How to Use WP-CLI via SSH

WP-CLI is a command-line tool for managing WordPress. It lets you update plugins, reset passwords, run database operations, and much more — all without using the WordPress admin panel.

Is WP-CLI available on TPC Hosting?

WP-CLI is pre-installed on all TPC Hosting shared and VPS plans. Connect via SSH and it is ready to use.

Basic usage

All WP-CLI commands start with wp and must be run from your WordPress installation directory:

1. Connect to your server via SSH.
2. Navigate to your WordPress folder:

cd public_html

(or the subdirectory where WordPress is installed, e.g. cd public_html/blog)

Common commands

• Check WordPress version:

wp core version

• Update WordPress core:

wp core update

• Update all plugins:

wp plugin update --all

• Update all themes:

wp theme update --all

• List all plugins and their status:

wp plugin list

• Activate a plugin:

wp plugin activate plugin-name

• Deactivate a plugin:

wp plugin deactivate plugin-name

• Reset a WordPress admin password:

wp user update admin --user_pass=NewPassword123

• Search and replace in the database (e.g. for domain migration):

wp search-replace 'https://olddomain.com' 'https://newdomain.com'

• Export the database:

wp db export backup.sql

• Import a database:

wp db import backup.sql

• Flush the rewrite rules (fix permalink issues):

wp rewrite flush

• Clear all transients (cached data):

wp transient delete --all

Tip: Add \--path=/home/username/public_html to run WP-CLI commands from any directory without navigating first.

Updated on: 28/04/2026