Knowledge Base

WP-CLI Commands for Bluehost Cloud

WP-CLI (WordPress Command Line Interface) is a powerful tool that empowers developers and site administrators to manage WordPress installations directly from the command line. With WP-CLI Commands, you can perform a wide range of tasks—such as updating plugins, managing posts and users, configuring multisite setups, and more—without ever needing to log into the WordPress admin dashboard. By streamlining routine development and maintenance workflows, WP-CLI significantly boosts productivity and efficiency, making it an essential utility for anyone working with WordPress at scale.

Commonly Used WP-CLI Commands and Their Functions

To explore available options and syntax for any WP-CLI command, use the following format:

wp help <command>

For example, to view documentation for the db command, simply type:

wp help db

This will display detailed information about the wp db command, including its available subcommands, options, and usage examples. It's a quick and effective way to understand how each command works and how to use it properly.

Command	Task
CACHING
wp cache	Manages the WordPress Object Cache, allowing you to add, remove, retrieve, and flush cached data.
wp cache add	Adds a specific value to the object cache.
wp cache delete	Removes a specific value from the object cache.
wp cache flush	Clears all data from the object cache.
wp cache type	Identifies the type of object cache currently in use.
wp cap	Handles user role capabilities, enabling you to modify what each role can do. Add, remove, or list capabilities for a given user role to customize permissions and access levels.
USER CAPABILITIES, ADMIN
wp cap add	Adds one or more capabilities to a specified user role.
wp cap list	Displays all capabilities assigned to a given role.
wp cap remove	Removes one or more capabilities from a specified user role.
wp super-admin add	Grants super admin rights to one or more users.
wp super-admin list	Lists all users who currently have super admin privileges.
wp super-admin remove	Revokes super admin rights from one or more users.
WP CLI
wp cli	Provides tools to inspect and manage the WP-CLI environment, including updates, aliases, and internal configurations.
wp cli alias	Retrieves, sets, and updates aliases for WordPress installations to simplify command usage.
wp cli cache	Manages WP-CLI’s internal cache for improved performance.
wp cli check-update	Checks if a newer version of WP-CLI is available.
wp cli cmd-dump	Outputs a list of all installed WP-CLI commands in JSON format.
wp cli completions	Generates tab-completion strings for supported shells.
wp cli has-command	Verifies whether a specific WP-CLI command exists.
wp cli info	Displays detailed information about the current WP-CLI environment, including version, PHP binary, and OS.
wp cli param-dump	Outputs a list of global parameters in JSON or var_export format.
wp cli update	Updates WP-CLI to the latest stable release.
wp cli version	Prints the current version of WP-CLI installed.
WORDPRESS COMMENTS
wp comment	Provides comprehensive tools to manage WordPress comments, including creation, moderation, deletion, and metadata handling.
wp comment approve	Approves a pending comment.
wp comment count	Displays the number of comments on the entire site or a specific post.
wp comment create	Creates a new comment programmatically.
wp comment delete	Permanently deletes a comment.
wp comment exists	Checks whether a comment with a given ID exists.
wp comment generate	Generates a specified number of dummy comments for testing purposes.
wp comment get	Retrieves data for a specific comment.
wp comment list	Lists comments with optional filters.
wp comment meta	Manages custom fields (metadata) for comments—add, update, delete, or list.
wp comment recount	Recalculates the comment_count value for one or more posts.
wp comment spam	Marks a comment as spam.
wp comment status	Displays the current status of a comment.
wp comment trash	Moves a comment to the trash.
wp comment unapprove	Reverts a comment to unapproved status.
wp comment unspam	Removes the spam status from a comment.
wp comment untrash	Restores a trashed comment.
wp comment update	Updates one or more fields of an existing comment.
WP CORE
wp core	Handles essential operations for managing a WordPress installation, including downloading, installing, updating, and verifying core files.
wp core check-update	Checks for available WordPress updates using the Version Check API.
wp core download	Downloads the latest WordPress core files.
wp core install	Executes the standard WordPress installation process.
wp core is-installed	Verifies whether WordPress is already installed.
wp core multisite-convert	Converts an existing single-site installation into a multisite network.
wp core multisite-install	Installs WordPress as a multisite network from scratch.
wp core update	Updates WordPress to the latest available version.
wp core update-db	Runs the database upgrade routine after a core update.
wp core verify-checksums	Validates WordPress core files against checksums from WordPress.org to ensure file integrity.
wp core version	Displays the currently installed WordPress version.
WP CRON
wp cron	Provides tools to manage WordPress's scheduled tasks (WP-Cron), including testing, running, and deleting events, as well as viewing schedules.
wp cron event	chedules new WP-Cron events, runs existing ones manually, or deletes them.
wp cron schedule	Lists all available WP-Cron schedules (e.g., hourly, daily, weekly).
wp cron test	Tests the WP-Cron spawning system and reports its current status to help diagnose issues.
DATABASE
wp db	Performs essential database operations using credentials defined in wp-config.php, allowing you to manage, inspect, and manipulate your WordPress database directly from the command line.
wp db check	Checks the current status and integrity of the database.
wp db clean	Removes all tables that use the `$table_prefix` defined in `wp-config.php`.
wp db cli	Opens a MySQL command-line interface using the WordPress database credentials.
wp db columns	Displays column information for a specified database table.
wp db create	Creates a new database using the configured credentials.
wp db drop	Deletes the existing database.
wp db export	Exports the database to a file or outputs it to STDOUT.
wp db import	Imports a database from a file or STDIN.
wp db optimize	Optimizes all database tables to improve performance.
wp db prefix	Displays the current database table prefix.
wp db query	Executes a raw SQL query against the database.
wp db repair	Repairs corrupted database tables.
wp db reset	Removes all tables from the database, effectively resetting it.
wp db search	Searches for a specific string across the database.
wp db size	Displays the name and total size of the database.
wp db tables	Lists all tables in the database.
EMBED
wp embed	Provides tools to inspect oEmbed providers, manage embed caches, and handle embed-related functionality.
wp embed cache	Finds, triggers, and deletes cached oEmbed responses.
wp embed fetch	Attempts to convert a given URL into embeddable HTML using oEmbed.
wp embed handler	Retrieves registered embed handlers used by WordPress to process specific types of content.
wp embed provider	Lists available oEmbed providers supported by WordPress.
EVAL
wp eval-file	Loads and executes a specified PHP file within the WordPress context. Useful for running scripts or performing batch operations.
wp eval	Executes arbitrary PHP code directly from the command line. Ideal for quick testing or debugging within the WordPress environment.
EXPORT/ IMPORT
wp export	Generates one or more WXR (WordPress eXtended RSS) files containing site content such as authors, terms, posts, comments, and attachments metadata. Note: WXR files do not include site configuration (options) or the actual attachment files.
wp import	Imports content from a specified WXR file, allowing you to restore or migrate posts, pages, and other content types into a WordPress site.
WORDPRESS LANGUAGE
wp language	Manages language packs for WordPress core, plugins, and themes—allowing you to install, activate, and update translations.
wp language core	Installs, activates, and manages language packs for the WordPress core.
wp language plugin	Installs, activates, and manages language packs for plugins.
wp language theme	Installs, activates, and manages language packs for themes.
WORDPRESS MEDIA
wp media	Provides tools to manage media files in WordPress, including importing attachments, fixing image orientation, regenerating thumbnails, and listing image sizes.
wp media fix-orientation	Corrects the orientation of one or more image attachments based on EXIF data.
wp media import	Creates media attachments from local file paths or remote URLs.
wp media image-size	Lists all image sizes registered with WordPress, including custom sizes.
wp media regenerate	Regenerates thumbnails for one or more attachments, useful after changing image size settings.
WORDPRESS MENU/ SIDEBAR/ WIDGET
wp menu create	Creates a new navigation menu.
wp menu delete	Deletes one or more existing menus.
wp menu item	Lists, adds, or deletes items associated with a menu.
wp menu list	Displays a list of all registered menus.
wp menu location	Assigns, removes, or lists menu locations within the theme.
wp sidebar list	Lists all registered sidebars in the current theme.
wp widget add	Adds a widget to a specified sidebar.
wp widget deactivate	Deactivates one or more widgets from an active sidebar without deleting them.
wp widget delete	Permanently removes one or more widgets from a sidebar.
wp widget list	Lists all widgets currently assigned to a sidebar.
wp widget move	Changes the position of a widget within a sidebar or moves it to another sidebar.
wp widget reset	Resets all sidebars by removing all widgets.
wp widget update	Updates the settings/options of an existing widget.
NETWORK
wp network meta	Manages custom fields (metadata) associated with WordPress multisite networks. This command allows you to Get metadata for a specific network. Add new custom fields to a network. Update existing metadata values. Delete metadata entries. List all metadata associated with a given network.
WORDPRESS OPTIONS
wp option add	Adds a new option with a specified value. Fails if the option already exists.
wp option delete	Deletes an existing option from the database.
wp option get	Retrieves the value of a specified option.
wp option get-autoload	Displays the `autoload` setting (`yes` or `no`) for a given option.
wp option list	Lists all options and their values, with optional filters.
wp option patch	Updates a nested value within a complex option (e.g., arrays or objects).
wp option pluck	Retrieves a nested value from a complex option without modifying it.
wp option set-autoload	Changes the `autoload` behavior of an option (whether it loads on every page request).
wp option update	Updates the value of an existing option or creates it if it doesn’t exist.
PLUGIN
wp plugin activate	Activates one or more installed plugins.
wp plugin auto-updates	Enables, disables, or lists the auto-update status for plugins.
wp plugin deactivate	Deactivates one or more active plugins.
wp plugin delete	Deletes plugin files without deactivating or uninstalling them.
wp plugin get	Retrieves detailed information about a specific installed plugin.
wp plugin install	Installs one or more plugins from the WordPress.org repository or a local ZIP file.
wp plugin is-active	Checks whether a specific plugin is currently active.
wp plugin is-installed	Checks whether a specific plugin is installed.
wp plugin list	Lists all installed plugins with details such as status, version, and update availability.
wp plugin path	Displays the file path to a specific plugin or the plugin directory.
wp plugin search	Searches for plugins in the WordPress.org plugin repository.
wp plugin status	Shows the activation status of one or all plugins.
wp plugin toggle	Toggles a plugin’s activation state—activates if inactive, deactivates if active.
wp plugin uninstall	Uninstalls one or more plugins, removing associated data.
wp plugin update	Updates one or more plugins to the latest available version.
wp plugin verify-checksums	Verifies plugin files against checksums from WordPress.org to ensure file integrity.
POSTS
wp post create	Creates a new post with specified parameters (e.g., title, content, post type).
wp post delete	Deletes an existing post by ID.
wp post edit	Opens the system editor to modify post content interactively.
wp post exists	Checks whether a post with a given ID exists.
wp post generate	Generates dummy posts for testing or development purposes.
wp post get	Retrieves detailed information about a specific post.
wp post list	Lists posts with optional filters (e.g., post type, status, author).
wp post meta	Manages post metadata—add, update, delete, or list custom fields.
wp post term	Adds, updates, removes, or lists taxonomy terms (e.g., categories, tags) associated with a post.
wp post update	Updates one or more fields of an existing post.
wp post url-to-id	Converts a post URL into its corresponding post ID.
wp post-type get	Retrieves details about a specific registered post type.
wp post-type list	Lists all registered post types in the WordPress installation.
REWRITE
wp rewrite	Manages WordPress rewrite rules and permalink settings. Useful for troubleshooting URL routing and refreshing permalink structures.
wp rewrite flush	Clears and regenerates the site's rewrite rules. Often used after registering custom post types or taxonomies.
wp rewrite list	Displays the current set of rewrite rules used by WordPress.
wp rewrite structure	Updates the permalink structure (e.g., `/blog/%postname%/`) and flushes rewrite rules automatically.
DATABASE/PHP
wp shell	Opens an interactive PHP console within the context of your WordPress installation. This allows you to run and test PHP code directly, making it a powerful tool for debugging, experimenting with WordPress functions, or inspecting data without modifying files Tip: deal for developers who want to interact with WordPress objects, functions, and APIs in real time.
WEBSITE
wp site activate	Activates one or more previously deactivated sites.
wp site archive	Archives one or more sites, making them inaccessible to users.
wp site create	Creates a new site within a multisite network.
wp site deactivate	Deactivates one or more sites, preventing access without deleting them.
wp site delete	Permanently deletes a site from the multisite network.
wp site empty	Clears all content from a site—posts, comments, terms, and metadata—without deleting the site itself.
wp site list	Lists all sites in the multisite network with details such as ID, URL, and status.
wp site mature	Marks one or more sites as “mature,” typically used for internal tracking.
wp site meta	Adds, updates, deletes, or lists custom metadata fields for a site.
wp site option	Manages site-specific options—add, update, delete, or list—within a multisite installation.
wp site private	Sets one or more sites to private, restricting public access.
wp site public	Sets one or more sites to public, making them accessible to visitors.
wp site spam	Flags one or more sites as spam, often used for moderation or abuse control.
wp site switch-language	Changes the active language for a site.
wp site unarchive	Restores one or more archived sites to active status.
wp site unmature	Removes the “mature” status from one or more sites.
wp site unspam	Removes the spam flag from one or more sites.
TAXONOMY, TERM
wp taxonomy get	Retrieves detailed information about a registered taxonomy (e.g., categories, tags, or custom taxonomies).
wp taxonomy list	Lists all registered taxonomies in the WordPress installation.
wp term create	Creates a new term within a specified taxonomy.
wp term delete	Deletes an existing term from a taxonomy.
wp term generate	Generates dummy terms for testing or development purposes.
wp term get	Retrieves detailed information about a specific term.
wp term list	Lists all terms within a given taxonomy, with optional filters.
wp term meta	Manages term metadata—add, update, delete, or list custom fields.
wp term migrate	Moves a term from one taxonomy to another.
wp term recount	Recalculates the number of posts assigned to each term, useful after bulk content changes.
wp term update	Updates the properties of an existing term (e.g., name, slug, description).
THEME
wp theme activate	Activates a specified theme on the current site.
wp theme auto-updates	Enables, disables, or checks the status of automatic theme updates.
wp theme delete	Deletes one or more installed themes.
wp theme disable	Disables a theme on a WordPress multisite network.
wp theme enable	Enables a theme for use on a WordPress multisite network.
wp theme get	Retrieves detailed information about a specific theme.
wp theme install	Installs one or more themes from WordPress.org or a ZIP file.
wp theme is-active	Checks whether a given theme is currently active.
wp theme is-installed	Verifies if a theme is installed on the site.
wp theme list	Lists all installed themes with details such as status, version, and update availability.
wp theme mod	Gets, sets, or removes theme modifications (theme-specific settings).
wp theme path	Displays the file path to a specific theme or the theme directory.
wp theme search	Searches for themes in the WordPress.org theme repository.
wp theme status	Shows the status of one or all installed themes (e.g., active, inactive, update available).
wp theme update	Updates one or more themes to the latest version.
TRANSIENT
wp transient delete	Deletes a specified transient value from the database.
wp transient get	Retrieves the value of a specified transient.
wp transient list	Lists all transients currently stored, along with their values and expiration times.
wp transient set	Sets a transient value with an optional expiration time.
wp transient type	Identifies the type of transient implementation being used (e.g., database, object cache).
USER
wp user add-cap	Assigns a specific capability to a user.
wp user add-role	Adds an additional role to a user.
wp user application-password	Manages application passwords: create, update, delete, list, and retrieve.
wp user check-password	Verifies if a user’s password is correct.
wp user create	Creates a new user account.
wp user delete	Deletes one or more users from the current site.
wp user generate	Generates sample users for testing or development.
wp user get	Retrieves detailed information about a user.
wp user import-csv	Imports users in bulk from a CSV file.
wp user list	Lists all users on the site.
wp user list-caps	Lists all capabilities for a user.
wp user meta	Adds, updates, deletes, or lists user meta fields (custom data).
wp user remove-cap	Revokes a specific capability from a user.
wp user remove-role	Removes a role from a user.
wp user reset password	Resets the password for one or more users.
wp user session	Lists or destroys active sessions for a user.
wp user set-role	Sets the primary role for a user.
wp user spam	Flags one or more users as spam.
wp user term	Manages user terms: add, update, remove, or list.
wp user unspam	Removes spam status from one or more users.
wp user update	Updates an existing user’s information.
JETPACK
wp jetpack authorize_user	Authorizes a user via the command line and activates Jetpack for that user.
wp jetpack block	Generates the essential files needed to build a Gutenberg block using Jetpack.
wp jetpack call_api	Makes a request to a WordPress.com API endpoint using the current site's authentication token.
wp jetpack disconnect	Disconnects Jetpack from blogs or users.
wp jetpack get_stats	Retrieves site statistics via the WordPress.com API.
wp jetpack module	Enables, disables, or lists Jetpack modules.
wp jetpack options	Manages Jetpack options and settings.
wp jetpack partner_cancel	Cancels the Jetpack plan provided by a partner, if applicable.
wp jetpack partner_provision	Provisions a site using a Jetpack Partner license.
wp jetpack protect	Configures Jetpack Protect settings for security.
wp jetpack publicize	Manages Jetpack Publicize connections for social media sharing.
wp jetpack reset	Resets Jetpack settings and options to their default values.
wp jetpack scaffold	Creates starter files for building a Gutenberg block or Jetpack plugin.
wp jetpack sitemap	Manages the Jetpack-generated sitemap.
wp jetpack status	Displays the current Jetpack connection and module status.
wp jetpack sync	Checks the status of Jetpack sync or initiates a new sync process.
wp jetpack sync_queue	Lists the contents of a specific Jetpack sync queue.
wp jetpack test-connection	Tests the active Jetpack connection to WordPress.com.
wp jetpack upload_ssh_creds	Uploads SSH credentials for backups, restores, and security scans.
DISK USAGE
wp disk-usage	Displays disk usage statistics for the site's document root and temporary directories. Useful for monitoring storage consumption and identifying potential space issues.

Summary

By leveraging the command line, users can execute operations quickly and efficiently—eliminating the need for time-consuming manual tasks. Whether you're a seasoned developer or a site manager, WP-CLI Commands significantly reduces the effort required for routine maintenance, user management, plugin control, and more. It empowers you to automate workflows, improve productivity, and maintain full control over your WordPress environment—all from the terminal.

If you need further assistance, feel free to contact us via Chat or Phone:

Chat Support - While on our website, you should see a CHAT bubble in the bottom right-hand corner of the page. Click anywhere on the bubble to begin a chat session.
Phone Support -
- US: 888-401-4678
- International: +1 801-765-9400

You may also refer to our Knowledge Base articles to help answer common questions and guide you through various setup, configuration, and troubleshooting steps.

Did you find this article helpful?

Please leave us some feedback so we can improve this article.

* Your feedback is too short