Emptying exp_super_search_terms

Question

I'm having trouble importing a db locally. So I'm doing a reduction test by importing batches of tables at a time, until I meet the offender.

exp_super_search_terms looks suspiciously offensive. It's weighing in at nearly 60MB and contains what looks like random spammy entries. There are over 1.2million entries in it. Yup, you read correctly. So, I'd like to empty it of it's gunk and possibly disable any future entries being recorded in it.

But the exp_super_search_terms "does not contain a unique column. Grid edit, checkbox, Edit, Copy and Delete features are not available."

So how do I go about flushing it?

And how do I not make it writable anymore, until we sort out the spam barrage?

Much appreciated

UPDATE I've emptied the table. But I'd still be interested in knowing how to keep the table in check from further assaults.

Answer 1

The exp_super_search_terms table contains previously searched terms, as well as possible permutations of certain terms. These are compiled and used for quick retrieval by Super Search of previously searched terms, as well as for fuzzy searching and for the Super Search Cloud tag. Especially for free-style keyword searches, this table can fill up with quite a large number of terms (I've heard of much more than 60Mb for some users).

You can indeed clear this table from time to time without "breaking" Super Search, however the table is useful for general and fuzzy searching. Data in this table is therefore very likely not "spam", and would not be proof on its own of any kind of "attack".

Even if the table is cleared, the table will fill itself again after some time as searches are being conducted on the site with Super Search.

If you really want to, you could comment out the log_terms function near line 1496 of data.super_search.php (i.e. which mentions $this->log_terms( $keywords );), but again this would be removing a very handy part of Super Search functionality.