how to use wp cli to update plugins

Understanding WP-CLI for Efficient WordPress Management

WP-CLI stands for WordPress Command Line Interface and is a powerful tool that enables site administrators and developers to manage WordPress settings quickly and efficiently through the command line. Among its many capabilities, updating plugins via WP-CLI is particularly useful for maintaining site security and functionality without logging into the WordPress admin dashboard. This detailed guide will walk you through everything you need to start using WP-CLI for updating plugins on your WordPress site.

Step-by-Step Guide to Updating WordPress Plugins with WP-CLI

Step 1: Installing WP-CLI

Before you can use WP-CLI to update plugins, you need to ensure it’s installed on your server. Most managed WordPress hosting providers already have WP-CLI installed. If yours does not, you can install it by downloading the WP-CLI.phar file.

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

Once downloaded, make the file executable and move it to a directory in your PATH for easy access:

chmod +x wp-cli.phar
sudo mv wp-cli.phar /usr/local/bin/wp

Verify the installation by typing wp --info.

Step 2: Checking Current Plugin Status

To update plugins, first, check the status of the installed plugins on your site:

wp plugin list

This command outputs a list of all plugins installed, including their versions and statuses (active/inactive).

Step 3: Updating Plugins

You can update plugins using different WP-CLI commands depending on your specific needs:

• Update a Specific Plugin:
  To update a specific plugin, simply specify the plugin slug:

  wp plugin update plugin-slug

• Update All Plugins:
  If you prefer to update all your plugins at once, use:

  wp plugin update --all

• Update Only Active Plugins:
  If you want to limit updates to active plugins, combine the list and update commands:

  wp plugin list --status=active --field=name | xargs -n1 -I % wp plugin update %

Step 4: Verifying Update Success

After updating the plugins, it’s important to verify that the updates were successful and that the plugins are functioning as expected. Check the updated status:

wp plugin list

Look out for the new versions in the output, which indicates that the updates were applied. To ensure that your website is performing well, you might also want to test the site functionality or visit the WordPress site to check for any visible issues.

Step 5: Automating Plugin Updates

For maintenance ease, consider automating the update process. Scheduling a cron job can help ensure that plugins are always updated:

0 3 * * * /usr/local/bin/wp plugin update --all --path=/path/to/your/WordPress/site > /dev/null 2>&1

This cron job runs daily at 3 AM, updating all plugins silently.

Best Practices

• Test updates on a staging environment before applying changes to your live production site. This prevents any unexpected errors from affecting your users.
• Backup your WordPress site regularly, especially before executing bulk updates. While WP-CLI can facilitate backups with plugins like WP-DBManager, it’s essential to establish a routine backup process.
• Monitor the periodic updates through logs or notifications to ensure the automatic process runs correctly. This proactive approach helps in quickly addressing any potential issues post-update.

Using WP-CLI to update plugins enables efficient, robust management of WordPress sites. Developers and administrators benefit from faster workflows, prevention of human errors during updates, and better overall site upkeep. Adapt and integrate WP-CLI into your site maintenance practices, and you’ll enhance not just performance but also security through timely plugin updates.