Installing WP-CLI for cPanel Users: Getting Started

Step 1: Getting Started If WP-CLI Is Already Installed

Many hosts pre-install WP-CLI, so check first to avoid reinventing the wheel. You’ve verified it’s there via File Manager—awesome! Now, let’s fire it up.

Access Your cPanel Terminal

1. Log into cPanel (usually yourdomain.com/cpanel).
2. Head to the Advanced section and click Terminal (or enable SSH under Security > SSH Access).
3. Boom—a shell prompt like [username@server ~]$ awaits.

Navigate to Your WordPress Root

Your site’s files live in public_html (or a subfolder like public_html/blog).

• Run: cd public_html
• Confirm with ls—you should spot wp-config.php and wp-content/.

Verify and Test WP-CLI

In your WordPress directory:

wp --info

This spits out version details. If it works, test with:

wp core version

(Should show your WP version, e.g., “6.4.2”.)

If you get “command not found,” it’s likely a PATH issue—jump to the installation section below.

Your First Commands: Baby Steps to Power

Start simple. Run wp help for the full menu. Here are essentials:

• Site Health Check: wp doctor check –all (flags issues like outdated plugins).
• List Plugins: wp plugin list (shows active/inactive ones).
• Install & Activate a Plugin (e.g., Yoast SEO): wp plugin install yoast-seo –activate.
• Update Core: wp core update (add –yes to skip prompts).
• List Themes: wp theme list.
• Create a Post: wp post create –post_title=”Hello WP-CLI!” –post_content=”This was made via terminal!” –post_status=publish –post_type=post.

For command-specific help: wp plugin help.

Step 2: Installing WP-CLI from Scratch (For Newbies)

No pre-install? No problem. This user-level setup takes ~5 minutes. Prerequisites: PHP 7.4+ (check with php -v) and terminal access.

Download the PHAR File

From your home directory (or WordPress root):

curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wp-cli/builds/gh-pages/phar/wp-cli.phar

Make It Executable

chmod +x wp-cli.phar

Verify: ls -l wp-cli.phar (look for executable perms like -rwxr-xr-x).

Test the Install

./wp-cli.phar --info

Or via PHP: php wp-cli.phar –info. It should detect your WP setup.

Go Global: Easy Access Everywhere

To run wp without ./wp-cli.phar:

1. mkdir -p ~/bin
2. mv wp-cli.phar ~/bin/wp
3. Add to PATH: export PATH=~/bin:$PATH
4. Make it permanent: Edit ~/.bashrc with nano ~/.bashrc, add export PATH=~/bin:$PATH at the end, save (Ctrl+O > Enter > Ctrl+X), then source ~/.bashrc.

Now, wp –info works anywhere!

Bonus: Enable Autocomplete

Tab-complete commands like a boss:

1. curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wp-cli/wp-cli/master/utils/wp-completion.bash
2. mv wp-completion.bash ~/
3. Add to ~/.bash_profile: source ~/wp-completion.bash (edit, save, source ~/.bash_profile).

Pro Tips for WP-CLI Mastery

• Backups First: wp db export backup.sql before big changes.
• Aliases for Laziness: In ~/.bashrc, add alias w=’wp’ and reload.
• Verbose Mode: Add –verbose for details (e.g., wp core update –verbose).
• Multisite Sites: Target subsites with –url=your-subsite.com.
• Exit Gracefully: Type exit when done.