Bench Trim Tables
The bench trim-tables command removes unused database columns from your site’s tables. These columns are typically left behind after DocFields are deleted from a DocType and are no longer required by Frappe.
Important:
This is a destructive operation that modifies your database schema. Bench creates a full database backup before making changes unless the --no-backup flag is specified.
Usage
bench trim-tables [OPTIONS]What Does This Command Do?
When you remove DocFields from a DocType, Frappe intentionally keeps the corresponding database columns to prevent accidental data loss. Over time, these unused columns can accumulate and increase database size.
The trim-tables command scans your site’s database, identifies obsolete columns, and permanently removes them from the affected tables.
Benefits of Trimming Tables
- Reduces database size.
- Creates smaller backup files.
- Speeds up backup operations.
- Improves performance for queries that use
SELECT *. - Keeps the database schema clean and free of unused columns.
Recovery Tip:
If columns are removed accidentally, you can restore the entire site from the backup created before the trimming operation using the bench restore command.
Available Option
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-f, --format |
Choose the output format. Supported values are TEXT (default) and JSON. |
Available Flags
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
--dry-run |
Displays the columns that would be removed without modifying the database. |
--no-backup |
Skips creating a backup before trimming tables. This is not recommended. |
Common Example
Preview Columns That Would Be Removed
Run the command in dry-run mode to identify obsolete database columns before deleting them.
bench --site {site} trim-tables --dry-runThis scans all tables and lists unused columns without making any changes to the database.
Best Practice:
Always run bench trim-tables --dry-run first to review the columns that will be removed. Once you’re confident they are no longer needed, execute the command without the dry-run flag while keeping the automatic backup enabled.
