Index foreign key columns for faster joins. Choose CASCADE options based on business rules. Keep transactions short when deleting with CASCADE.

Index foreign key columns for faster joins

CASCADE deletes can be slow with large datasets

Test CASCADE behavior before production

Consider soft deletes (is_deleted flag)

Missing foreign keys (no referential integrity)

Wrong relationship type (1:N when M:N needed)

FK in wrong table (should be in "many" side)

Using CASCADE everywhere (dangerous)