How to Use WP-CLI to Manage WordPress from the Command Line

WP-CLI is the official command-line interface for WordPress. On your dotCanada account, you can use WP-CLI via SSH or the cPanel Terminal to manage plugins, themes, users, databases, and much more - without ever opening the WordPress dashboard.

Getting Started

Connect to your account via SSH, then navigate to your WordPress installation directory:

cd ~/public_html

Verify WP-CLI is working by running: wp --info

Common WP-CLI Commands

Plugins

wp plugin list - List all installed plugins
wp plugin install akismet --activate - Install and activate a plugin
wp plugin update --all - Update all plugins
wp plugin deactivate plugin-name - Deactivate a plugin

Themes

wp theme list - List installed themes
wp theme activate theme-name - Switch to a theme

Database

wp db export backup.sql - Export the database to a file
wp db import backup.sql - Import a database file
wp search-replace 'old-url.com' 'new-url.com' - Replace strings in the database

Core

wp core update - Update WordPress core
wp cache flush - Clear the WordPress object cache

WP-CLI is a huge time-saver for managing multiple WordPress sites. If you need help finding WP-CLI on your dotCanada account, contact our support team.