Unnecessary queries performed when updating a post without providing categories or tags

[johnbillion]

Given an existing post with at least some categories or tags present, updating the post via wp_update_post() (which calls wp_insert_post()) with data that does not include categories or tags, many unnecessary taxonomy-related database queries are performed. This slows down the saving significantly.

• If $postarr doesn't contain a post_category element, there's no point in calling wp_set_post_categories().
• If $postarr doesn't contain a tags_input element, there's no point in calling wp_set_post_tags()

Todo

• Need tests to verify the above is correct
• Need a list of queries that are performed before and after the change

To reproduce

1. Publish a post with at least one category
2. Update the post via:

   <?php
   wp_insert_post( [
     'ID' => $id,
     'post_content' => 'Hello, World!',
   ] );
   

3. Observe that a significant number of unnecessary taxonomy queries are performed

Trac ticket: https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/59354

[LeonidasMilossis]

If $postarr doesn't contain a tags_input element, there's no point in calling wp_set_post_tags().

We already do that in wp_insert_post() and indeed there's no extra queries unless we add 'tags_input' => $tag_id, in the wp_insert_post() params.

So, that part can probably be removed from the scope of this ticket.

The submitted PR adds a unit test that attests to that.

[motylanogha]

Patch for current trunk. Skips wp_set_post_categories() on update when post_category is not in $postarr, matching the existing tags_input guard. Includes unit test verifying fewer queries. All 62 wp_insert_post tests pass.

wp_insert_post() always called wp_set_post_categories() on update, even when the caller did not pass post_category. The fallback then re-set the post's existing category list, which still goes through term-cache invalidation, term-relationship lookups, and counted toward the per-request query budget — a measurable regression for callers like REST API updates that change a single field.

This PR gates that call on either (a) it being a new post or (b) post_category being explicitly set in the args. The tags_input and tax_input paths were already correctly guarded.

Tests cover:

• set_object_terms does not fire for the category taxonomy on a parameterless update
• Existing categories survive a parameterless update (regression guard)

[motylanogha]

PR #11698 still applies cleanly to current trunk (7.1-alpha), CI green, with unit tests. It avoids the unnecessary wp_set_post_categories() call on update when no categories/post_category are supplied. Requesting a review for 7.1 consideration.