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How to Use WP-CLI on Shared Hosting

How to Use WP-CLI on Shared Hosting

WP-CLI is the command-line interface for WordPress. It lets you manage WordPress without using the browser — update plugins, manage users, import/export content, and more.

Accessing WP-CLI

WP-CLI is pre-installed on {{COMPANY_NAME}} shared hosting servers. Access it via SSH or the cPanel Terminal.

Via SSH

  1. Connect via SSH to your hosting account.
  2. Navigate to your WordPress directory:
bash
cd ~/public_html
  1. Run WP-CLI commands:
bash
wp --info

Via cPanel Terminal

  1. Log in to cPanel.
  2. Go to Advanced > Terminal.
  3. Navigate and run commands.

Essential WP-CLI Commands

Check WordPress Status

bash
wp core version          # Show WordPress version
wp core check-update     # Check for updates
wp --info                # Show WP-CLI and PHP info

Update WordPress

bash
wp core update           # Update WordPress core
wp core update-db        # Update database after core update

Plugin Management

bash
wp plugin list                    # List all plugins
wp plugin status                  # Show plugin statuses
wp plugin install akismet         # Install a plugin
wp plugin activate akismet        # Activate a plugin
wp plugin deactivate akismet      # Deactivate a plugin
wp plugin update --all            # Update all plugins
wp plugin delete old-plugin       # Delete a plugin

Theme Management

bash
wp theme list                     # List all themes
wp theme activate twentytwentyfour  # Activate a theme
wp theme update --all             # Update all themes

User Management

bash
wp user list                      # List all users
wp user create john [email protected] --role=editor  # Create user
wp user update 1 --user_pass=NewPassword123  # Reset password

Database Operations

bash
wp db optimize                    # Optimise database tables
wp db repair                      # Repair database
wp db export backup.sql           # Export database
wp db import backup.sql           # Import database
wp db search "old-text"           # Search in database
wp search-replace "old" "new"     # Search and replace in database

Cache Management

bash
wp cache flush                    # Flush object cache
wp transient delete --all         # Delete all transients
wp rewrite flush                  # Flush rewrite rules

Content Management

bash
wp post list                      # List posts
wp post delete 123 --force        # Delete a post
wp comment delete $(wp comment list --status=spam --format=ids) --force  # Delete all spam comments

Maintenance

bash
wp cron event list                # List scheduled cron events
wp cron event run --all           # Run all pending cron events
wp option get siteurl             # Check site URL
wp option update siteurl "https://yourdomain.com"  # Update site URL

Common Use Cases

Fix Locked Out of wp-admin

bash
wp user create tempadmin [email protected] --role=administrator --user_pass=TempPass123!

Log in with the temporary admin, fix the issue, then delete the temp user.

Fix White Screen of Death

bash
wp plugin deactivate --all        # Deactivate all plugins

Then reactivate one by one to find the problematic plugin.

Migrate Domain

bash
wp search-replace "https://old-domain.com" "https://new-domain.com"

Tip: WP-CLI is much faster than the WordPress admin for bulk operations like updating all plugins, cleaning spam comments, or running search-replace across the database.

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