7 WP-CLI Commands Every WordPress Developer Should Know

Why WP-CLI If you manage WordPress sites and you're not using WP-CLI, you're spending twice as long on routine tasks. WP-CLI lets you manage everything from the terminal — updates, database operations, user management, configuration — without opening a browser. For agencies managing 10+ sites, it's the difference between clicking through admin panels for an hour and running a script in 30 seconds. Here are the commands I use most, split between core WP-CLI and some that require additional packages. The Essential 7 1. wp core update + wp plugin update --all wp core update && wp plugin update --all && wp theme update --all Update everything in one line. Pair it with wp db export backup.sql first if you're cautious: wp db export ~/backups/ $( date +%Y%m%d ) .sql && wp core update && wp plugin update --all Run this across multiple sites with a simple loop: for site in /var/www/site1 /var/www/site2 /var/www/site3 ; do echo "=== Updating $site ===" wp --path = " $site " db export ~/backups/