Smart Spam Cleaner

FAQ

Where is the user guide?

Open Delete Spams → How to Use in wp-admin. The same topics are available from the Help tab on the cleanup, settings, and guide screens.

Is this plugin safe to use?

Yes, the plugin includes several safety measures:
* Defaults to the subscriber role and never deletes administrators
* Protect list, dry run, and preview are available before a real deletion
* Requires administrator privileges to run
* Includes confirmation dialogs
* Provides detailed logging for transparency
* Always backup your database before running cleanup operations

How do I configure the filters?

1. Go to Users → Spam Filter Settings
2. Add your desired keywords and domains
3. Choose your filter condition (AND/OR)
4. Save settings
5. Run the cleanup from the main plugin page

What’s the difference between AND and OR conditions?

• OR Condition – Delete user if they match ANY keyword OR domain filter
• AND Condition – Delete user only if they match ALL keyword AND domain filters

How do include/exclude domains work?

• Include Domains – Only delete users with these email domains
• Exclude Domains – Never delete users with these email domains (e.g., gmail.com)
• If Include is empty, all domains are targeted except excluded ones
• If Exclude is empty, no domains are protected

What’s the difference between trash and permanent deletion for posts?

• Move to Trash – Posts are moved to WordPress trash bin where they can be recovered or permanently deleted later
• Permanent Delete – Posts are immediately and permanently deleted from the database (cannot be recovered)
• Recommendation – Use “Move to Trash” for safety, then review and permanently delete from trash if needed

How long does the cleanup take?

The duration depends on:
* Number of users/posts to process
* Server performance
* Batch size settings
* WordPress cron frequency

For large sites, the process may take several hours but runs in the background.

Can I stop the cleanup process?

Yes. While a cleanup is running, use Cancel cleanup on the main plugin screen. The current batch is allowed to finish. Scheduled follow-up batches are cleared, the saved cursor is discarded, and the dry-run flag is cleared. Users or posts already deleted in earlier batches are not restored. You do not need to deactivate the plugin.

What is a dry run?

Check Dry run on the cleanup form before starting. The plugin walks the same batches and writes “would delete” or “would trash” lines to the log, including the match reason. It does not call user or post deletion. The flag lasts only for that run.

What is the protect list?

On Spam Filter Settings, add one email per line and one user ID per line. Those accounts are never deleted, even when they match keyword or domain filters. User preview does not count them as matches. The list is saved with the other filter settings and is removed on uninstall.

What happens if the process is interrupted?

The plugin uses batch processing with progress tracking. If a batch stops without cancel, open the plugin screen again and it can continue from the saved cursor. Cancel cleanup clears that cursor, so the next start begins a new scan.

Can I customize the spam keywords?

Yes! You can add, remove, or modify keywords through the Spam Filter Settings page. The interface allows you to dynamically manage your keyword lists.

Does this affect my site’s performance?

The plugin is designed to minimize performance impact:
* Runs in background via cron jobs
* Processes data in small batches
* Uses efficient database queries
* Includes built-in delays between batches

Where can I find the cleanup log?

All cleanup activities are logged to: wp-content/uploads/smart-spam-cleaner/smart-spam-cleaner.log

The log file contains:
* Timestamps for all operations
* Number of users/posts processed in each batch
* Success/failure status for each deletion
* Completion messages

Can I use this plugin programmatically?

Yes! You can customize filters using WordPress filters:

add_filter('wwssc_user_filters', function($filters) {
    $filters['keywords'][] = 'custom_keyword1';
    $filters['keywords'][] = 'custom_keyword2';
    $filters['domains']['include'][] = 'spamdomain.com';
    $filters['domains']['exclude'][] = 'trusted.com';
    $filters['condition'] = 'AND';
    return $filters;
});

add_filter('wwssc_post_filters', function($filters) {
    $filters['keywords'][] = 'custom_keyword1';
    $filters['keywords'][] = 'custom_keyword2';
    return $filters;
});

Can I change the batch size?

Yes! You can configure batch size in the settings page (range: 50-2000).

You can also define a custom batch size in your wp-config.php file:

define('WWSSC_BATCH_SIZE', 1000);