How to Use the WP CLI For Advanced WordPress Management Tasks?

17 minutes read

WP CLI, or WordPress Command Line Interface, is a powerful tool that allows you to interact with your WordPress site through the command line rather than the traditional web interface. It helps streamline and automate various advanced management tasks, making it an essential tool for developers and advanced users. Here are some key aspects of using WP CLI for advanced WordPress management:

  1. Installing WP CLI: First, you need to install WP CLI on your computer or server. It requires PHP and can be easily installed using composer or by downloading the PHAR archive.
  2. Accessing WP CLI: Once installed, you can access WP CLI by opening a terminal or command prompt and typing 'wp'. This will display a list of available commands and options.
  3. Configuring WP CLI: WP CLI offers several configuration options that can be set through a wp-cli.yml file or by using environment variables. This allows you to customize the behavior of WP CLI according to your needs.
  4. Managing Plugins and Themes: WP CLI provides commands to manage plugins and themes efficiently. You can install, activate, deactivate, update, or delete plugins and themes directly from the command line. This is particularly useful when managing multiple sites or performing bulk operations.
  5. Managing Users: WP CLI allows you to create, modify, activate, deactivate, and delete users on your WordPress site. You can also assign or revoke roles, update passwords, and perform other user-related tasks through the command line.
  6. Performing Database Operations: With WP CLI, you can execute various database operations, such as importing or exporting databases, searching and replacing text in the database, optimizing or repairing tables, and running custom SQL queries.
  7. Automating Tasks with Scripts: WP CLI is scriptable, meaning you can write custom scripts to perform multiple operations or automate repetitive tasks. This enables you to save time and effort by executing complex operations with a single command.
  8. Debugging and Troubleshooting: WP CLI provides helpful commands for debugging and troubleshooting common WordPress issues. You can enable or disable plugins or themes, manage rewrite rules, clear caches, regenerate thumbnails, and more.
  9. Extending WP CLI: WP CLI can be extended through custom commands and packages, allowing you to create your own commands or add functionality provided by third-party plugins or themes. This flexibility enables you to tailor WP CLI to meet your specific needs.


Overall, WP CLI offers a convenient and efficient way to manage your WordPress site through the command line. Whether you're managing multiple sites, performing complex operations, or automating tasks, WP CLI is a valuable tool for advanced WordPress users and developers.

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How to install and activate a WordPress multisite network using WP CLI?

To install and activate a WordPress multisite network using WP CLI (Command Line Interface), follow these steps:

  1. Install WP CLI on your server if you haven't already. Refer to the WP CLI installation guide for instructions specific to your environment.
  2. Open your command line interface (terminal or command prompt) and navigate to your WordPress installation's root directory.
  3. Backup your database and files. It's always a good practice to have a backup before making any changes to your site.
  4. Install and configure the WordPress multisite network by running the following command:
1
wp core multisite-install


This command will guide you through the installation process. You can choose to use subdomains or subdirectories for multisite URLs, and also provide a network title and admin email.

  1. After successful installation, you need to update your wp-config.php file with the appropriate multisite configuration. Use the following command to generate the necessary code:
1
wp core config --extra-php --allow-root >> wp-config.php


This will append the required multisite configuration to your wp-config.php file.

  1. Activate the multisite network by running the following command:
1
wp core multisite-convert --subdomains


Replace --subdomains with --subdirectories if you chose to use subdirectories during the installation process.

  1. Update your .htaccess file. Depending on your server configuration, you may need to update the .htaccess file with the provided code after activating the multisite network. Use the following command to generate the code:
1
wp rewrite structure --hard --allow-root


This command will output the code you need to add to your .htaccess file.

  1. Finally, verify your multisite network setup by visiting the Network Admin dashboard. Use the following command to generate the URL:
1
wp site list --allow-root


Copy the URL for the Network Admin section and paste it into your web browser to access the dashboard.


That's it! You have now successfully installed and activated a WordPress multisite network using WP CLI. Remember to test your network thoroughly and make any additional configurations as needed.


How to install a specific version of a WordPress plugin via WP CLI?

To install a specific version of a WordPress plugin using WP CLI, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open your command line interface (CLI).
  2. Navigate to the root directory of your WordPress installation using the cd command. For example, if your WordPress installation is located in /var/www/html/, use the command: cd /var/www/html/
  3. Use the wp plugin install command followed by the plugin slug and the --version flag specifying the desired version number. For example, to install version 1.2.3 of a plugin with the slug my-plugin, use the command: wp plugin install my-plugin --version=1.2.3 Replace my-plugin with the slug of the plugin you want to install and 1.2.3 with the specific version number you require.
  4. WP CLI will download and install the specified version of the plugin.


Note: Make sure you have WP CLI installed and configured properly on your system before attempting these commands.


How to bulk delete spam comments using WP CLI?

To bulk delete spam comments using WP CLI, you can use the following command:

1
wp comment delete $(wp comment list --status=spam --format=ids)


This command does the following:

  1. wp comment list --status=spam --format=ids retrieves a list of all spam comments and outputs only their IDs.
  2. wp comment delete takes the list of comment IDs and deletes them.


Make sure you have WP CLI installed and navigate to your WordPress installation directory in your terminal before running this command.

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How to change the WordPress site title via WP CLI?

To change the WordPress site title using WP CLI, you can use the wp option update command. Here's a step-by-step process to update the site title:

  1. Open the command line interface or terminal on your device.
  2. Navigate to the root directory of your WordPress installation using the cd command. For example, cd /var/www/html/your-wordpress-directory/.
  3. Execute the following command to update the site title:
1
wp option update blogname "New Site Title"


Replace New Site Title with the new title you want to set for your WordPress site. 4. Press Enter to execute the command. After successful execution, the site title will be updated.


That's it! You have now changed the WordPress site title via WP CLI.


What is the command to regenerate the WordPress .htaccess file using WP CLI?

To regenerate the WordPress .htaccess file using WP CLI, you can use the following command:

1
wp rewrite flush


This command flushes the rewrite rules and regenerates the .htaccess file based on the current WordPress settings.


What is the command to update the WordPress core through WP CLI?

The command to update the WordPress core through WP CLI is:

1
wp core update


Alternatively, you can use the following command:

1
wp core update --version=[version_number]


Replace [version_number] with the desired version of WordPress you want to update to. If the version number is not specified, WP CLI will update to the latest stable release of WordPress.


What is the command to display the current WordPress permalink structure using WP CLI?

The command to display the current WordPress permalink structure using WP CLI is:

1
wp option get permalink_structure



How to reset the WordPress administrator password using WP CLI?

To reset the WordPress administrator password using WP CLI, follow these steps:

  1. Connect to your WordPress site via SSH or any other terminal.
  2. Navigate to the root directory of your WordPress installation.
  3. Run the WP CLI command to reset the password. The command syntax is:
1
wp user update USERNAME --user_pass=NEWPASSWORD


Replace USERNAME with the username of the administrator account and NEWPASSWORD with the new password you want to set.


For example, if the username is "admin" and the new password is "newpassword123", the command would be:

1
wp user update admin --user_pass=newpassword123


  1. Press Enter to execute the command. You should see a success message indicating that the password has been updated.
  2. You can now login to your WordPress admin using the new password.


It's important to note that WP CLI should be installed and accessible in order to use this method.


What is the WP CLI command to update all plugins and themes at once?

The WP CLI command to update all plugins and themes at once is "wp plugin update --all" for plugins, and "wp theme update --all" for themes.

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