{"id":2604,"date":"2025-08-19T08:50:26","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T08:50:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/?p=2604"},"modified":"2025-08-19T08:50:27","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T08:50:27","slug":"update-wordpress-using-wp-cli","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/update-wordpress-using-wp-cli\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Commands Used To Update WordPress Using WP-CLI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>With WP-CLI, you can update your <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WordPress <\/a>installation, plugins, and themes in just a few seconds using simple commands. In this blog, we\u2019ll guide you step-by-step on how to <strong>update WordPress using WP-CLI<\/strong>, explain its advantages, and share the most common commands you need to know. If you want faster, more reliable website management, this method is perfect for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>your WordPress website updated is one of the most important steps in ensuring security, performance, and compatibility. While most website owners rely on the WordPress dashboard to manage updates, developers and advanced users often prefer a more efficient method \u2014 using the <strong>WordPress Command Line Interface (WP-CLI)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is WP-CLI?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>WP-CLI is a powerful <strong>command-line tool for managing WordPress websites<\/strong>. Instead of manually navigating the WordPress dashboard, you can perform administrative tasks such as updating WordPress core, installing themes, managing plugins, and even performing database operations directly through the terminal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is especially useful for developers, system administrators, and hosting providers who manage multiple WordPress sites at once. If your hosting provider, like <a href=\"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/wordpress-hosting\/\">Hostrago\u2019s WordPress Hosting<\/a>, offers SSH access, you can use WP-CLI easily without relying on the dashboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why <strong>update WordPress using WP-CLI<\/strong>?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Using WP-CLI to update WordPress offers several benefits compared to the traditional dashboard method:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Speed:<\/strong> Updates are completed instantly with a single command.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Automation:<\/strong> Perfect for managing multiple websites at once.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Control:<\/strong> You get full control over what you update and when.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Low Resource Usage:<\/strong> No need to log into the admin panel, which saves server resources.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>By learning how to <strong>update WordPress using WP-CLI<\/strong>, you\u2019ll streamline your workflow and ensure your site is always up-to-date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Access WP-CLI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To use WP-CLI, you\u2019ll need:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>SSH Access<\/strong> to your hosting account.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>WP-CLI Installed<\/strong> on the server. (Most modern hosting providers like <a href=\"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/\">Hostrago <\/a>support WP-CLI.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Basic Command Line Knowledge<\/strong> to execute commands safely.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Once logged into your server via SSH, navigate to your WordPress installation folder. From here, you can start executing WP-CLI commands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common Commands to <strong>update WordPress using WP-CLI<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the most commonly used WP-CLI commands for updating your site:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Update WordPress Core<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>wp core update\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>This command updates WordPress to the latest stable version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Update WordPress Database<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>wp core update-db\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>After a core update, run this command to update the WordPress database structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Update All Plugins<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>wp plugin update --all\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>This updates every plugin installed on your site to the latest version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Update a Specific Plugin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>wp plugin update plugin-name\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>Replace <code>plugin-name<\/code> with the actual plugin slug to update only that plugin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Update All Themes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>wp theme update --all\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>Updates every theme installed on your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Update a Specific Theme<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>wp theme update theme-name\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>Replace <code>theme-name<\/code> with the theme\u2019s slug to update it individually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example Workflow: Updating WordPress in One Go<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to update everything (core, plugins, and themes) in one go, here\u2019s a quick workflow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>wp core update\nwp core update-db\nwp plugin update --all\nwp theme update --all\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>Within just a few seconds, your entire WordPress installation will be up to date without even logging into the dashboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips Before Running WP-CLI Updates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Take a Backup:<\/strong> Always back up your website before running updates. (Check out our <a>guide on backups<\/a> for more details.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Test on Staging:<\/strong> If you\u2019re running a high-traffic site, test updates on a staging environment first.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use <code>--dry-run<\/code>:<\/strong> Add <code>--dry-run<\/code> to commands to simulate an update without making changes. Example:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>wp plugin update --all --dry-run<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Updating WordPress regularly is critical for security and performance. While most users stick to the WordPress dashboard, advanced users and developers can save time by learning how to update WordPress using WP-CLI. With just a few commands, you can update the WordPress core, plugins, and themes effortlessly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re hosting your WordPress site on <a href=\"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/\">Hostrago\u2019s fast and secure hosting<\/a>, you\u2019ll have everything you need to run WP-CLI smoothly. Take advantage of this powerful tool and keep your websites updated the smart way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With WP-CLI, you can update your WordPress installation, plugins, and themes in just a few seconds using simple commands. In this blog, we\u2019ll guide you&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2603,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[839,841,842,840],"class_list":["post-2604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wordpress","tag-update-wordpress-using-wp-cli","tag-wordpress-cli-update","tag-wordpress-update-guide","tag-wp-cli-commands"],"menu_order":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2604","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2604"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2604\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2605,"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2604\/revisions\/2605"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hostrago.com\/knowledge-base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}