration for WordPress users. These errors often manifest as messages about missing tables (like wp_aioseo_cache or wp_aioseo_terms) or unknown columns (like new in the notifications table). This guide will help you understand why these errors occur and provide step-by-step solutions to resolve them.

Why Do These Database Errors Happen?

These issues typically stem from incomplete or faulty plugin updates, installations, or data migration processes. During an update, AIOSEO runs routines to modify its database tables, adding new columns or creating new tables. If this process is interrupted—by a timeout, a conflict with another plugin, or server resource limits—the database schema can be left in an incomplete state. The plugin then tries to query these missing elements, resulting in errors being logged or displayed on your site.

Common Solutions

1. Fix Missing Tables (e.g., wp_aioseo_cache, wp_aioseo_terms)

The most frequent error is a missing table, often wp_aioseo_cache. This table is essential for the plugin's caching mechanism. To resolve this, you need to trigger the plugin's database setup routine again.

  • Deactivate and Reactivate: The simplest fix is to deactivate the All in One SEO plugin and then reactivate it. This action often forces the plugin to check its database tables and create any that are missing.
  • Reinstall the Plugin: If reactivating doesn't work, try a clean reinstall. First, deactivate and delete the AIOSEO plugin from your WordPress admin panel. Then, install it fresh from the Plugins → Add New page. Do not worry; your SEO settings are stored separately in the database and should not be lost.

2. Fix Missing Column Errors (e.g., Unknown column 'new')

Errors regarding an unknown column named new in the wp_aioseo_notifications table indicate a specific failed database update. A widely shared solution in the community is to run a custom function that adds this missing column.

Solution: Add a Code Snippet

  1. Install and activate the "Code Snippets" plugin, which allows you to add custom PHP code safely.
  2. Go to Snippets → Add New.
  3. Paste the following code into the code box: 
    add_action( 'admin_init', 'aioseo_add_notification_new_column' );
function aioseo_add_notification_new_column() {
 if ( ! method_exists( 'AIOSEO\Plugin\Common\Main\Updates', 'addNotificationsNewColumn' ) || ! method_exists( 'AIOSEO\Plugin\Common\Utils\Database', 'columnExists' ) ) {
  return;
 }
 if ( ! AIOSEO\Plugin\Common\Utils\Database::columnExists( 'aioseo_notifications', 'new' ) ) {
  AIOSEO\Plugin\Common\Main\Updates::addNotificationsNewColumn();
 }
}
  4. Save the snippet and activate it.
  5. Once activated, refresh your WordPress dashboard. The code will check for the missing column and add it if necessary. After a successful refresh, you can deactivate or delete the snippet, as its job is done.

3. Check for Conflicts and Server Issues

If the problems persist, consider these factors:

  • Plugin Conflicts: Temporarily disable all other plugins. If the errors stop, reactivate your plugins one by one to identify the culprit.
  • Theme Conflict: Temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four to see if the issue is theme-related.
  • Server Resources: Database errors like "deadlock" or "lock wait timeout exceeded" can be related to server configuration. Contact your hosting provider to inquire about increasing your database connection limits or query timeouts if you consistently see these errors.

Important Precautions

Before attempting any troubleshooting:

  • Backup Your Database: Always create a full backup of your WordPress database before making changes. Your hosting provider may offer this tool, or you can use a plugin like UpdraftPlus.
  • Update Everything: Ensure your WordPress core, theme, and all plugins are updated to their latest versions. Many bugs are patched in subsequent releases.

Following these steps should resolve the majority of common AIOSEO database errors, helping to keep your site running smoothly and error-free.

Related Support Threads Support