[JAY]

WP-CLI on CloudPanel: manage WordPress from the command line

WP-CLI lets you do WordPress jobs by typing short commands instead of clicking through wp-admin. Updating every plugin, resetting a forgotten admin password or changing your domain in the whole database takes one line. It's also a lifesaver when wp-admin itself is broken and you can't log in.

This guide shows the commands you'll actually use, explained in plain words.

Before you start: log in as the site user
Always run WP-CLI as the site's own user, never as root. That way new files get the right owner and you don't create permission problems.

Code:Copy

ssh site-user@YOUR_SERVER_IP cd ~/htdocs/www.example.com

Every command below is run from this folder (the one that contains wp-config.php).

Check that WP-CLI is available:

Code:Copy

wp --info

If you see "command not found", ask the server admin to install it as root:

Code:Copy

curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wp-cli/builds/gh-pages/phar/wp-cli.phar chmod +x wp-cli.phar mv wp-cli.phar /usr/local/bin/wp

See what's going on

Code:Copy

wp core version # which WordPress version you run wp plugin list # all plugins, active or not, and if updates are waiting wp theme list # all themes wp user list # all users and their roles

Update everything safely
Take a quick database backup first, then update:

Code:Copy

wp db export ~/backup-before-update.sql wp core update wp plugin update --all wp theme update --all wp core update-db

If something breaks after an update, you can roll a single plugin back to a version you know works:

Code:Copy

wp plugin install woocommerce --version=9.0.0 --force

Fix a site that won't load
A broken plugin is the most common cause of a white screen. Turn off all plugins at once, check the site, then turn them on one by one:

Code:Copy

wp plugin deactivate --all wp plugin activate contact-form-7

Switch to a default theme if the theme is the problem:

Code:Copy

wp theme activate twentytwentyfive

Reset a forgotten admin password

Code:Copy

wp user update admin --user_pass='a-new-long-password'

Replace

Code:Copy

admin

with your username (see

Code:Copy

wp user list

). Or create a fresh admin user:

Code:Copy

wp user create newadmin [email protected] --role=administrator

WP-CLI prints the new password on screen.

Change the domain (or move from HTTP to HTTPS)
WordPress stores your address in many places in the database. This command replaces it everywhere safely. Always test with

Code:Copy

--dry-run

first, which only shows what would change:

Code:Copy

wp search-replace 'http://old-domain.com' 'https://www.new-domain.com' --dry-run wp search-replace 'http://old-domain.com' 'https://www.new-domain.com'

Then clear your caches (next section).

Clear caches

Code:Copy

wp cache flush # WordPress object cache wp transient delete --all # old temporary data wp rewrite flush # refresh permalinks

If you use Varnish in CloudPanel, also purge it from the site's Varnish Cache tab.

Back up and restore the database

Code:Copy

wp db export ~/site-$(date +%F).sql # backup with today's date wp db import ~/site-2026-10-19.sql # restore a backup

Keep backups outside the htdocs folder (like the home folder above), so nobody can download them from the web.

Run WordPress cron reliably
WordPress normally runs its scheduled jobs only when someone visits the site. On quiet sites, scheduled posts and emails can be late. You can run them on a timer instead:

1. Add this line to wp-config.php, above "That's all, stop editing":
   
   Code:Copy

   define( 'DISABLE_WP_CRON', true );
2. In CloudPanel, open the site's Cron Jobs tab and add a job that runs every 5 minutes with this command:
   
   Code:Copy

   cd /home/site-user/htdocs/www.example.com && /usr/local/bin/wp cron event run --due-now >/dev/null 2>&1

Cron jobs don't always know where WP-CLI lives, so use its full path. Run

Code:Copy

which wp

to check it; on most servers it's

Code:Copy

/usr/local/bin/wp

.

Quick reference

• Code:Copy

  wp plugin list
  : see all plugins
  
• Code:Copy

  wp plugin update --all
  : update all plugins
  
• Code:Copy

  wp plugin deactivate --all
  : emergency switch-off
  
• Code:Copy

  wp user update NAME --user_pass='...'
  : reset a password
  
• Code:Copy

  wp search-replace OLD NEW --dry-run
  : preview a domain change
  
• Code:Copy

  wp db export file.sql
  : database backup
  
• Code:Copy

  wp cache flush
  : clear the object cache
  

Sources (checked October 2026): WP-CLI official site · WP-CLI command reference

Related: Install WordPress in CloudPanel