Clean Up Duplicate Posts – Gem AI

1. Identify Duplicate Slugs:

   • Go to the wp_posts table (your table prefix might be different, e.g., wp_xyz_posts).
   • Look at the post_name column. You're looking for entries like my-post, my-post-2, my-post-3, etc., where the content is essentially the same or one is an older, now-obsolete version.
   • You can run SQL queries to help identify these. For example:

     SQL

     mysql> SELECT post_name, COUNT(*) as count
     -> FROM wp_xubg_posts
     -> WHERE post_status IN ('publish', 'draft', 'private') -- or just 'publish' if that's all you want to check
     -> GROUP BY post_name
     -> HAVING count > 1;
     +-------------------------------------------------------+-------+
     | post_name | count |
     +-------------------------------------------------------+-------+
     | some-linux-one-line-cmds | 2 |
     | linux-admin-webdev-beginner-to-intermediate-it-topics | 3 |
     | win11-to-wsl2-networking-chat-with-gemini-ai-2025 | 2 |
     +-------------------------------------------------------+-------+
     3 rows in set (0.02 sec)

     To delete leaving most recent entry:

     DELETE p1
     FROM wp_xubg_posts p1
     JOIN wp_xubg_posts p2 ON p1.post_name = p2.post_name
     WHERE p1.ID < p2.ID
     AND p1.post_status IN ('publish', 'draft', 'private'); -- Adjust post_status as needed
     

     view the 134 WANTED Posts currently in the DB:

     Step 1: Preview the Posts/Pages to be Deleted

      

     Before deleting, run this SELECT query to see exactly which posts and pages (by ID, post_title, post_type, and post_status) will be affected. This will help you confirm that you're targeting the correct content.

     SQL

     SELECT ID, post_title, post_type, post_status
     FROM wp_xubg_posts
     WHERE post_type IN ('post', 'page') AND post_status != 'publish';
     

     Review the output carefully. If it lists the posts and pages you expect to remove, proceed to the next steps.

     ---

      

     Step 2: Delete Associated Comments

      

     This command will delete all comments linked to the posts and pages that are not in the 'publish' status.

     SQL

     DELETE FROM wp_xubg_comments
     WHERE comment_post_ID IN (
         SELECT ID
         FROM wp_xubg_posts
         WHERE post_type IN ('post', 'page') AND post_status != 'publish'
     );
     

     ---

      

     Step 3: Delete Associated Post Metadata

      

     This command will delete all post metadata (custom fields, etc.) linked to the posts and pages that are not in the 'publish' status.

     SQL

     DELETE FROM wp_xubg_postmeta
     WHERE post_id IN (
         SELECT ID
         FROM wp_xubg_posts
         WHERE post_type IN ('post', 'page') AND post_status != 'publish'
     );
     

     ---

      

     Step 4: Delete the Posts and Pages Themselves

      

     Finally, this command will delete the actual post and page entries that are not in the 'publish' status.

     SQL

     DELETE FROM wp_xubg_posts
     WHERE post_type IN ('post', 'page') AND post_status != 'publish';
     

     ---

     After running these commands, you can run the SELECT query from Step 1 again, and it should return an empty set if all non-published posts and pages have been successfully removed. Your attachments should still be present in the media library, although they might appear as "unattached" if their parent posts were deleted.

     This gives a list of Posts with their publish date:SELECT ID, post_title, post_date
     mysql> SELECT ID, post_title, post_date FROM wp_xubg_posts WHERE post_type IN ('post', 'page') AND post_status = 'publish';
     +-------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
     | ID | post_title | post_date |
     +-------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
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     +-------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
     148 rows in set (0.00 sec)

1. Clean Up Duplicate Slugs (Carefully!): This is where you need to be very methodical.

   • For true duplicates (same content):
     • Identify the "correct" or canonical post you want to keep. Note its ID and post_name.
     • For the duplicate entries (e.g., my-post-2, my-post-3):
       • Option A (Delete and Redirect):
         • Go into the WordPress admin, find the posts with the -2 suffixes, and permanently delete them (empty the trash). This will free up the original slug if it was still in the trash.
         • Once deleted, you will need to set up 301 redirects from the old URLs (e.g., yourdomain.com/my-post-2/) to the correct URL (e.g., yourdomain.com/my-post/). You can use a redirection plugin (like "Redirection" by John Godley) or manually add rules to your .htaccess file.
       • Option B (Merge Content): If the content in the duplicates is slightly different, consider merging it into the canonical post and then deleting the duplicates.
   • For items that should be distinct but have similar names:
     • Manually edit the slugs of these posts in the WordPress editor. Change my-report to my-report-2024-summary or something descriptive and unique.
     • This avoids the need for redirects if these were genuinely different pieces of content that accidentally got similar slugs.

2. Check post_status and post_type: Sometimes, duplicates are caused by posts in the trash or draft status having the same slug as a live post. Ensure that any slugs in these statuses aren't preventing your live posts from using the desired slug. You can simply empty the trash for posts/pages if you're sure you don't need them.

3. Reset Permalinks in WordPress: After cleaning up your database, you need to tell WordPress to regenerate its rewrite rules.

   • Go to your WordPress Dashboard.
   • Navigate to Settings > Permalinks.
   • Even if "Post Name" is selected, select a different permalink structure (e.g., "Plain") and click "Save Changes."
   • Then, immediately switch back to "Post Name" and click "Save Changes" again.
   • This action forces WordPress to flush its rewrite rules and regenerate the .htaccess file, which should now reflect the cleaned-up, unique slugs.

4. Clear Caching: If you're using any caching plugins (e.g., WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache, LiteSpeed Cache) or server-level caching (e.g., Cloudflare, hosting provider cache), clear all caches thoroughly. Old cached versions of your pages can prevent the new permalinks from working correctly.

5. Test Thoroughly:

   • Test existing posts and pages to ensure they are now accessible with the "Post Name" permalink structure.
   • Test posts that previously had -2 or similar suffixes to ensure they redirect correctly or load their new, unique slugs.
   • Check your site's main navigation and any internal links.

Advanced Considerations (If the above doesn't fully work):

• Database Search & Replace: If you have many broken internal links pointing to the old, numbered permalinks, you might need to run a database search and replace operation to update those internal links. Be extremely careful with this, and always use a plugin like "Better Search Replace" for safety, rather than direct SQL queries unless you are very experienced.
• Check wp_options table for rewrite_rules: In rare cases, the rewrite_rules option in your wp_options table might be corrupted. Resetting permalinks usually fixes this, but you could, as a last resort, temporarily delete this option to force WordPress to rebuild it completely. Do this only if other methods fail and you have a solid backup.
• Plugin Conflicts: While less likely to directly cause your "multiple numbers for the same post name" issue, a plugin could interfere with permalink generation. If issues persist, try deactivating all plugins and reactivating them one by one to rule out conflicts.

Given the history of "many mistakes in MySQL import and exports," this is likely a database-centric problem. Be patient, work methodically, and prioritize backups. Good luck!