WP-CLI stands for WordPress Command Line Interface and is a powerful tool that enables WordPress administrators and developers to manage their sites directly from the command line. This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to use WP-CLI to update WordPress core and plugins efficiently. Whether you are managing a single website or multiple WordPress installations, WP-CLI can help streamline your workflow and ensure your sites are always up to date with the latest features and security updates.
Updating WordPress Core with WP-CLI
Updating the WordPress core using WP-CLI is straightforward and can be done with a few simple commands. First, it is crucial to ensure that WP-CLI is correctly installed and configured on your server. Once you have WP-CLI ready, you can check the current version of your WordPress installation by running wp core version. To check if there are any updates available, use the command wp core check-update. If an update is available, you can update to the latest version of WordPress by executing wp core update. This command will download and install the latest version, keeping your WordPress core up-to-date.
During the update process, it might be wise to put your site in maintenance mode, especially if it’s a live site. WP-CLI makes this easy with the command wp maintenance-mode activate. You can perform the update and then disable maintenance mode by running wp maintenance-mode deactivate once the update is complete. It’s also a good practice to back up your WordPress files and database before performing any major update. WP-CLI provides a handy way to do this with commands like wp db export for database backups.
Sometimes, you might want to update WordPress to a specific version rather than the latest one. WP-CLI also supports this functionality with the command wp core update --version=5.5, for example, which allows you to update to WordPress version 5.5 specifically. This feature is particularly useful when testing compatibility with plugins or themes.
How to Update Plugins Using WP-CLI
Updating plugins via WP-CLI is an efficient way to manage plugins across multiple sites or quickly ensure all your plugins are up to date. You can list all installed plugins and their current status by running wp plugin list. This will give you an overview of which plugins are active, inactive, or need updates. To update a single plugin, use the command wp plugin update, replacing ` with the actual slug of the plugin. For example,wp plugin update akismet` will update the Akismet plugin if an update is available.
To update all plugins at once, the command wp plugin update --all is particularly useful. This command will go through each plugin that has an available update and apply those updates. It’s a quick way to handle multiple updates with a single command. For sites with many plugins, this can significantly simplify maintenance tasks and reduce the time spent manually updating each plugin through the WordPress admin panel.
Additionally, WP-CLI allows you to handle plugin updates from third-party repositories or directly from a provided ZIP file. For instance, if you need to update a plugin with a specific version not offered in the WordPress plugin repository, you can use wp plugin install --force, which will update the plugin using the ZIP file you specify. This is particularly useful for premium plugins or bespoke plugins developed specifically for your site.
Using WP-CLI to update WordPress core and plugins is an effective way to maintain your WordPress installation. This command-line tool not only simplifies the process of updates but also offers more control and flexibility over how and when updates are applied. Whether you’re updating the core software or plugins, WP-CLI can help ensure that your site benefits from the latest improvements and security measures. By incorporating WP-CLI into your maintenance workflow, you can save time, reduce the risk of downtime, and keep your WordPress site running smoothly.
