A method for real-time automated maintenance of an electronic database. A value parameter is associated with each data component. The use history of each of the individual data components is tracked using the value parameter. A set number of points is assigned to each data component each time the component is retrieved in response to a user-entered search request. The set number of points is added to the value parameter. A minimum threshold value is established and at pre-determine time intervals a check is made to determine if any data component within the database fails to accumulate at least a minimum threshold number of points. Data components that have not accumulated the minimum number of points are removed from the database. When a new data component is added to the database, a default point value is assigned to the value parameter of the new component.