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WP-CLI is a command-line tool that you can use to control your WordPress installation. You can use WP-CLI with any WordPress installation on our accounts. It can be used on fully managed WordPress hosting accounts and PairSIM WordPress installations.
Getting Ready to Use WP-CLI
Before you can use the WP-CLI commands, you must first complete a few steps:
- Connect to your account via SSH. For more information about how to establish this connection, see our Connect to Your Account via SSH article.
- Navigate to your WordPress installation files.The default SSH location is your home directory (/usr/home/username). You will first need to use the following command to reach your website files:
cd public_html
- Once you have reached your public_html you will want to use the cd command to navigate to your WordPress installation files. If you are unsure where this is, you can check the domain mapping within the ACC.
After you have arrived within your WordPress installation's directory, you can use WP-CLI commands.
Our version of WP-CLI requires the prefix of "wp-cli" instead of just "wp," so if you attempt to run WP-CLI commands that you found outside of this article, be sure to begin the command with "wp-cli" instead of "wp."
WP-CLI Commands
WP-CLI can be used in various aspects of your WordPress backend, from themes and plugins to cache flushing. We've broken the commands below into categories based on their purpose.
Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list of all WP-CLI can accomplish, but rather a helpful guide to get you started. If you want a complete list on WP-CLI commands, see the WP-CLI command documentation page.
Themes
| Command | Use | Example |
| wp-cli theme list | Lists the current themes that exist on the WordPress installation.
For the other commands, be sure to use the names as they appear in this list. |
wp-cli theme list |
| wp-cli theme install [theme name] --activate | Installs and activates a theme | wp-cli theme install twentysixteen --activate |
| wp-cli theme delete [theme name] | Deletes a theme | wp-cli theme delete twentytwelve |
| wp-cli theme update [theme name] | Updates the theme. This command can update multiple themes at a time. To update multiple themes, list the other theme names after the initial theme name. | wp-cli theme update twentyfifteen twentysixteen |
| wp-cli theme status [theme name] | Gets information about a theme on the WordPress installation | wp-cli theme status twentysixteen |
Plugins
| Command | Use | Example |
| wp-cli plugin list | Gets a list of all plugins.
This is necessary because plugin names are not always formatted in the same way that they appear in the plugin directory. Use the names from the list to run the following commands. |
wp-cli plugin list |
| wp-cli plugin install [plugin] --activate | Install and activate a plugin | wp-cli install woocommerce --activate |
| wp-cli plugin deactivate [plugin] | Deactivate a plugin | wp-cli plugin deactivate woocommerce |
| wp-cli plugin delete [plugin] | Delete a plugin from your WordPress installation | wp-cli plugin delete woocommerce |
| wp-cli plugin get [plugin] | Gets plugin information | wp-cli plugin get woocomerce |
Core
| Command | Use | Example |
| wp-cli core version | Shows the current WordPress core version | wp-cli core version |
| wp-cli core check-update | Checks for any pending WordPress core updates | wp-cli core check-update |
| wp-cli core update | If there are any pending WordPress core updates, this command will initiate the update process | wp-cli core update |
| wp-cli core update --version=[version number] --force | Forces the WordPress core to update to a specific core version
Note: Be careful using this command. Rolling back a core version can break your site and cause compatibility errors with your plugins and themes. |
wp-cli core update --version=4.9 --force |
| wp-cli core update-db | Updates WordPress databases with any pending core updates | wp-cli core update-db |
Database
| Command | Use | Example |
| wp-cli db check | Checks the current status of the WordPress database | wp-cli db check |
| wp-cli db tables | Displays a list of all current tables in the WordPress database | wp-cli db tables |
| wp-cli db create | Creates a new WordPress database | wp-cli db create |
| wp-cli db drop | Deletes the current database | wp-cli db drop |
| wp-cli db optimize | Optimizes the current WordPress database | wp-cli db optimize |
| wp-cli db query [query] | Executes a query within your WordPress database | wp-cli db query 'UPDATE wp_posts SET post_author="new-author-id" WHERE post_author = "old-author-id";' |
| wp-cli db search [search string] | Searches the current WordPress data for the string
Note: If no instances are found, no information will be returned. |
wp-cli db search dog.jpg |
| wp-cli db size --size_format=[format] | Displays the size of the current WordPress database.
You can change the measurement size by entering a size format in the place of [format]. See the WordPress WP-CLI DB Size developer page for all the available size formats. |
wp-cli db size --size_format=mb |
Maintenance Mode
| Command | Use | Example |
| wp-cli maintenance-mode status | Displays whether or not maintenance mode is currently active on the WordPress site | wp-cli maintenance-mode status |
| wp-cli maintenance-mode activate | Activates maintenance mode on your current WordPress installation
Note: Visitors will be unable to access your site while maintenance mode is running. |
wp-cli maintenance-mode activate |
| wp-cli maintenance mode deactivate | Deactivates maintenance mode on your current WordPress installation | wp-cli maintenance mode deactivate |
Menu
| Command | Use | Example |
| wp-cli menu list | Displays a list of current menus on the WordPress installation | wp-cli menu list |
| wp-cli menu create "[menu name]" | Creates a new menu | wp-cli menu create "New-Header-Menu" |
| wp-cli menu delete "[menu name]" | Deletes an existing menu | wp-cli menu delete "New-Header-Menu" |
| wp-cli menu location list | Displays a list of locations available for menus | wp-cli menu location list |
| wp-cli menu location assign [menu name] [location] | Assigns the specified menu to the chosen location | wp-cli menu location assign New-Header-Menu top |
| wp-cli menu location remove [menu name] [location] | Removes the specified menu from the chosen location. | wp-cli menu location remove New-Header-Menu top |
Posts
| Command | Use | Example |
| wp-cli post list | Lists all posts on current WordPress installation, including their publish status. | wp-cli post list |
| wp-cli post create --post_type=[page or post] --post_title='[title]' --post_status=future --post_date='YYYY-MM-DD hour:min:sec' | Creates a post or page and schedules it to launch at a future date.
Note: Be sure to use 24 hour time when entering the time for post date. |
wp-cli post create --post_type= post
--post_title='My Post' --post_status=future --post_date='2025-08-05 17:10:00' |
| wp-cli post create --post_type=[post or page] --post_title='[title]' | Create and publish a post or page. | wp-cli post create --post_type=page --post_title='My New Page' |
| wp-cli post delete [post name] --force | Deletes a post, skipping the trash. | wp-cli post delete My Post --force |
Users and Roles
| Command | Use | Example |
| wp-cli user create [user] [user email] --role=[role] | Creates a new user on the current WordPress installation. | wp-cli user create jack [email protected] --role=author |
| wp-cli user delete [user] --reassign=[different user] | Deletes an existing user and reassigns their pages and posts to another user. | wp-cli user delete jack --reassign=paige |
| wp-cli user list | Displays a list of all current users on the WordPress installation. | wp-cli user list |
| wp-cli user reset-password [user] | Resets passwords for existing users. The next time users log in, they will be prompted to enter a new password.
You can reset the password for multiple users by adding user's at the end of the command |
wp-cli user reset-password admin editor |
| wp-cli role list | Lists all available roles on the WordPress installation. | wp-cli role list |