Manual table manipulation

Manual table manipulation in WordPress involves directly manipulating the tables and data in the WordPress database using tools like phpMyAdmin or SQL clients. This process can be risky and should only be done if you have a thorough understanding of the underlying database structure and how to manipulate it without causing any data loss or other issues.

Manual table manipulation is often used for tasks like updating large amounts of data in bulk, backing up or restoring the database, or fixing issues with corrupted or missing data. Some common tasks that may require manual table manipulation include:

Changing the values in a specific column of a table for multiple rows at once

Adding or removing columns from a table

Deleting specific rows or tables altogether

Modifying the structure of existing tables to add indexes or other constraints

While manual table manipulation can be a powerful tool, it should be used with caution to avoid any unintended consequences. It is important to always back up your database before making any changes and to thoroughly test any changes before implementing them on a live site.